UK cultural restrictions 'to continue to be for rest of year'
The UK must live with some disruptive social measures for at least all of those other year, the government's chief medical adviser has said.
Prof Chris Whitty said it had been "wholly unrealistic" to anticipate life would suddenly return to normal soon.
He said "in the long run" the ideal way out would be with a "impressive vaccine" or prescription drugs to treat the disease.
But he warned that the opportunity of having those next twelve months was "incredibly small".
"This disease won't be eradicated, it is not likely to disappear," he said, at the government's daily coronavirus briefing.
"So we must accept that we are working with a good disease that we will be with globally... for the foreseeable future."
The most recent figures show an additional 759 people have passed away with the virus in UK hospitals, taking the total number of deaths to 18,100.
Prof Whitty said the public should not expect the number of coronavirus-related deaths to "fall away" suddenly following the peak.
"In the long run, the exit out of this is going to be one of two stuff, ideally," he said.
"A good vaccine, and there happen to be many different ways they are often deployed... or impressive drugs so that people stop dying of the disease whether or not they get it, or that may stop this disease in vulnerable persons."
Prof Whitty warned there have been multiple different ways where the coronavirus epidemic would cause deaths or ill health.
As well as those dying from Covid-19, he said others may die indirectly for the reason that NHS has already established to be "reoriented towards Covid", leading to fewer elective types of procedures and screening.
He also said if the interventions set up "extend deprivation among persons" that could increase the risk to their long-term health.
"So what we have to do is guess very seriously concerning this: what is the very best balance of methods that gives us the very best public health outcome?"
He said there was a "proper trade-off" which ministers would have to consider.
As well speaking at the briefing, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said easing social distancing measures too early would risk a second spike of coronavirus cases.
He said this could trigger a second lockdown that would "prolong the monetary pain" in the united states.
Mr Raab, who is deputising for Primary Minister Boris Johnson, acknowledged the mental, physical and financial strain social distancing steps were having on persons throughout the UK, but said they "must stay in place for the moment".
Gen Sir Nick Carter, the chief of the defence staff, likewise joined Wednesday's press meeting and described the military response to coronavirus just as the "solo greatest logistical feat" of his 40 years of service.
Gen Carter said the military has worked to get healthcare workers on leading brand, and has been associated with planning and assessment - along with helping the Foreign Business office with repatriation efforts.
He added that the military was as well preparing mobile pop-up assessment centres in a good bid to roll-out more Covid-19 testing.
Earlier, the government insisted it could meet its focus on of 100,000 lab tests a day simply by the finish of April - an increase of 82,000 in Monday's levels.
Sir Keir Starmer, who was making his debut in Prime Minister's Questions as Labour head, said the UK have been "very slow and approach behind other Europe" on testing.
He asked how it had been possible to move from 18,000 lab tests a day to 100,000 in only eight days.
Mr Raab said the united kingdom currently had testing potential of 40,000 a day and, with different laboratories coming on stream, the federal government would reach its aim for.
