U.K. reports record levels of COVID-19 infections

The prevalence of COVID-19 within the U.Okay. has reached document ranges, with about one in 13 individuals estimated to be contaminated with the virus previously week, in response to the newest figures from Britain’s official statistics company.

Some 4.9 million individuals have been estimated to have the coronavirus within the week ending March 26, up from 4.3 million recorded within the earlier week, the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics mentioned Friday. The most recent surge is pushed by the extra transmissible Omicron variant, BA.2, which is the dominant variant throughout the U.Okay.

Hospitalizations and loss of life charges are once more rising, though the variety of individuals dying with COVID-19 continues to be comparatively low in contrast with earlier this 12 months.

Nonetheless, the newest estimates counsel that the steep climb in new infections since late February, when British Prime Minister Boris Johnson scrapped all remaining coronavirus restrictions in England, has continued properly into March.

The figures got here on the identical day the federal government ended free speedy COVID-19 assessments for most individuals in England, underneath Johnson’s “dwelling with COVID” plan. Individuals who don’t have well being circumstances that make them extra susceptible to the virus now have to pay for assessments to search out out if they’re contaminated.

‘Unchecked prevalence’

“The federal government’s ‘dwelling with COVID’ technique of eradicating any mitigations, isolation, free testing and a substantial slice of our surveillance quantities to nothing greater than ignoring this virus going forwards,” mentioned Stephen Griffin, affiliate professor on the College of Leeds’ medical faculty.

“Such unchecked prevalence endangers the safety afforded by our vaccines,” he mentioned. “Our vaccines are glorious, however they aren’t silver bullets and ought to not be left to bear the brunt of COVID in isolation.”

Greater than 67 per cent of individuals 12 years of age and older within the U.Okay. have been vaccinated and had their booster or a 3rd dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Starting on Saturday, dad and mom may ebook a low-dose vaccine for kids between the ages of 5 and 12 in England.

James Naismith, a biology professor on the College of Oxford, mentioned he believed that besides for individuals who are utterly shielded or not prone to the virus, most individuals within the nation would doubtless be contaminated with the BA.2 variant by the summer season.

“That is actually dwelling with the virus by being contaminated with it,” he mentioned.