Estimates from the Office for National Statistics show the rate of infection is nearing the peak seen in the second wave last winter. Around one in 60 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week leading to 9 October, up from one in 70 the previous week.
Britain recorded 43,423 new Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours to Saturday, marking the fourth consecutive day that positive test results have topped 40,000.
October has so far witnessed a steady increase in the number of cases nationwide. At the start of the month, the number of positive results was lingering around the 30,000 mark, as recorded between 1 to 5 October. On Thursday, cases hit 45,066 — the highest since July.
According to Saturday’s figures, a further 148 people have died within 28 days of a positive test – bringing the total for the last 7 days to 833 deaths.
The number of covid-related deaths in the UK has risen by over 5 per cent in comparison to last week, while positive tests have increased by almost 13 per cent.
Most recent data from Tuesday shows the number of Covid-19 patients admitted to hospital comes in at 915 people daily.
These latest figures come after 43,000 people may have been wrongly received negative PCR test results when they were infected with the virus since the start of September, caused by errors in a private lab which has since been suspended by Test and Trace.
The errors relate to test results given to people between 8 September and 12 October, mainly in the southwest of England, but with some cases in the southeast and Wales.
A negative PCR means people will not have needed to isolate and could potentially have spread the infection to many other people.
Deadly scorpion venom could help defeat new Covid variants, scientists have found
Deadly scorpion venom could help defeat new covid variants, scientists have found.
Scorpion venoms have been used in traditional medicines across the world.
But now researchers at the University of Aberdeen have discovered the “fascinating cocktail” of poisons contained in scorpions’ stings could combat coronavirus variants.
Scorpions were collected from the Egyptian desert and milked before being released back into their natural habitat.
Their venoms contain peptides, many of which are potent neurotoxins and potentially fatal.
But they also hold powerful antibacterial and antiviral qualities and are thought to protect the animal’s venomous gland from infection.
It is these peptides scientists believe could serve as a good starting point to design novel anti-coronavirus drugs.
The project is supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund and led by Dr Wael Houssen, senior research fellow at the Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, and Mohamed Abdel-Rahman, Professor of Molecular Toxinology and Physiology in the Zoology Department, Faculty of Science at the University of Suez Canal.
Dr Houssen said: “The study of scorpion venoms as a source of novel drugs is an exciting and productive area worthy of further investigation.
“We have already seen that these venoms contain extremely potent bioactive peptides, and we believe that there are many more awaiting discovery.”
Professor Abdel-Rahman said: “Several scorpion species including the most toxic in the world are widespread in Egypt.
“Their venoms have not yet been fully studied and may represent an unorthodox source of new medicines.”
They will now extract the useful chemicals from the venom and explore the potential in using them to fight Covid.
