An infectious disease expert has warned that the UK is in the pandemic for "a long haul" and lockdowns may be needed for two more winters.
Graham Medley, professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, made the bleak warning this morning.
Asked about Professor Chris Whitty's comments that restrictions may be needed next winter, the Sage member said: "We're in for a long haul, we still (have) a long way to go in this epidemic.
"Vaccination is a way out, but I think he's right to raise that possibility that there could be - next winter or even the winter after - the possibility that we will see a resurgence of Covid to such an extent that Government again has to take measures to prevent another large outbreak.
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"But let's get there. We're very hopeful now that this virus is seasonal so that it will reduce once the spring and summer comes, and then that gives us an additional chance to be able to prepare and in particular to get vaccination done for everybody."
When asked whether the country could emerge from the lockdown in mid-February as Johnson suggested on Monday, Professor Medley sounded a note of cautious optimism.
Speaking in a personal capacity, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think it's possible, I mean that's obviously a Government decision what they decided to do at what point.
"But it really depends upon what happens over the next five weeks in terms of the infection rates, it's much like in March and April.
"We know more now but nonetheless we're still looking at the the epidemic increasing and looking for that peak and hoping it happens soon."
The UK is suffering from previously unseen numbers of coronavirus cases at the moment.
For the first time more than 60,000 positive tests were reported ina s single day yesterday.
Office for National Statistics data shows that during a one week period at the end of December one in 50 people in England caught the disease.
