Two variants of Omicron – BA.1 and BA.2 – caused double peaks in the pandemic, one in January and another last month, according to the latest React-1 study from Imperial College London. Tests between March 8 and 31 show that 6.37% of people in England had COVID-19 during this period – the highest level recorded in a pandemic. This compares with 4.41% in January. The prevalence of the virus increases in people over 55 years of age The study also found that while coronavirus cases are declining or declining in younger age groups, the prevalence has increased in older groups – those most likely to suffer from a serious illness. By the end of March, there was a decrease in the prevalence among people aged 5 to 17 years and the infections were flattened in people aged 18 to 54 years. But experts see the opposite in people over the age of 55, with cases rising. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:57 The free trials end on the day of the COVID outbreak The study also suggests that hospital admissions in England have risen and may continue to rise due to “high and rising prevalence in the elderly”. Professor Christl Donnelly, of Imperial College London, said: “It continues to be the case that if you see more infections, you would expect to see more than serious results, even if it is a very small percentage of them. “So we do not yet know when we will see a peak in the age group and because these people are at higher risk of serious outcomes, this is a particular concern. “It is possible that if the prevalence continues to rise, you will see further increases in severe outcome rates.” Read more: Who can still do free lateral flow tests? Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:30 COVID “could continue to evolve” Continuous surveillance is “critical” Despite the increase in infections until March, the government continued to plan to remove the restrictions, including rules for regular, free examinations. Professor Paul Elliott, director of the React-1 program, said it was “really important” to have ongoing monitoring to monitor the serious results of COVID and to monitor for new variants. Follow the Daily Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker Responding to the findings, Dr Layla McCay, NHS Confederation’s director of policy, said: “Nearly 20,000 people are now being treated for COVID in England and the NHS and its exhausted staff are once again really struggling with rising bed imports and fullness. “NHS leaders and their teams are expanding their COVID services and reopening coronavirus wings, but the government needs to take that into account, combined with chronic staff shortages and a waiting list that now exceeds “6.1 million, we really need a realistic discussion of the current state of health care.”
