ONS data, based on smears collected from randomly selected households, show that, for the second week in a row, about one in 13 people across the UK are believed to have Covid – an estimated 4.88 million infections. In England, the number of infections remained stable in the week ended April 2, with an estimated 7.6% or one in 13 people in the community believed to have Covid. In Wales, the estimated rate rose from one in 14 to one in 13, while in Northern Ireland the most recent estimate was one in 16. In Scotland, 396,800 people – about one in 13, down from one in 12 last week – are estimated to have contracted the virus in the week ended 3 April. Within England, infections increased in the north and east of the Midlands, but decreased in the south-east. In other parts of the country, including London, the trend was unclear, although levels remained higher in the south-west, where almost 9% of the population is believed to have Covid in the most recent week. Sarah Crofts, head of analytical results for Covid-19 infection research, said there were early signs in the latest data that infections may no longer be rising in some parts of the UK. He added: “It’s too early to say if infections have peaked in England and Scotland. We will continue to monitor the data closely. “ The ONS investigation confirms that the Omicron BA.2 variant remains the most common variant in the United Kingdom. BA.2 is more contagious than the original form of Omicron, BA.1, which arrived in the UK late last year. While BA.2 is believed to have played a key role in the latest wave of infections, experts have suggested lifting restrictions on Covid, lowering immunity and turning to pre-pandemic behavior. According to a report by the UK Health Insurance Agency (UKHSA) released on Friday, several variants of Omicron have now been identified, although not all have been detected in the UK. The report adds that variant XE – a combination of BA.1 and BA.2 – is now spreading almost 21% faster than BA.2, with 1,125 cases in the UK being identified on 5 April. ONS data also reveal age-related fluctuations, with infection levels rising between those between school year 12 and age 34, and 7.1% of people age 70 and over believed to have Covid during the week. the highest level so far for this age group. However, infections decreased among younger children and between the ages of 35 and 49, with the trend being vague among other age groups. Professor Rowland Kao, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh, said one concern was that most seniors received the last booster vaccine more than four months ago. “We are entering a stage where their protection against infections is quite low and so vaccinating the elderly as soon as possible will be important to keep the number of infections at a low level, especially with the recent trend towards higher numbers of infections and re-infections.” “They are concentrated in the elderly,” said Kao. According to data from the UKHSA released on Thursday, just over 15% of people aged 75 and over have received the spring booster vaccine: the program officially started on March 21st. The agency said the figures include those who arrived for the third installment (first souvenir) from that date, as well as those who received a second souvenir. The ONS survey now gives the best picture of Covid levels across the UK. As of April 1, the free Covid trials for most people have ended, with many reporting difficulties in obtaining free kits in recent weeks, which means that far fewer infections are now being collected from people coming in for testing. Experts behind another major contamination investigation, React-1, released their final report this week after the government withdrew funding for the project. The recent increase in infections in the UK is also reflected in the increase in Covid patients in hospitals and, more recently, the increase in deaths. While the link has been weakened by the Covid vaccines, experts, including Professor Chris Whitty, have warned that the NHS is under pressure. On Wednesday, NHS bosses urged families to help them fire their loved ones, even if they have Covid, to help the service cope with a “perfect storm” triggered by high demand, severe staff shortages and the growing cases of Covid.
