christina pagel, thank you very much for coming back on the programme. just to speed with — the most cause for concern? just to speed with which _ the most cause for concern? just to speed with which it is _ the most cause for concern? just to speed with which it is increasing. i speed with which it is increasing. we�*ve not seen these growth rates ever, really, every two days. we havejust ever, really, every two days. we have just not seen that, notjust means that even if most people are totally recovered fine, just by having the sheer numbers, you could overwhelm health services, and in a really short period of time, because things are in worse rapidly. and really short period of time, because things are in worse rapidly.- things are in worse rapidly. and a su ose if things are in worse rapidly. and a suppose if you — things are in worse rapidly. and a suppose if you then also - things are in worse rapidly. and a i suppose if you then also effectively take out a proportion of primary care in order to boost, as it were, the booster programme, that again

professor christina pagel is a member of independent sage and is professor of research at universityondon. she told us omicron could put huge pressure on the nhs very quickly. the problem with omicron is that because it can re—infect people and infect people who have had one or two doses of the vaccine, it means we have millions more people who are getting infections with omicron who would not with delta and if you have high enough numbers, you will have enough people who need hospital treatment to put severe pressure on health services, and because it is so much more transmissible than delta, you are in a situation where even if you do not get that sick, you can potentially infect people who will get really sick. i think as a nation, we want to protect the nhs. it is already exhausted after nearly two years of this pandemic, they are already under severe, pressure and any extra pressure from covid reduces services for everybody, and we do not want to be in a situation where you can't get sick in winter, so i think from just a community point of view, we want to reduce infection. i s