Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Jun 25, 2024 21:23:14 GMT
Three new Covid variants surge across UK as hospital cases soar - Published June 24, 2024
Experts are raising the alarm as new figures reveal Covid admissions have rocketed by a staggering 24 percent in a single week.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) highlighted that Covid hospital admissions leapt in the seven days to Sunday, reaching a rate of 3.31 per 100,000 compared to 2.67 from the previous week.
Hospitalisations were predominantly among those aged 85 and above, and though admissions to intensive care units remain 'very low', there has been a slight uptick to 0.12 per 100,000 individuals.
The surge in infections has been attributed to the emergence of three novel variants of the Covid virus, known by the acronym 'FLiRT'. These include K. P1.1, KP. 2, and KP.3, which accounted for an astonishing 40 percent of all cases in April, reports the Express.
Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, conveyed his insights to the i newspaper: "The virus hasn't gone away and is certainly not a seasonal infection."
He added, "A combination of new, more infectious virus variants and waning immunity is very likely contributing to these increased levels of infection. The hope is that this will not result in a big wave of infection, but we need to keep a close watch."
Experts are raising the alarm as new figures reveal Covid admissions have rocketed by a staggering 24 percent in a single week.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) highlighted that Covid hospital admissions leapt in the seven days to Sunday, reaching a rate of 3.31 per 100,000 compared to 2.67 from the previous week.
Hospitalisations were predominantly among those aged 85 and above, and though admissions to intensive care units remain 'very low', there has been a slight uptick to 0.12 per 100,000 individuals.
The surge in infections has been attributed to the emergence of three novel variants of the Covid virus, known by the acronym 'FLiRT'. These include K. P1.1, KP. 2, and KP.3, which accounted for an astonishing 40 percent of all cases in April, reports the Express.
Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, conveyed his insights to the i newspaper: "The virus hasn't gone away and is certainly not a seasonal infection."
He added, "A combination of new, more infectious virus variants and waning immunity is very likely contributing to these increased levels of infection. The hope is that this will not result in a big wave of infection, but we need to keep a close watch."