Behavioural fatigue: a flawed idea central to a flawed pandemic response

ABSTRACT

With new research casting doubt on the reliability of serology tests for covid-19 at the point of care, the fundamental pillars of a pandemic response—namely, test, trace, and isolate—are wobbly at best.13 None of this provides any confidence in the government's proposed "radical shake up” of the NHS.14 Nor does divergence in national strategies rebuild public trust that was destroyed not by behavioural fatigue but by Dominic Cummings, England's most senior government adviser.15 Scotland wants all four UK nations to follow an elimination strategy, aiming for "zero covid.” Northern Ireland has already committed, but England, persistent in its flawed response, is content for the virus to hover around, to hope it doesn't overwhelm health services, and to play "whack-a-mole” with local outbreaks. 1 Islam N Sharp SJ Chowell G. Physical distancing interventions and incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 natural experiment in 149 countries. Diagnostic accuracy of serological tests for covid-19 systematic review and meta-analysis.