A scientific advisor to the UK government says the coronavirus lockdown was a "panic measure" and a "monumental mistake on a global scale."

Infectious diseases expert and University of Edinburgh professor Mark Woolhouse acknowledged that the decision to lockdown in March was a "crude measure" that was enacted because "we couldn't think of anything better to do."

"Lockdown was a panic measure and I believe history will say trying to control Covid-19 through lockdown was a monumental mistake on a global scale, the cure was worse than the disease," said Woolhouse, who is now calling on the government to unlock society before more damage is done.

"I never want to see national lockdown again," he added. "It was always a temporary measure that simply delayed the stage of the epidemic we see now. It was never going to change anything fundamentally."

The professor asserts that the impact of the response to coronavirus will be worse than the virus itself.

"I believe the harm lockdown is doing to our education, health care access, and broader aspects of our economy and society will turn out to be at least as great as the harm done by COVID-19," said Woolhouse.