Transparency of evidence is not an optional add-on; it is an essential part of managing the covid-19 crisis. People need to see the basis of decisions that are attributed to science, government bodies and other organisations need to understand the rationale and what might change, and specialists need to see where there are gaps they can fill, whether on the communities they serve or the research base they know.

We have reminded the UK government of this regularly, resulting in some publication, and we are close to completing our transparency review of the first two phases of cover policies, which will be accompanied by messages from people all over the UK about how transparency matters to them. This work is unfunded despite being one of our most urgent priorities, and we need your support to bring it home.