UK coronavirus lockdown should be lifted by end of May or earlier as epidemic to plateau in 10 days, PM’s adviser says

Professor Medley claims catching the deadly disease could be the key to beating the pandemic - rather than letting letting unemployment, domestic violence and mental ill health mount up under lockdown.

He told the newspaper: "This disease is so nasty that we had to suppress it completely.

"Then we’ve kind of painted ourselves into a corner, because then the question will be what do we do now? We will have done three weeks of this lockdown so there’s a big decision coming up on April 13. In broad terms are we going to continue to harm children to protect vulnerable people, or not?”

The professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said the UK should revisit the idea of herd immunity.

When the outbreak first began to grip Britain, it was suggested one way of beating the virus was to allow 60 per cent of people to get infected.

Herd immunity is when enough people become resistant to a disease that it can no longer spread among the rest of the population.

But the strategy was abandoned by the government after its scientific advisers said this would put the NHS under immense strain with critically ill patients.

Professor Medley - a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) - believes letting people return to work or reopening schools after lockdown will cause cases to spike.

He added: "The measures to control [the disease] cause harm.

"If we carry on with lockdown it buys us more time, we can get more thought put into it, but it doesn’t resolve anything — it’s a placeholder.”

It comes as the UK death toll yesterday overtook China and Iran's official tallies after 684 more people died.

Based on figures released by both countries' governments, Britain's total death toll of 3,645 is now 319 higher than China where the outbreak started.

And the latest deaths put Britain higher than Iran's official death toll of 3,294.

The figures for both countries have been posted on the John Hopkins University website but their governments have been accused of hiding the true numbers of deaths.

The UK's peak is now expected to hit on Easter Sunday with around 1,000 deaths a day, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned.

Positive cases for the deadly disease in the UK have jumped to 38,168 - up 4,450 from yesterday's total of 33,718.

Boris Johnson has urged Brits to not go out and enjoy the sunshine this weekend as he revealed he was staying in isolation because he is still sick with coronavirus.

Britain is set for a mini April heatwave with temperatures up to 20C.

But Boris said: "I just want to say one crucial thing, to everybody thinking about this weekend and what may be some fine weather.

"I reckon a lot of people will be starting to think that this is all going on for quite a long time and they'd rather be getting out.

"Everyone may be getting a bit stir crazy.

"There may be a temptation to get out there and hang out and start to break the regulations.

"I just urge you, not to do that.

"Please, please, stick with the guidance now."

The Queen has recorded a special coronavirus broadcast to the nation, which will air on Sunday night.