Daily Covid referrals in the UK have dropped 18% in a week and deaths have dropped 6% as the pressure of the pandemic eases –

While the number of daily deaths and hospitalizations continues to fall, only 16,500 people have tested positive for Covid in the last 24 hours.

The latest government dashboard data, which has become increasingly unreliable with the removal of free testing, shows 16,579 new cases on Tuesday.

That’s an 86% drop from last week, but that number was skewed due to a delay in reporting over the Easter weekend.

A further 451 deaths from Covid were recorded today, 6.4% lower than Tuesday’s figure, and more detailed death data show that a third of these are essentially non-Covid.

Meanwhile, the latest NHS data shows 1,328 hospitalizations due to the virus on 22 April, down 17.5% in one week. It was the 17th consecutive day that daily hospital admissions decreased each week.

According to the data, 15,317 people came forward for the Covid booster vaccine yesterday, while 8,388 first doses and 7,593 second doses were distributed.

It comes amid fears of a mysterious wave of cases of childhood hepatitis attributed to Covid blockades and social distancing that weakens the immune system of young people.

Around 114 British children, most under the age of five, have been diagnosed with fatal liver disease, and cases have been reported in 12 countries.

Officials investigating the outbreak in Britain said not being exposed to widespread infections during their “former” years may have left more children more vulnerable than usual to the deadly liver disease.

Three quarters of cases in the UK are linked to adenoviruses, which usually cause the common cold. But if a person’s immune system is unable to fight the virus, it can develop into hepatitis.

There is also concern that a strain of adenovirus may mutate, becoming more severe.

Many experts have warned that during the epidemic, despite the low risks of severe Covid-19, incarceration of children could weaken their immunity to other diseases and hinder their long-term education and health.

Authorities have ruled out the Covid vaccine as a possible cause, and none of the cases in the UK or the US have been successful. One teenager has died so far, and 17 need critical liver transplants.

A three-year-old girl suffering from mysterious hepatitis gets a piece of her father’s liver in a life-saving surgery.

The three-year-old girl, who contracted the mysterious hepatitis that has spread around the world, escaped death after receiving part of her father’s liver.

Lola-Rose Raine, of Gravesend, Kent, is one of nearly 170 children who have contracted liver disease in recent months that has baffled experts.

After Lola-Rose’s vomit was initially considered stomach flu, her family became alarmed when her eyes turned a yellow color that was the hallmark of hepatitis.

Alan Raine, of Gravesend, Kent, was told he might donate part of his organ to save his daughter Lola-Rose, hours before doctors feared he’d die of inflammatory liver disease.

Hospital scans revealed that his liver was not working normally, and in March he was taken to a specialist unit at Kings College Hospital in London.

But days after he arrived, his liver began to fail and doctors had to put him in a coma, leaving him only a few hours to live without a new liver.

Her father, Alan Raine, 27, who works in security, told MailOnline that it was like “watching our daughter die before our eyes” as she waited to know if her organ would be compatible.

He donated part of his liver on March 30 to save his dead daughter in a seven-hour operation.

Despite being told the risks, Mr. Raine said he had a choice between donating his liver or “ripping out” his heart as he watched his son suffer.

About a month after the surgery, Lola-Rose has fully recovered and will be discharged from the hospital this week.

According to official statistics, several common mistakes that were suppressed in the initial phase of the Covid pandemic have resurfaced since the end of the blocking rules.

Rates of certain respiratory diseases in the UK are now up to four times higher than a year ago and 20 times higher than the initial closure in 2020.

Other viruses broke out last summer, shortly after the most severe restrictions were lifted.

Scientists had warned that viruses would certainly return after face masks, social distancing and other pandemic restrictions were lifted this year.

But there is a growing concern that our bodies are less equipped to fight infections after two years of minimal exposure, even though they are less common than before the pandemic.

Infectious disease specialist Professor Paul Hunter told MailOnline: “We are concerned that if you have not been exposed to a particular virus for a long time, it may be more severe if you are exposed again.

“But what form this serious illness will take is a mystery. It’s an irritating thing we’ve been dealing with for a while.”

Professor Hunter, of the University of East Anglia, said that traditionally mild viruses could cause “more than normal” colds in the coming months or years.

MailOnline analyzed data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on the percentage of people who tested positive for influenza, rhinovirus, parainfluenza, RSV, hMPV and adenovirus during the pandemic.

Rates of the most common viruses began to rise again last fall and winter, when most of the Covid measures were lifted. Some, including RSV and parainfluenza, rose last summer.

The figures come from UKHSA’s weekly influenza and Covid surveillance report, which is based on around 70,000 tests per week.

Analyzes show that six common viruses are more prevalent than July 2020, the earliest date for that data year, where there are currently almost no cases.

In the most recent week ending April 17, 2022, 4.2% of tests tested positive for influenza compared to the average in July 2020.

About 7.9% of results for rhinovirus last week, six times more than 1.7% in July 2020.

Positive rates for parainfluenza viruses, which most commonly cause colds and bronchitis, were only 0.2% in July 2020, compared to 3.9% today.

Adenovirus rates are also higher, with 3.1% of tests positive for viruses, compared to 2.1%.

Small increases were observed in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV).

Rates of all viruses except rhinovirus are now higher than a year ago when people could only meet in groups of six, working from home was regular and hugging was still not recommended.

Professor Hunter said the big unknown is whether immunity to these viruses acquired before 2020 will still be viable.

“Depends on the duration of protection against serious diseases” [against common viruses] If it takes five to 10 years, that’s fine, but if it only takes two to three years, we might be in trouble.

“We just don’t know, and the fact that protection against severe Covid will disappear in a few months may be a cause for concern for other viruses.”

When asked if he was at risk for a spike in severe symptoms, he replied to MailOnline: “I think it’s definitely a possibility yes – and that risk will continue for a while.

“We don’t see these viruses at pre-pandemic levels, and it may take several years to do so.

“I continue to worry about the flu. If he comes back with vengeance, he’ll probably be uglier than ever.”

Despite the increases, seasonal viruses are expected to decrease as summer approaches, as is the case with flu and rhinovirus.

And cases are still well below pre-pandemic levels, with the ultra-infectious variant of Omicron Covid outperforming all other infections. However, cases of adenovirus and parainfluenza still seem to be on the rise.

The outbreak of the mysterious hepatitis has raised concerns that the blockade has greatly weakened immunity to traditionally mild viruses.

Professor Hunter said, “This thing” [hepatitis outbreak] it really surprised me. But since last summer, I’ve been saying it’s wise to lift the remaining restrictions as we risk losing protection against common diseases.