COVID infections have reached their highest level since the start of January, Britain’s final official estimates reveal.
On any given day during the week ending March 7, more than 1.7 million people were infected with the virus, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
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This figure is 14 percent higher than the 1.5million reported the previous week.
After an extensive rollout, millions of Brits have jabs that protect them against serious illness.
The ‘Do the Double Campaign’ by Central Recorder encouraged Brits with flu and Covid vaccinations this winter to ensure they are protected from each disease.
Michelle Bowen from ONS, head of health surveillance dissemination said that while infections in England are on the rise, it is not clear if the trend will be the same across the UK.
“England saw a rise in positivity among children, and people over 50.
“Infections increased in England’s North West, East Midlands and South East regions. However, the trends are uncertain in other areas.”
Cases in England rose from 1.3million to 1.5million in the week — the highest recorded this year.
Although the trend is not clear in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, there are indications that it is becoming more common.
It is the last time that regular estimates of coronavirus are being published, as the long-running infection survey — dubbed the “envy of the world” for its success in tracking the virus — has been halted.
Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, of Cambridge University, said: “The Covid Infection Survey has been an extraordinary achievement.
“Since it was rapidly established in April 2020 it has provided vital evidence of great value both to national policy and international scientific understanding.
“There is a general consensus that the survey has been a world-leading demonstration of how health surveillance can best be done.”
How do you know if your child is suffering from Covid?
The symptoms of covid can be:
- 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 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
- A loss of or a change in your senses of taste or smell
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling tired and exhausted
- A aching body
- A headache
- A sore throat
- A runny or blocked nose
- Loss of appetite
- diarrhoea
- feeling sick or being sick
Source: The NHS
Prof Mark Woolhouse, of University of Edinburgh, said: “The ONS survey became one of the most trusted and reliable sources of surveillance data on levels of infection, providing key information that informed public health policy.”
This is because the number of people living with Covid in England increased for the third consecutive week, prompting the survey to be halted.
Some 10.6 per 100,000 people were hospitalised with the virus in the seven days to March 19 — the highest level since the start of January.
Hospital admissions, which are not subject to official Covid estimates, will provide some indication of how the virus spread, as well as death registers.
According to the final numbers from the infection survey, the proportion of those aged over 70 in England who are likely to test positive to Covid was 4.3 percent. This is an increase from the 3.1 percentage a week prior.
This is the most positive age group.
Children in the 7th to 11th grade are experiencing an increase of 1.4 percent to 2.0%.