Cases have crept up over the past fortnight while hospitals have seen an increase in the number of virus-infected patients, sparking fears that the worst may not be over. Experts fear it could put even more pressure on an already overwhelmed health service.
Britain’s Covid resurgence was inevitable, according to leading experts attempting to quell panic about the ‘new wave’.
Left-leaning scientists, who were critical of No10’s decision to ease restrictions, have already called for a return of mask-wearing and urged Britons to meet outside because of the uptick in infections, thought to be driven by even more transmissible versions of Omicron.
But an ex-Government adviser today argued concerns were premature, given the virus no longer poses anywhere near the same threat it once did because of the country’s sky-high levels of immunity from numerous waves and vaccination campaigns.
Professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist at Nottingham Trent University, told MailOnline: ‘It’s important not to let ourselves be panicked by any increase in positive tests unless it is clear these are actually resulting in increases in severe illness.
‘The population has very high degree of immunity from vaccination and previous infection.
‘The revival of restrictions like mask mandates would be premature particularly as the fragility of evidence that there is any general benefit is not obvious.’
Other experts warned cases of the virus — which many believe is morphing into another cause of the common cold — will continue to periodically flare-up.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which swabs a representative sample of the UK every fortnight to estimate Covid infection rates UK-wide, shows cases are on the rise for the first time since April. In the week to June 2, 797,500 people in England were thought to be infected. The figure is 1.7 per cent higher than the 784,100 who were thought to be carrying the virus in the week to March 27. The uptick follows two months of tumbling cases from record-high levels at the end of March, when 4.1million in England were thought to be infected
The prevalence of the Omicron subvariants has nearly doubled every week, according to data from the Sanger Institute — one of the UK’s largest Covid surveillance centres. The strains’ combined 41.7 per cent share of infections in the week to June 4 is up from 21.2 per cent in the week to May 28 and 11 per cent in the week to May 21. Dominant strain BA.2, which was behind nearly all cases when infections hit a record high in March, now accounts for just 57 per cent of cases
Could ‘TRIPLE infections’ sweep Britain this winter? Experts warn pandemic lockdowns have left society vulnerable to flu and other common seasonal illnesses striking at same time as Covid
More Britons than ever are at risk of triple-infections this year because lockdowns have suppressed our immune systems, scientists warn.
Leading virologists fear a bad flu outbreak ahead because the virus was effectively drowned out by restrictions deployed to fight Covid, meaning the nation has little immunity against it.
But the endless cycle of virus-controlling curbs have also left society vulnerable to other seasonal illnesses, such as RSV and adenovirus.
And Covid is also expected to continue circulating.
Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, said a bad flu year would inevitably ‘raise the risk of triple infections’.
It comes after US doctors claimed children were turning up to clinics infected with three viruses at the same time, in what was claimed to be a result of Covid policies weakening their immune system.
One expert said it was ‘not typical for any time of year’.
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the only trust-worthy infection data, shows cases have started to rise for the first time since April, when the final batch of restrictions were dropped and No10 officially ushered in the post-pandemic era.
In its most up-to-date weekly report, 797,500 people in England were thought to be infected — the equivalent of one in 70.
The figure was 1.7 per cent higher than the 784,100 thought to be carrying the virus in the week to May 27.
The uptick follows two months of tumbling cases from record-high levels at the end of March, when 4.1million in England were estimated to be infected.
And the latest estimate, for the week ending June 2, was still the second-lowest since September.
Meanwhile, the number of Covid admissions in England has increased 24.1 per cent over the past week. Some 659 patients were hospitalised on June 12, compared to 531 one week earlier.
The number of ventilator beds occupied with infected patients has also risen, but it still stands at less than 150 — up to 25 times lower than levels seen during the darkest days of the pandemic.
But data suggests two-thirds of patients in hospital with Covid aren’t primarily ill with the virus, and just incidentally test positive.
The increase in cases has been blamed on the spread of BA.4 and BA.5 — Omicron sub-variants thought to be even more infectious than the currently dominant strain BA.2.
Some have pointed to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations over the bank holiday weekend, which saw millions across the country gather for street parties and 22,000 attend a concert at Buckingham Palace.
Members of Independent SAGE, a pressure group that previously called for a zero-Covid policy, took to Twitter to call for a return to wearing masks indoors and meeting outdoors.
Dr Kit Yates, a mathematician at the University of Bath and member of Indy SAGE, said: ‘There is another wave of Covid kicking off.
‘The good news is the same things that previously worked will work against new variants. Wear a mask in indoor spaces. Meet outdoors rather than indoors if you can. Ventilate indoor spaces.’
Dr Deepti Gurdasani, a clinical epidemiologist at Queen Mary University London, said: ‘We can expect the current UK wave to add to pressures on an already struggling NHS — sadly, as hospitalisations increase (as they are now), predictably so will deaths with a lag.
‘And so will long Covid, which has already increased substantially during the Omicron waves.
‘Given transmission is high, and increasing (and the fact that with lagged surveillance only, we don’t know what current infection rates are) — it’s worth taking precautions.
‘Even people who’re boosted can get long Covid. The incidence is still significant.’
The UK Health Security Agency classifies BA.4 and BA.5 as variants of concern.
Their prevalence has nearly doubled every week, according to data from the Sanger Institute — one of the UK’s largest Covid surveillance centres.
