Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Daily Covid infections in UK less than half recorded two weeks ago

Daily Covid infections in UK less than half recorded two weeks ago

UK detects 76,807 new cases in the past 24 hours, suggesting Omicron wave has spiked

The UK detected 76,807 new Covid infections in the past 24 hours, a 54% drop on the 176,191 cases detected two weeks ago as the record-breaking Omicron wave appears to have spiked.

The UK reported a further 297 people died within 28 days of a positive Covid test on Saturday, 3% up on the 287 deaths reported last Saturday. Over 177,000 people in the UK have Covid on their death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics, the seventh highest tally in the world.


It comes after the health secretary, Sajid Javid, reiterated his message the UK is “learning to live with” Covid. Javid confirmed steps on Wednesday to axe virtually all Covid restrictions in England despite warnings from senior NHS figures it could provoke a resurgent wave.

Javid said: “Our exceptional vaccine rollout means the number of people severely affected by Covid-19 is low, and the UK’s innovation and research has discovered life-saving treatments for those most at risk.”

Ahead of the deadline for England’s NHS workers to be vaccinated or lose their jobs on 1 April, Dr Nikki Kanani, deputy lead for the NHS Covid vaccination programme, said it’s the “duty” of staff to protect patients. Kanani’s comments were made amid protests against mandatory vaccines in London on Saturday.


Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has designated the Omicron offshoot known as BA.2, which has a potentially higher growth rate, a “variant under investigation” – but virologists have said there’s no immediate cause for concern.

The UKHSA’s decision comes as cases of BA.2 climb internationally. Infections from the BA.2 offshoot remain low in the UK but now make up almost half of Omicron cases in Denmark.

The UK has sequenced 426 cases of Omicron BA.2, the UKHSA said on Friday, with the agency investigating the significance of its viral mutations. Early indications suggest an “increased growth rate” than the already highly mutated Omicron BA.1 variant but there’s a “low level of certainty” without further analysis.

UKHSA did not designate BA.2 a “variant of concern,” the highest rank of risk. The UK’s first confirmed case was confirmed by genome sequencing on 6 December.

“So far, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether BA.2 causes more severe illness than Omicron BA.1, but data is limited and UKHSA continues to investigate,” Meera Chand, Covid-19 incident director at UKHSA, said in a statement on Friday.

Chand said it’s natural for viruses to evolve and mutate and the pandemic will continue to see new variants emerge, adding: “Case rates remain high throughout the UK and we must remain vigilant and take up vaccinations. We should all continue to test regularly with LFDs and take a PCR test if symptoms develop.”

London has detected 146 BA.2 cases and south-east England has confirmed 97. In total, 8,040 sequences of the Omicron offshoot have been uploaded to the international GISAID database from 40 countries.

“Initial analysis shows no differences in hospitalisations for BA.2 compared to BA.1,” Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut said on Thursday. The institute added tests on vaccine efficacy are ongoing but “it is expected that vaccines also have an effect against severe illness upon BA.2 infection”.

Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College, said in a Twitter thread, as countries near or pass their Omicron BA.1 peaks: “I would be very surprised if BA.2 caused a second wave at this point.”


Other countries to confirm more than 100 BA.2 samples include India (530), Singapore (127) and Sweden (181).

Addressing BA.2, Javid said: “Thanks to our world-leading surveillance system we can rapidly detect and carefully monitor any genetic changes to Covid-19.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×