- author, Aurelia Foster
- role, BBC News Health Reporter
There’s a lot of talk about the “summer coronavirus epidemic” at the moment, and it seems like we all know someone who’s recently been infected or a friend who’s out sick.
But are cases really increasing, are there new variants we should be worried about, and what else do we know at this point?
Are the number of infected people increasing rapidly?
It’s possible, but it’s hard to say.
We know there has been a slight increase in the number of people being hospitalized with COVID-19.
Hospitalizations for the week ending June 16 increased to 3.31 per 100,000 people, up from 2.67 per 100,000 people the previous week.
The largest group of people hospitalized with COVID-19 were people aged 85 and over.
It’s hard to say how many people are infected with the coronavirus and staying at home.
Now, with so few tests being carried out, it is no longer possible to collect national data in the way that we did before.
This means that many coronavirus cases are not being recorded.
data What we have is based on laboratory testing done across the country, mostly swab tests taken from people within the health care system.
According to the data, approximately 1 in 25,000 people had COVID-19 as of June 26.
That may sound like a lot, but it’s a tiny fraction of what was seen at the start of the pandemic: 1 in 13 people in March 2020.
However, COVID-19 incidence rates have risen and fallen throughout the year and are not necessarily a cause for concern.
Prof Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist at the University of East Anglia, told the BBC that current coronavirus infection rates were not cause for concern.
“The number of cases this year is probably about the same as last year. It’s gone down a little bit, but not by a lot.”
He believes that overall, there has been a significant decrease in COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations compared to last year.
Are there new coronavirus variants?
Among them, the JN1 and KP2 variants are predominant and are responsible for many of the current COVID-19 cases in England, while the KP3 variant, which has caused an increase in cases in the United States, has also been identified in small numbers in the UK.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said “more data” was needed to understand how severe and contagious the new variant is.
The public health agency also said it was “not possible” at this stage to determine whether the variants were responsible for the slight increase in hospitalizations.
The UKHSA said it would “continue to monitor these variants” in the UK and internationally, as with any new variants, and gather more information about how well vaccines protect people against the variants.
But the department said there was no change in public health advice at this time.
It is normal for viruses to change and mutate, and the UKHSA says the health system is still “adapting” to the rise and fall in cases.
Prof Hunter said the coronavirus was now a part of life and there was no need to be as vigilant as in the past.
“We will all be infected with COVID-19 repeatedly from birth to death,” he said.
“Generally, we have seen a significant decline in the severity of illness associated with COVID-19 over the last three or four years.
“Eventually, it will become a new cause of colds. And for many people, that’s where it is now.”
He added: “To be honest, it’s so common that you can’t avoid it.”
Have your coronavirus symptoms changed?
The UKHSA said the official list of coronavirus symptoms has not changed.
- High fever or shivering
- New persistent cough
- Loss or change in smell or taste
- shortness of breath
- Feeling tired or fatigued
- Aching body
- headache
- sore throat
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Loss of appetite
- diarrhea
- Feeling unwell or ill
What are the current Covid rules?
There are no longer any legal requirements to self-isolate if you have COVID-19, you don’t have to take a lateral flow test and wearing a mask is no longer compulsory.
but, Government advice Stay home and avoid contact with others for five days after you test positive.
You should also avoid contact with people who are more likely to develop severe symptoms if they are infected with COVID-19, such as the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
“If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 or flu, please help protect others by staying at home and avoiding contact with others, especially those who are more susceptible to infection,” Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said.
Can I still get the coronavirus vaccine?
Vaccination programs have been scaled back since they began early in the pandemic, and only certain people are now eligible to receive a shot through a seasonal booster program.
- Age 75 or older
- People with weakened immune systems
- Adults living in nursing homes
The latest data shows that four million people (59.6% of those eligible) have been vaccinated under the scheme since April, including two-thirds of care home residents.