The UK is now undergoing its third major wave of Covid-19 infections this year. According to an ONS infection study published last week, it is estimated that around 1.7 million people in the UK were infected in the week ending 18 June, up 23% from the previous week. This follows a 43% jump in the previous week. The figures raise several important questions about how the nation will cope in the coming months as it struggles to control the disease.
What drives the latest increase?
Most scientists and statisticians record the latest jump on two rapidly spreading Omicron subvariants: BA.4 and BA.5. Most importantly, two other countries – Portugal and South Africa – have experienced large jumps in the number of cases due to these two sub-options.
“Since then, the waves in these countries have peaked and neither has led to a significant increase in serious illness. However, it should be noted that there has been some increase in hospitalizations, “said John Edmunds, a professor of infectious disease modeling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “The rise we are experiencing now is certainly not good news, but at the moment it does not seem to have the potential to lead to disaster.
This point was supported by Stephen Griffin, an associate professor at the University of Leeds School of Medicine, “We are now in a better place than we were in 2020 and 2021 because of the UK vaccine program,” he said. However, he warned that the level of complications after the infection – prolonged Covid – was alarming. “It is extremely clear that the government’s strategy to live with Covid lacks long-term well-being.
What are the plans for the fall, when the colder weather will drive people indoors?
The government is already committed to vaccinating over 65-year-olds, health and social workers on the front lines and vulnerable young people in the autumn. However, Health and Social Welfare Minister Sajid Javid last week hinted that this could be extended to include all people over the age of 50. This move will improve protection against Covid-19 at a time when immunity will decline in much of the population.
However, the type of vaccine to be administered has not yet been determined – with many scientists insisting that it should be able to provide protection not only against the original Wuhan strain of Covid-19, but also against its most common strain. recent version, Omicron. Modern has developed such a vaccine, for example.
“Omicron looks extremely fit,” said James Naismith of the Rosalind Franklin Institute in Oxford. “Now we see different strains appearing, not a wholesale switch like the one we saw from Delta to Omicron. So I think it’s unlikely that we’ll see a whole new strain of Omega, which makes it wise to keep targeting Omicron.
After all, how will humanity come to terms with Covid-19 and how long will this process take?
Sars-cov-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, is not the first coronavirus to be found to affect humans. Other members of this class of viruses cause mild respiratory illnesses, and one day Covid-19 may reach a similar, relatively safe status among the population – though not in the near future, says Professor Mark Woolhouse of the University of Edinburgh.
“This situation will arise when the virus circulates quite freely and people become infected many times as children, and so by the time they become adults, they have actually built up a fairly solid immunity – certainly against serious diseases. However, it will take a long time before we live in a population where most of us have had multiple exposures as children. This is decades from now, although that does not mean that we will face serious public health problems all this time. These problems will decrease – although there will be bumps in the road.
“However,” Woolhouse added, “this will not work out properly in my life.”
Add Comment