Both strains combined made up a 41.7 per cent share of infections in the week to June 4, up from 21.2 per cent in the week to May 28 and just 11 per cent in the week for the seven-day spell before that.
Dominant strain BA.2, which was behind nearly all cases when infections soared to pandemic highs in March, now accounts for just 57 per cent of cases.
The number of people infected with Covid admitted to hospitals in England increased 24.1 per cent in the week to June 12. Some 659 patients were admitted on Sunday, compared to 531 one week earlier (top graph). And the number of virus patients in hospital increased 14.1 per cent in the week to June 14, from 4,108 to 4,722 (middle graph) while people with Covid requiring ventilators increased 12.1 per cent, from 116 to 130 (bottom graph)
Is Covid on its way BACK? Cases creep up for first time since MARCH as hospital admissions also start to rise
England’s Covid outbreak has risen in size for the first time since March, according to official figures that have prompted doom-mongering experts to warn the next wave is on its way.
Analysts at the Office for National Statistics, tasked with tracking the virus in the post-pandemic era, estimate 797,500 people were infected on June 2.
The figure – which suggests one in 70 people are currently infected – is up roughly 1.7 per cent on the previous projection and marks the first increase since before free testing was axed at the end of March. Back then, cases breached 4.1million — a pandemic high.
Separate NHS statistics show admissions are also rising, in another sign that the virus is bouncing back. Experts fear it could put more pressure on an already overwhelmed health service.
Despite the uptick sparking alarm in certain quarters, Boris Johnson pledged not to reinstate any economically-crippling restrictions when he made the decision to treat Covid like flu in the spring.
Statisticians believe the increase is due to the spread of BA.4 and BA.5, Omicron sub-variants thought to be even more infectious.
A similar increase in cases was observed in Northern Ireland, and while a rise in cases was also seen in Wales and Scotland the ONS described this as being ‘uncertain’.
The ONS survey is the last remaining official surveillance programme used by the Government to track the state of the epidemic. It randomly tests tens of thousands of people every week.
UKHSA scientists believe the two strains can better dodge immunity gained from previously being infected and vaccinated, compared to BA.2.
Professor Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist based at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline the demise of BA.2 made it ‘inevitable’ that cases would rise and the bank holiday weekend may have boosted infections.
But Professor Hunter said the recent uptick in England’s hospital admissions is ‘probably too soon’ to be due to the BA.4 and BA.5 strains.
March’s spike in cases also failed to translate into crippling ICU pressure or deaths, highlighting the success of the innoculation drive.
However, the NHS warned the increase in patients left them struggling to juggle tacking the Covid-fuelled backlog of routine care.
Millions of the most vulnerable have already had four vaccines, following the spring rollout.
Another campaign will launch this autumn, with the over-65s, care home residents, frontline NHS workers and at-risk over-16s set to be given the top-up jabs to shield them against an expected winter resurgence.
Despite the uptick sparking alarm in certain quarters, Boris Johnson pledged not to reinstate any economically-crippling restrictions when he made the decision to treat Covid like flu in the spring.
It comes as researchers from Imperial College London today warned that catching Omicron does not protect against catching the strain again — which could explain why cases ‘remain stubbornly high’.
Studies throughout the pandemic have warned that catching earlier strains — such as Alpha, Beta and Delta — offered cross-protection against other strains. This meant those who had previously been infected were less likely to catch the virus again if they came into contact with someone carrying the virus.
But the Imperial researchers said Omicron gives ‘virtually no extra immunity’ — leaving people at risk from getting Omicron again.
To find out why so many people have been reinfected with Omicron, the team analysed blood samples from 731 NHS workers who were tripled jabbed with Pfizer or Moderna.
Among medics who had never tested positive for Covid, an Omicron infection boosted immunity against earlier strains of the virus but not against Omicron itself.
And in the group who had previously been infected and then caught Omicron, there was a lack of ‘any immune boosting’.
But even with these findings, experts said that the UK is in a ‘good place’ with Covid due to high vaccine uptake and Omicron’s mild nature.
Professor Keith Willison, a chemical biologist at Imperial College London, who was not involved in the study, told MailOnline: ‘It’s important to understand the various behaviours of the immune system and this is a careful research study.
‘It is still the case that vaccination protects people against severe disease and hospitalisation and fortunately the Omicron variant triggers only mild disease anyway.
‘Life must carry on here without masks and isolation. The UK is in a good place compared to China, with its disastrous zero Covid policy and poor vaccine quality and uptake in old people.’
Data for England shows 93.1 per cent of people have had their first Covid jab, while 87 per cent are double-jabbed and 68.4 per cent have had three doses.
Meanwhile, China’s capital Beijing on Monday launched a new crackdown amid a ‘ferocious’ Omicron outbreak that is believed to have spread from just one person.
Authorities in China’s capital traced the reveller to a raucous 24-hour bar known for cheap liquor and big crowds, with millions now facing mandatory testing and thousands put under targeted lockdowns.
Nearly 200 cases have now been linked to the centre Heaven Supermarket Bar, which had just reopened as curbs in Beijing eased last week.
About 10,000 close contacts of the bar’s patrons have been identified, and their residential buildings put under lockdown, and some planned school reopenings in the district have been postponed.
Queues snaked around some testing sites on Monday for more than 100 metres, according to Reuters’ eyewitnesses.
Large metal barriers have been installed around several residential compounds, with people in hazmat suits spraying disinfectant nearby.
