By Pandemic ‘not over’, experts warn
Experts have warned the public against thinking the pandemic is over as hospital admissions continue to rise.
Studies show that Covid cases were falling until the final week of February, since when they started to increase, particularly among people aged 55 and above.
Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, highlighted her concerns after the figures were released.
She said: “These data confirm that cases have declined substantially following the peak of the Omicron wave.
“However, the increasing presence of the BA.2 sub-lineage of Omicron and the recent slight increase in infections in those over 55 show that the pandemic is not over and that we can expect to see COVID circulating at high levels.
“We urge you to come forward for your primary or booster doses straight away if you have not already done so.”
Some have attributed the increase to the spread of different variants, stating that some were more transmittable than others.
Others suggested that it could simply be a case of people socialising more after restrictions were lifted.
Dr Simon Clarke, of Reading University, added: “There’s something of an inevitability to increasing infection numbers.
“Control measures were put in place to reduce transmission of the coronavirus, so removing them, by definition, creates an environment where transmission can occur more easily.
“If you create or allow conditions for the virus to spread, that is what it will do. It cannot simply be wished away.
“Whether the UK sees the number of hospitalisations like we have seen previously and whether admissions result in a higher proportion of patients going to ICU remains to be seen
“This latest increase in infections could be because people are mixing more or because of a drop in population-wide immunity. Most likely it’s a bit of both.”
Updates to follow.
