Covid cases are in freefall in the UK – despite dire warnings of the ‘Kraken’ chaos to come.
Top statisticians estimate that almost 1.1 million Britons have been infected with the virus on any one day in the past week.
That was 39 per cent down on the previous week, the lowest toll since late November, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Michelle Bowen, head of dissemination and strategy for health surveillance at the ONS, said: “The picture is generally positive.”
Top statisticians estimate that almost 1.1 million Britons have been infected with the virus on any one day in the past week. It was 39 per cent down on the previous week, the lowest toll since the end of November, according to the Office for National Statistics
The agency tasked with tracking coronavirus across the UK will continue to “closely monitor” the data.
Today’s surveillance data clashes with concerns that the XBB.1.5 variant could cause a resurgence that would further cripple the NHS.
Health advisors have called the “octopus,” as it’s known, the most transmissible strain yet.
Some experts wanted face masks and restrictions to be brought back into British life in the pandemic era to stifle the Omicrons family member, which they say has arrived at the worst possible time amid the NHS winter crisis and the “flu” .
Despite the falling number of virus cases, hospital admissions appear to have leveled off after freefalling since before Christmas.
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The NHS data that tracks Covid patients, including those who happen to test positive and are not primarily ill, may not reflect the true state of affairs.
ONS estimates, released each week, include testing samples from more than 100,000 people in homes.
This is the only correct way to determine the state of the virus as free tests are no longer distributed.
The latest surveillance data shows that one in 60 people in England is infected with Covid on any day of the week up to 17 January.
Similar rates were seen in Scotland and Wales (one in 55 each) – but the incidence was twice as high in Northern Ireland (one in 30).
Together, the ONS estimated that 1.1 million people in the UK were infected. This was down from 1.8m the previous week and 2.7m before that.
After a pre-Christmas peak, the number of infections reached a peak of around 3 meters by the end of December.
However, this is lower than the values achieved in previous waves.
The number of infections reached 4.3 million last winter during the distribution of the original Omicron – but was surpassed a few months later when the number reached a record 4.9 million.
Despite the blip, advisers have warned that the virus will be in society forever. This means more waves are inevitable.
COVID DEATHS IN ENGLAND SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC: Only deaths where coronavirus is listed on a death certificate are now included in the main toll. This means an end to the method of counting everyone who died within 28 days of a positive test
Yet health chiefs are adamant that Britain will not have to return to draconian measures until a doomsday scenario strikes.
This is thanks to the wall of immunity built up by vaccines and numerous waves that have drastically blunted the virus and turned it into a milder illness more akin to the flu.
Health chiefs announced this week that they are phasing out the universal Covid vaccination programme.
It was another step towards life after the pandemic, and advised ministers to stick to targeted seasonal vaccination campaigns rather than the current 365-day-a-year system.
Meanwhile, it was revealed last night that the UK is changing its official count of Covid deaths.
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The main toll only includes deaths where the corona virus was mentioned on a death certificate.
This means an end to the method of counting everyone who died within 28 days of a positive test.
The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) review will raise the primary death toll from Covid by nearly 4,000.
But experts predict that there will be thousands less Covid deaths in the future.
An average of 142 occurred per day over the last full week of data in England using the 28-day positive test method. In comparison, 87 were reported in the same game with the new one.
The UKHSA claimed the gap between the two countries had steadily widened over the past year.
It added that the new method is a “more reliable indicator” of the actual situation “at this stage of the pandemic”.
“With high levels of immunity in the community and Covid still circulating, it is not unusual for people dying from other causes to acquire Covid infection at or around the time of their death,” the agency said.
“These deaths will be reported in the ‘death within 28 days of positive test’ measure, but will not be counted on death certificates.”
In the latter method, clinicians recording death decide which factors they believe are responsible. Think of heart disease, dementia or Covid as the main causes.
The virus itself may also be listed as a contributing factor if the doctor determines that it played a role in the victim’s death.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
