According to the Office for National Statistics, 4.9 million people had the coronavirus during the week ending March 26. This is an increase of 4.3 million that was recorded the previous week. This latest surge is due to the transmissible variant BA.2, the predominant variant in the U.K.
Even though the death and hospitalization rates are on the rise, COVID-19-related deaths are still very low. The latest estimates show that there has been a steep rise in new infections from February when Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, removed all coronavirus restrictions in England. This trend continued into March.
These figures were released on the same day that the government stopped free rapid COVID-19 testing for most English citizens, as part of Johnson’s “living well with COVID” plan. People without health conditions that make them more susceptible to the virus will now have to pay for tests in order to determine if they’re infected.
Stephen Griffin, an associate professor at University of Leeds’ medical school, stated that the government’s “living with COVID” strategy of removing mitigations, isolation, and free testing amounts to nothing but ignoring this virus going forwards.
He stated that “unchecked prevalence is a threat to the protection provided by our vaccines.” “Our vaccines may be excellent, but they’re not magic bullets. They shouldn’t be left to deal with COVID alone.
Over 67% of children 12 years and older in the U.K. were vaccinated. Parents can book low-dose vaccines for their children aged 5-12 years in England starting Saturday.
James Naismith is a University of Oxford biology professor who believes that most people will be infected by the BA.2 variant of the virus by summer, except those who are fully protected or not susceptible.
He said, “This is literally living with virus by being infected.”
