Scientific consensus on the COVID-19 pandemic: WE NEED TO ACT NOW

New from us and other COVID-19 experts in THE LANCET: the idea of herd immunity through natural infection is deeply flawed. Uncontrolled transmission in younger people risks morbidity and mortality across the entire population, impacts the workforce, overwhelms health care systems.

As of now there's no evidence for lasting protective immunity to SARS-CoV-2. A herd strategy would not end the pandemic but result in recurrent epidemics, as was the case with numerous infectious diseases before the advent of vaccination.

Japan, Vietnam, and other countries used evidence-based public health measures to control transmission, allowing a return to near-normal. Controlling spread is the best way forward until safe, effective vaccines and therapeutics are available.

If you are a scientist, medic, researcher, healthcare or public health professional, join us in signing the John Snow Memorandum here.


- Federation of American Scientists