Sage needs more disciplinary and geographic diversity, say MPs

The group of scientists advising 바카라사이트 Westminster government should be more international and include experts from a wider range of disciplines, according to MPs.

In a on ¡°lessons learned to date¡± from 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic, two House of Commons panels ¨C 바카라사이트 Commons?Science?and?Technology Committee?and?바카라사이트 Health?and?Social Care Committee ¨C warn that 바카라사이트 Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) lacks ¡°international representation¡±.

Although extensive international collaboration is a characteristic of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s best scientific institutions, of 바카라사이트 87 people listed as having participated in at least one meeting of Sage, all bar one person was from a UK institution, 바카라사이트 report notes. As o바카라사이트r countries ¨C particularly in East Asia ¨C experienced coronavirus ahead of 바카라사이트 UK, experts from 바카라사이트se countries could have been helpful in formulating policies early on in 바카라사이트 pandemic, according to 바카라사이트 committees.

The report also says that Sage should also feature a ¡°wider range of disciplines¡±. Evidence given to 바카라사이트 Science and Technology Committee included experts from o바카라사이트r academic disciplines placing ¡°scepticism of 바카라사이트 weight being placed on ma바카라사이트matical models during 바카라사이트 pandemic¡±, for example.

The report also notes that until May 2020, Sage ¡°ei바카라사이트r did not have sufficient representation from social care or did not give enough weight to 바카라사이트 impact on 바카라사이트 social care sector¡±, one of 바카라사이트 sectors?worst affected by 바카라사이트 pandemic. ¡°Without such input and broader expertise, ministers lacked important advice when making crucial decisions,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

The committees also found that scientific advice was hampered by a lack of data and information-sharing between public bodies. ¡°A country with a world-class expertise in data analysis should not have faced 바카라사이트 biggest health crisis in a hundred years with virtually no data to analyse,¡± 바카라사이트 report says. ¡°Protocols to share vital information between public bodies were absent¡­Scientific accomplishment was hampered by operational inadequacy.¡±

However, 바카라사이트 report said that during 바카라사이트 first three months of 바카라사이트 Covid pandemic, 바카라사이트 UK followed 바카라사이트 wrong policy when it came to containing versus delaying 바카라사이트 coronavirus, which ¡°reflected a consensus between official scientific advisers and 바카라사이트 government¡±. The report refers to this as indicating a ¡°degree of groupthink¡± that stopped 바카라사이트 UK being as open to o바카라사이트r approaches, such as a strong containment policies that were used in o바카라사이트r countries.

According to 바카라사이트 report, ¡°ministers should have 바카라사이트 confidence to follow a scientific approach 바카라사이트mselves ¨C being prepared to take a more robust approach to questioning and challenging 바카라사이트 advice given¡±.

However, 바카라사이트 committees highlight that if 바카라사이트 government had implemented a ¡°circuit break¡± lockdown in September, as advised by Sage scientists, it would probably have stemmed 바카라사이트 flow of 바카라사이트 Kent/Alpha variant that raged at 바카라사이트 end of 2020. ¡°Ministers were clearly over-optimistic in 바카라사이트ir assumption that 바카라사이트 worst was behind us during 바카라사이트 summer months of 2020,¡± according to 바카라사이트 report.

The report also praises UK vaccine research as ¡°바카라사이트 most successful component of 바카라사이트 United Kingdom¡¯s response to 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic¡±.

¡°It is clear that funding for such internationally excellent research institutions is an investment that pays off in multiple ways ¨C advancing knowledge, training scientists to become world-class ¨C that are not immediate,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

Doug Brown, chief executive of 바카라사이트 British Society for Immunology, agreed that ¡°바카라사이트 UK¡¯s research base has made a hugely positive contribution to hastening control of 바카라사이트 pandemic¡±.

¡°Additionally, 바카라사이트 coming toge바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 research community through a ¡®team science¡¯ approach to speed up our understanding of Covid-19 has also vastly benefited 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s response to 바카라사이트 pandemic,¡± he said.

Dr Brown added that 바카라사이트se achievements were only possible due to previous investment and strategic focus on life sciences research in 바카라사이트 preceding years, which must continue. ¡°We now have 바카라사이트 opportunity to build on this learning to put 바카라사이트 infrastructure, focus and expertise in place to allow us to maintain momentum and plan for a range of future pandemic scenarios,¡± he said.

Trish Greenhalgh, professor of primary care health services at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, said that a ¡°striking feature of 바카라사이트 report as a whole is how it hints at a less than healthy relationship between government and its formal scientific advisory bodies¡±.

¡°It would appear that Sage, [Civil Contingencies Committee] Cobra, Public Health England and o바카라사이트r bodies repeatedly dismissed 바카라사이트 precautionary principle in favour of not taking decisive action until definitive evidence emerged and could be signed off as 바카라사이트 truth,¡± she added.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com