A wide-ranging survey conducted by The Telegraph and Censuswide shows that nearly seven in ten (68 per cent) academics believe more consideration should have been given to the fallout caused by shutting down the country.
The views are in stark contrast to the public discourse at the height of the pandemic, when only a few dissenting scientific voices spoke out to highlight the health and economic risks from lockdowns.
While just over half (51 per cent) of scientists thought lockdowns were always proportionate and always justified, one third disagreed.
The survey also reveals that while 44 per cent of scientists believed pandemic modelling was "excellent" or "good", some 37 per cent thought it was "average", "poor", or "very poor".
Experts said the results show there was far less scientific consensus than the public was led to believe, and warned that many academics had felt unable to speak their mind at the time.
Scientists feared loss of patronage
Prof Robert Dingwall, a former government Covid adviser, from Nottingham Trent University, said: "It was always clear to those of us who were able to make evidence-based criticisms of 'official science' and government actions, that we enjoyed considerable tacit support in the scientific community.
"This was, however, muted by concerns about loss of patronage, access to research grants and difficulty in publication as the cost of speaking out.
"Others certainly paid a price for trying to voice loyal opposition. I don't blame anyone for keeping their head down if they had a career to build, a family to support or a preference for a quiet life."
Bob Seely, a Tory MP who during the pandemic spoke up against lockdowns, said: "At the time we were, understandably, focused on immediate risk.
"However, it was also clear that there was precious little thought as to the long-term damage to a society, especially in the development of young people. Schools should never have been shut. We are seeing a generation of young people damaged.
"There was too much politics from some scientists who were pushing a politicised agenda."
He added: "The lack of interest in the origins of the virus seems bizarre.
"My fear is that at very least, lockdown will be seen to have been an ineffective way of dealing with the crisis. The lack of an open and science-led conversation during the crisis was, I felt, disturbing."
A generation scarred
Last month, the World Bank warned that lockdown disruption to education would scar multiple generations of children who suffered serious developmental and learning delays.
NHS waiting lists soared to a record 7.8 million last September and there have been tens of thousands of extra non-Covid deaths since the pandemic, particularly among heart and cancer patients.
A study from University College London in February estimated that 12,000 years of life had been lost in Britain because of delays in diagnosing skin cancer during Covid lockdowns.
Gordon Wishart, chief medical officer at Check4Cancer, and visiting professor of cancer surgery at Anglia Ruskin University, repeatedly warned in 2020 and 2021 that delaying cancer diagnosis and treatment would lead to deaths, but said his fears were ignored.
"I did feel like my concerns were falling on deaf ears as far as the Government is concerned," he said.
"I have real concerns that we would not do anything different if we have another pandemic, as the Covid Inquiry did not seem that interested in identifying what went wrong with our approach, and how we would change it next time."
The Telegraph survey, taken between December and February by 198 scientists from universities across Britain, also showed that 70 per cent believed government decisions were not transparent or well communicated.
"There are clearly systemic problems in academia that need to be addressed in order to permit a fuller debate of these critical issues," she said.
"In future, I hope universities and institutions like the Royal Society, as well as the government and the media, will see fit to put on more debates and allow dissenting voices to be heard."
The survey also showed that scientists are split over whether Covid-19 leaked from a laboratory, with the majority thinking that China has not been open and transparent about the origins of the disease.
"Now the dust is settling, hopefully people are allowed to have a balanced discussion."
The survey, which dealt with current contentious issues within science, also found that around six in 10 scientists think that sex is binary, while a similar number agree gender is fluid.
"We have always said there are lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and are committed to learning from the Covid-19 Inquiry's findings, which will play a key role in informing the Government's planning and preparations for the future."
Failed Covid policies, the gift that keeps on giving !
I am going to file aggravated assault charges today against an RCMP member who refused to arrest me at Canada Post Dec 2020, because he claimed I had done nothing wrong and also claimed Canada Post was 'private' property. I showed him my mask exemption which I was claiming and it is not required by law BC Human Rights & Dr. Bonnie Henry claimed. The officer refused to verify this online or with a supervisor. He then used physical force to shove me 20 ft out the door and ripped a tendon in my left ring finger hand. He then gave me a ticket for $235 and never showed when I fought said ticket so the charge was dropped. There is no statute of limitations on assault in Canada....Ps. I videoed the entire incident on my iphone. These 'peace' officers need to be held accountable.
Cheers.