Jonathan Van-Tam was asked by the police to leave his home after his family received death threats during the pandemic, the Covid investigation found.
England’s former deputy chief medical officer – who left office in March 2022 – became a household name during the government’s response to the health emergency and was known for his calm demeanor and frequent use of analogies.
But as JVT, as he is affectionately known, came into the public eye as Britain grappled with rising numbers of coronavirus infections, he was also the subject of violent messages as he questioned the science behind government decisions he sought to explain.
He told the inquest: “I did not expect my family to be threatened with having their throats cut.”
“I didn’t expect the police to say, ‘Are you moving in the middle of the night? Will you go away for a few days while we investigate and possibly make some arrests?”
During the government’s response to the health crisis, Professor Sir Jonathan became a household name, known for his calm demeanor and frequent use of analogies
Sir Jonathan, who was knighted last year, said with his trademark humor that his family had not left their home “because of the cat”, but added: “It was a very stressful time.” And my family is not responsible for what was signed. .’
He said he referred to the ordeal in his statement because experts have concerns about a future pandemic.
“I’m just stating this clearly because I’m very afraid that in the event of a future crisis, people will no longer want to apply for these jobs and positions because of the impact it will have,” he said.
Sir Jonathan, known to colleagues as JVT, became a fixture on TV screens during lockdown when he offered his expert knowledge at some of the daily coronavirus conferences.
The Boston United fan was known for memorable metaphors such as comparing Covid to a “goalkeeper who can be beaten” and the vaccine rollout to the “glide road to land that plane”.
He sparked panic and concern over Britain in the early days of the Covid crisis when he admitted that the country may have to “live” with the virus for years before a vaccine is found.
He also made headlines in December 2020 when he warned that Britons could continue to wear face masks for years – even after a successful coronavirus vaccine was available.
The chair of the Covid inquiry, Baroness Heather Hallett, has previously condemned criminals and trolls who abused top scientists during the pandemic.
She made the unusual intervention to comment on evidence presented to the inquiry in June after Professor Sir Chris Whitty warned that “extremely worrying” threats and intimidation from the public could deter experts from speaking out in a future health crisis. to help
Sir Jonathan also told the inquiry he was overwhelmed by the ‘terrible’ and ‘very, very intense’ workload at the start of the pandemic, working up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
