Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Oct 19, 2024 2:38:02 GMT
Covid deaths rise by 25 per cent as XEC variant spreads - Published Oct 18, 2024
"If your child has mild symptoms... they can go to school or childcare." We're BEYOND cooked...
By Ben Hurst
Health officials have warned that the number of Covid patients in hospital has increased, with deaths rising by over 25 per cent. Scientists are currently investigating the potential risks associated with the XEC variant.
Doctors have noted a surge in respiratory viral infections such as colds, flu and Covid, as the nation battles with the 'lurgy'. The UK Health Security Agency's latest update revealed that positive testing rates had climbed to 14.6%, up from 13.5% the previous week.
This figure is based on the percentage of people who test positive in hospital settings. Hospitalisations due to COVID-19 saw a slight increase to 4.64 per 100,000, compared to 4.46 per 100,000 the previous week.
This marks a sharp rise from 3.72 per 100,000 just two weeks ago. Cases have risen by 17.8% to 3,496 in the seven days leading up to October 9.
In the most recent week for which figures are available, ending October 4, there were 163 deaths - an increase of 27.3%. The latest figures show 2,622 patients in hospital with Covid, a six per cent increase, with 68 acute respiratory incidents related to Covid reported.
Positive test rates were highest among those aged 85 or older, with a weekly average positivity rate of 23.7%, marking an increase from the previous week. The North East currently has the highest hospital admission rate at 8.91 per 100,000.
Those aged 85 years and over had the highest hospital admission rate, remaining stable at 52.65 per 100,000 compared with 51.28 in the previous week.
As autumn's chill takes hold, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging those eligible for vaccination to get their winter boosters. Figures up to the end of week 41 reveal that uptake rates sit at 8.5% for people under 65 years in clinical risk groups and 24.7% for those over 65 years in England.
Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, a Consultant Epidemiologist at the UKHSA, was quoted saying: "If you're eligible to get vaccinated against the three main winter threats – COVID-19, flu and RSV – now is the time to take them up and get winter strong."
He further explained, "We understand people may be concerned about new variants. Our surveillance shows that where covid cases are sequenced, around 1 in 10 are the 'XEC' lineage. Current information doesn't suggest we should be more concerned about this variant but we are monitoring this closely. The most important thing to do is to get your vaccination as soon as possible if you're eligible."
For those experiencing symptoms such as a high temperature, cough, and general malaise potentially indicative of flu or COVID-19, the advice remains cautious: limit contact with others, particularly the susceptible. Although self-isolation rules have been relaxed, NHS guidance recommends staying home and minimizing social interactions for five days post-testing and ten days for contact with those at increased risk following a positive result.
A new COVID-19 variant identified as XEC, initially detected in Germany in June, has made its way into the UK, Denmark, and the United States. According to Monica Gandhi, professor of medicine at the University of California, it presents symptoms very reminiscent of previous variants, including sore throat, cough, body aches, fever, and loss of sense of smell and appetite.
This Omicron subvariant is spreading swiftly across Europe. However, vaccines are expected to provide protection against severe cases in a similar manner to past experiences with other strains.
Gandhi said: "There is no evidence that the symptoms caused by [new variants] differ from the symptoms caused by other Omicron subvariants. The symptoms seem to be the same as with other recent subvariants of Omicron."
She goes on to emphasise that there is minimal cause for alarm about XEC, stating: "I am not very concerned about the new variant because COVID-19 is not an eradicable virus (it is found in too many animal reservoirs for one thing, with rapid evolution in animals such as deer) so we will always see new subvariants."
Symptoms
Symptoms of XEC are thought to be similar to other strains of Covid and can include:
A high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
Shortness of breath
Feeling tired or exhausted
An aching body
A headache
A sore throat
A blocked or runny nose
Loss of appetite
Diarrhoea
Feeling sick or being sick
What to do if you have Covid symptoms
Even if you don’t take a Covid test, the NHS has recommended that you try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have symptoms and either:
Have a high temperature
Or do not feel well enough to go to work, school or do your normal activities.
“You can go back to your normal activities when you feel better or do not have a high temperature,” the NHS says on its website. “If your child has mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat or mild cough, and they feel well enough, they can go to school or childcare.”
