Top academic: A really bumpy winter is on way with Covid and flu

Professor Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at the University of Oxford, said he thinks there is a “really bumpy” winter on the way, especially with the additional risk of flu.

The expert also pointed out the importance of easy-to-access tests which are non-invasive, particularly for schools and universities.

Speaking on a Royal Society of Medicine webinar, Prof Bell said: “My bet is that we will get a second wave, and the vaccines won’t get here in time to stop the second wave.

“And I’m not sure the new home testing is going to get there in time either, but it perhaps will take the edge off it.

“But then I suspect by Christmas or early in the new year, there may be more than one option for vaccines.

“My suspicion is the vaccines will work a bit, they won’t sterilise people, but they’ll take the edge off the disease, and they’ll definitely be worth using in a population.

“But they won’t… they’re not going to solve this problem. And by the way, the rest of the world is still going to have Covid going through the winter.”

He added: “But just to be crystal clear, it’s going to be a bumpy winter. There’s nothing I can see that’s going to make this an easy winter.”

Prof Bell pointed out that people are “still sceptical” about vaccines, adding: “There’s a real issue of trust I think at the moment.”

Speaking about schools, Prof Bell said there is data which suggests that children are “pretty infectious” when they have the virus.