86% of doctors in UK believe the second peak of Covid-19 will happen in next 6 months: Survey

In a poll conducted by British Medical Association, that gathered responses from over 8,000 doctors and medical students, around 86 per cent of doctors in England stated that they expect the second peak of coronavirus pandemic in the next six months.

The survey the R number for England is now at 1.7, an R-value above 1 means cases could proliferate. This shows that infections are doubling every 7.7 days, The Guardian reported.

The survey revealed that around 30 per cent of respondents’ primary worry is the second peak of the virus.

Overall, 86 per cent of respondents said they believed a second peak of coronavirus during the next six months is either “quite likely” or “very likely”.

90 per cent of respondents believe or strongly believe that failures of the test-and-trace system posed a risk of the second peak. They also cited a lack of measures taken in public places like bars and restaurants.

The survey noted that 96 per cent of respondents believe that a fully functioning test-and-trace system could help to prevent a second peak.

Other reasons respondents strongly blame for the second peak of the virus are: increase in international travel with a lack of safeguards (40.23 per cent); slow and inadequate response to local outbreaks (39.47 per cent).

Participants also blamed the reopening of schools, colleges, and universities with insufficient safeguards (37.61 per cent); and re-opening businesses and people returning to workplaces with insufficient measures in place to stop the virus from further spreading (44.73 per cent).

Meanwhile, the UK has now imposed a new restriction on gatherings to no more than six people both indoors and outdoors. This comes as the country has witnessed a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus cases, Bloomberg reported.