"If your child has mild symptoms... they can go to school or childcare." We're BEYOND cooked...
By Ben Hurst
Health officials have warned that the number of Covid patients in hospital has increased, with deaths rising by over 25 per cent. Scientists are currently investigating the potential risks associated with the XEC variant.
Doctors have noted a surge in respiratory viral infections such as colds, flu and Covid, as the nation battles with the 'lurgy'. The UK Health Security Agency's latest update revealed that positive testing rates had climbed to 14.6%, up from 13.5% the previous week.
This figure is based on the percentage of people who test positive in hospital settings. Hospitalisations due to COVID-19 saw a slight increase to 4.64 per 100,000, compared to 4.46 per 100,000 the previous week.
This marks a sharp rise from 3.72 per 100,000 just two weeks ago. Cases have risen by 17.8% to 3,496 in the seven days leading up to October 9.
In the most recent week for which figures are available, ending October 4, there were 163 deaths - an increase of 27.3%. The latest figures show 2,622 patients in hospital with Covid, a six per cent increase, with 68 acute respiratory incidents related to Covid reported.
Positive test rates were highest among those aged 85 or older, with a weekly average positivity rate of 23.7%, marking an increase from the previous week. The North East currently has the highest hospital admission rate at 8.91 per 100,000.
Those aged 85 years and over had the highest hospital admission rate, remaining stable at 52.65 per 100,000 compared with 51.28 in the previous week.
As autumn's chill takes hold, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is urging those eligible for vaccination to get their winter boosters. Figures up to the end of week 41 reveal that uptake rates sit at 8.5% for people under 65 years in clinical risk groups and 24.7% for those over 65 years in England.
Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, a Consultant Epidemiologist at the UKHSA, was quoted saying: "If you're eligible to get vaccinated against the three main winter threats – COVID-19, flu and RSV – now is the time to take them up and get winter strong."
He further explained, "We understand people may be concerned about new variants. Our surveillance shows that where covid cases are sequenced, around 1 in 10 are the 'XEC' lineage. Current information doesn't suggest we should be more concerned about this variant but we are monitoring this closely. The most important thing to do is to get your vaccination as soon as possible if you're eligible."
For those experiencing symptoms such as a high temperature, cough, and general malaise potentially indicative of flu or COVID-19, the advice remains cautious: limit contact with others, particularly the susceptible. Although self-isolation rules have been relaxed, NHS guidance recommends staying home and minimizing social interactions for five days post-testing and ten days for contact with those at increased risk following a positive result.
A new COVID-19 variant identified as XEC, initially detected in Germany in June, has made its way into the UK, Denmark, and the United States. According to Monica Gandhi, professor of medicine at the University of California, it presents symptoms very reminiscent of previous variants, including sore throat, cough, body aches, fever, and loss of sense of smell and appetite.
This Omicron subvariant is spreading swiftly across Europe. However, vaccines are expected to provide protection against severe cases in a similar manner to past experiences with other strains.
Gandhi said: "There is no evidence that the symptoms caused by [new variants] differ from the symptoms caused by other Omicron subvariants. The symptoms seem to be the same as with other recent subvariants of Omicron."
She goes on to emphasise that there is minimal cause for alarm about XEC, stating: "I am not very concerned about the new variant because COVID-19 is not an eradicable virus (it is found in too many animal reservoirs for one thing, with rapid evolution in animals such as deer) so we will always see new subvariants."
Symptoms
Symptoms of XEC are thought to be similar to other strains of Covid and can include:
A high temperature or shivering (chills) – a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
Shortness of breath
Feeling tired or exhausted
An aching body
A headache
A sore throat
A blocked or runny nose
Loss of appetite
Diarrhoea
Feeling sick or being sick
What to do if you have Covid symptoms
Even if you don’t take a Covid test, the NHS has recommended that you try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if you have symptoms and either:
Have a high temperature
Or do not feel well enough to go to work, school or do your normal activities.
“You can go back to your normal activities when you feel better or do not have a high temperature,” the NHS says on its website. “If your child has mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat or mild cough, and they feel well enough, they can go to school or childcare.”