Will there be a second wave of coronavirus in the UK as the country eases lockdown?

As lockdown restrictions begin to ease across the UK, experts are growing concerned about the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus cases if people fail to stick to social distancing guidelines.

This is everything you need to know about a potential second wave of coronavirus infections as lockdown restrictions begin to lift around the world.

What would cause a second wave?

A second wave of Covid-19 cases could occur if lockdown restrictions are lifted too early.

Without any restrictions in place to help slow the spread of the virus, the outbreak could begin to grow, with the R number reaching above one.

The R number refers to the reproduction number as a way of rating the virus’ ability to spread. It’s the number of people that one infected person will pass the virus on to, on average.

Talking to The Guardian, Dr Andrea Ammon, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said that a second wave is inevitable if people fail to stick to social distancing rules.

In reference to lockdown rules being lifted, she said: “People think it is over. Which it isn’t, which it definitely isn’t.”

Similarly in an interview with The Telegraph, Dr Hans Kluge, director for the WHO European region, issued a warning to countries lifting lockdown procedures by saying that now is “the time for preparation, not celebration”.

Alternatively, Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen, dubs himself a “second wave skeptic”.

He said: “I consider that the evidence supporting the notion of a second wave or peak of Covid-19 infections in the UK that would swamp the NHS very weak.

“If we get the easing of lockdown wrong, far more likely would be a continuation of infections, many in the form of localised outbreaks, but not waves or peaks.

When could a second wave hit in the UK?

Chief medical officer for England, Chris Witty, has said that a second wave of coronavirus could be “more severe” than the first wave, and it could spread more rapidly than before if it arrives in winter.

In an online lecture for Gresham College, Prof Witty said that countries looking to ease their lockdown measures must negotiate an “extremely difficult balancing act” in order to keep the pandemic under control.

He said: “Covid-19 is a very long way from being finished and eradication is technically impossible for this disease.”