Still reason to be optimistic about vaccine, virologist says

Professor Wendy Barclay from Imperial College London said there was still reason to be optimistic about a vaccine.

She told Times Radio: "I think that we can still continue to be optimistic about vaccines because vaccines will work in a different way.

"What we're measuring at the moment is the way that our bodies immune response reacts to the virus infecting us.

"But when we immunise with vaccines - particularly the new generation of vaccines that have been developed and put forward into trials for Sars-CoV-2 - the virus that causes Covid - they work in quite different ways and they might like an immune response which is much more long lasting than natural infection. So we have to keep optimistic about that."

When asked if tier 3 restrictions were tough enough, she added: "I think that one of the points we tried to put across yesterday in the paper was that the total lockdown that we had back in late March was enough to turn the tide, and get the virus back under control.

"So far, none of the other restrictions that we've seen and none of the other actions, seem to have done that.

"So it's a very difficult balancing act and I think we need to keep trying to find the right formula, which allows people to get on with their lives but also gets the R number in the right direction."

NHS facing imminent staffing crisis, study warns

The NHS faces an imminent staffing crisis in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic due to a shortage of doctors, a study has warned.

Importing doctors from abroad will be "essential" over the next decade to meet rising demand from an ageing population, according to the report from the Institute of Economic Affairs, a free-market think thank.

My colleague Peter Stubley has the story:

Coronavirus behaving similar to seasonal colds, virologist says

The new coronavirus is behaving in a similar fashion to seasonal coronaviruses - which are responsible for the common cold, virologist Professor Wendy Barclay from Imperial College London has said.

Prof Barclay, who is one of the authors of new research which found that people's immunity built up after a Covid-19 infection could only last a few months as their levels of protective antibodies decline, told Times Radio: "This new coronavirus seems to be behaving in a somewhat similar fashion to the seasonal coronaviruses that have been in humans for decades, if not hundreds of thousands of years.

"And for them we know that you do get reinfected every one or two years because your immunity, whether it's made up of antibodies or T-cells, fades away to such an extent that you can become reinfected."

On the concept of a "immunity passport" - whereby people could go about their lives as normal after an infection - she added: "This concept of a passport for immunity - at the moment it is not a good idea because individuals can vary quite a lot in the sort of quality of the antibody response they make.

"We wouldn't like people to go out and change their behaviour thinking they were protected when they are not.

"What's more, the study we've published shows that if you had to test one month, then you might need to be taking the test the next month or the month after because your antibody levels might change over time."

‘Difficult to tell’ whether Nottingham has government support it needs, council leader says

Councillor David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, said it is "difficult to tell" whether the city has the government support it needs for tier 3, adding that all areas have been given a "flat rate".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think we have additional responsibilities of running a big city, and the city centre in particular has additional needs.

"I'm not sure that all of that will be covered in what we've been promised from the government."

He said costs and lost income from the first wave of Covid-19 "were not fully met as was promised", meaning budgets are "strained and stretched".

Less than 5% of England likely to be immune as study suggests antibodies ‘waning quite rapidly’

Immunity to Covid-19 in England could be “waning quite rapidly”, scientists have warned.

Research by Imperial College London estimated just 4.4% of adults had some form of immunity against Covid-19 in September, when cases began to increase again.

This is compared with 6 per cent found to have antibodies between 20 June and 13 July, and 4.8 per cent between 31 July and 31 August.

My colleague Andy Gregory has the story:

PM under pressure to provide lockdown exit plan

Conservative MPs representing northern constituencies have called on Boris Johnson to detail a “road-map out of lockdown”.

The prime minister has been warned by a group of 50 Tory backbenchers that the pandemic is threatening his election pledge to “level-up” the country and risks “sending the north into reverse”.

Political editor Andrew Woodcock has the full story:

Good morning and welcome to the latest coronavirus updates.