Jubilee celebrations have seemingly added fuel to the fire
Covid infections have surged by nearly half a million in just a week as officials warn Brits that the virus has certainly not “gone away.”
Last week (from June 6) saw a dramatic increase in covid infections, with 1,415,600 people contracting the virus. That number is an increase of 425,800 people or 43 per cent, making it the highest increase since the start of May.
On the plus size, it’s still lower than the 4.9million people at the start of March.
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One reason for the sudden uptake in infections could be the Platinum Jubilee which saw millions flock to garden parties and celebrations across the UK. Early data from just after the Jubilee’s conclusion showed that infections had jumped from 114,030 to 136,492 in just five days.
As suggested by Sky News, the rise is likely to have been caused by the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants, with the former being the original Omicron variant that sprung up in December 2021.
BA.2 arrived in March.
I don’t understand how COVID is still spiking after we’ve tried everything from pretending it’s over to pretending it never happened
— Zack Bornstein (@ZackBornstein) June 2, 2022
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) classified new strains, BA.4 and BA.5, as “variants of concern” and warned that covid is far from over.
“It is encouraging that we are not seeing an increase in intensive care unit admissions, but we are monitoring data closely and assessing the possible impact of subvariants BA.4 and BA.5,” Dr Mary Ramsay from the UK Health Security Agency told the BBC. “As we enter summer, it’s still important to remember that Covid-19 has not gone away, and to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill with the virus.”
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said it’s too early to predict another wave.
Related links:
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- Scientists to open 830 million year old crystal that ‘contains ancient life’
- ‘New covid wave is now starting’ Sage scientist warns as infections spike for first time in two months
