Full quote:
On Sunday morning, Professor Semple told Times Radio: "I suspect we'll have a pretty miserable winter because the other respiratory viruses are going to come back and bite us quite hard. But after that, I think we'll be seeing business as normal next year.
"There's a sting in the tail after every pandemic, because social distancing will have reduced exposure, particularly of pregnant women and their newborn babies, they will have not been exposed to the usual endemic respiratory viruses.
"The protection that a pregnant woman would give to their unborn child has not occurred.
"So we are going to see a rise in a disease called bronchiolitis, and a rise in community acquired pneumonia in children and in the frail elderly, to the other respiratory viruses for which we don't have vaccines.
"So that's why we're predicting a rough July, August and then a rough winter period."
Professor Semple called it the "fourth wave winter" but added it would be much milder than the previous ones.
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/sage-scientists-say-winter-lockdowns-20860606
I don't think this is a shock.
We knew this was likely the case. We knew this winter would be tough. Its like 'fresher flu' - lots of people who haven't had contact with others for a long time are more likely to get ill.
But a) he stresses that its expected b) these alternative illnesses only affect particularly vulnerable groups c) its much milder than the issues we have had over the last 18months.
The scaremongering on this is off the scale.
In the majority of cases for young children its treatable, even though its not preventable. Its a bit more complex for the frail elderly due to co-morbidities. But it probably will put more strain than usual on hospital beds especially with covid still floating about.