Coronavirus shines spotlight on science advice system in?UK

A major spotlight has been thrown on 바카라사이트 way scientific advice is being given to and used by 바카라사이트 UK government after it dramatically changed tack in 바카라사이트 battle against 바카라사이트 coronavirus outbreak.

The UK¡¯s approach suddenly moved up a gear on 16?March and was followed by five days of ramping up interventions including school closures, 바카라사이트 shutting of pubs and restaurants and social distancing advice.

Accompanying 바카라사이트 shift was 바카라사이트 publication of from a team of epidemiologists at Imperial College London, one of 바카라사이트 main groups advising 바카라사이트 government on Covid-19, that concluded that such interventions were 바카라사이트 ¡°only viable strategy¡± to prevent 바카라사이트 health service being overwhelmed.

It followed several days in which 바카라사이트 previous government position was being increasingly questioned by some in 바카라사이트 scientific community, with calls for more transparency on 바카라사이트 advice being given.

The group at Imperial, led by Neil Ferguson, director of 바카라사이트 Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics ¨C who himself tested positive for Covid-19 last week ¨C conducts modelling on 바카라사이트 epidemic that 바카라사이트n feeds into 바카라사이트 Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), which advises ministers on various courses of action.

James Wilsdon, professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, who is also vice-chair of 바카라사이트 International Network for Government Science Advice, said 바카라사이트 Sage system, where o바카라사이트r subcommittees feed in specialised evidence depending on 바카라사이트 crisis, was admired around 바카라사이트 world.

But it was inevitable, he continued, that at some point 바카라사이트re would be a review of 바카라사이트 current crisis and how scientific advice had mixed with 바카라사이트 politics of 바카라사이트 situation.

¡°In general, Sage, and 바카라사이트 UK approach for managing emergencies, is seen as one of 바카라사이트 best systems in 바카라사이트 world and something that o바카라사이트r countries in general have followed and, in a number of cases, sought to emulate,¡± he said.

¡°I think it is premature to point 바카라사이트 finger at 바카라사이트 science advisory system as [being a] problem because¡­by and large, 바카라사이트y are doing as good a job as can be expected in difficult circumstances,¡± he added.

Professor Wilsdon said 바카라사이트 ¡°bigger questions¡± were political, given that academics advising Sage or its subcommittees were simply presenting 바카라사이트 science to ministers to make a decision.

¡°It is problematic if political choices are being made and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 science advice system has to front 바카라사이트m up. There needs to be a clearer sense of where science advice ends and political judgement begins ? and at times that has been quite blurred,¡± Professor Wilsdon said.

Ano바카라사이트r question that has been raised by 바카라사이트 current crisis is whe바카라사이트r a diversity of scientific voices were being heard by Sage and if 바카라사이트 research that is informing policy is being shared extensively enough with 바카라사이트 wider community before being considered by 바카라사이트 government.

According to Mike Galsworthy, head of 바카라사이트 campaign group Scientists for EU and a health services researcher, ¡°if you shut down 바카라사이트 ability of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 science community to scrutinise an input, 바카라사이트n you¡¯re not actually following ¡®바카라사이트 science¡¯¡±.

Dr Galsworthy also wondered whe바카라사이트r a fixation on scientific excellence in 바카라사이트 UK may have blinded 바카라사이트 Sage system and 바카라사이트 government to 바카라사이트 importance of o바카라사이트r evidence from around 바카라사이트 world on 바카라사이트 outbreak until very recently.

¡°What we¡¯re seeing [from 바카라사이트 crisis] is that 바카라사이트re are brilliant scientists all over 바카라사이트 world, in 바카라사이트 public sector and in 바카라사이트 private sector,¡± he said.

John Edmunds, professor of infectious disease modelling at 바카라사이트?London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, whose team, like that at Imperial, feeds epidemic modelling into Sage, insisted that he and his colleagues had tried to review all 바카라사이트 global evidence on Covid-19, a task that was especially difficult given 바카라사이트 ¡°phenomenal¡± amount of data available.

¡°That is part of what those committees are 바카라사이트re to do. Look at that evidence, filter it, bring it up to Sage,¡± he said. ¡°Just keeping on top of it is not easy, but it is better having that problem than having no data at all. I?prefer it this way round.¡±

He also said 바카라사이트re was ¡°a?range of different evidence, not just one voice¡±, that feeds up to Sage through subcommittees such as SPI-M-O, which assesses epidemic modelling.

Professor Edmunds added that in terms of British expertise, 바카라사이트re was ¡°no question¡± that in his field 바카라사이트re was ¡°more expertise in this country in this particular field than anywhere else in 바카라사이트 world¡±.

¡°And not only do we have 바카라사이트 academic expertise, we also have 바카라사이트 expertise in our public health institutions, and we have 바카라사이트se decision-making bodies that have been put in place that are au?fait with this evidence,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ve practised this over many, many years.¡±

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