England’s Covid outbreak continues to ebb, according to surveillance data which shows the hardest hit counties are currently in Norfolk.
Analysts from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that 940,700 people were infected on any given day of the week ending 8 November. This means that about one in 60 people had the virus during the week.
The number, based on random testing of thousands of people, was 29 percent lower than in the previous seven days and marked the first time since mid-September that the number of cases fell below 1 million.
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the number of infections also fell by a fifth, while cases in England also fell in all regions and age groups.
Experts described the ongoing trends as ‘reassuring’ but warned that it ‘may be too early to say that the recent wave of infections is over’.
Fears of ‘tripleemia’ are running high this winter as doctors worry that the flu, Covid and other seasonal viruses will all pile up in the coming months. The NHS is already struggling with record waiting lists for treatment, crises in the ambulance and ambulance services and looming strikes.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) experts estimate that on any given day of the week ending November 8, 940,700 people are infected. This means that about one in 60 people had the virus during the week. That was down 29 percent from the previous week and marked the first time the number of cases had fallen below 1 million since mid-September.
Covid infections also fell in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with cases in all four UK counties for the second consecutive week
In England, Covid was least common in London, where just 1.5 percent of the population became infected during the week. This was followed by the West Midlands and South East (both 1.6 per cent) and East of England, East Midlands and North East (1.8 per cent). The north-west was the worst-hit region of the country, with 2 per cent of people becoming infected during the week – one in 50
Sarah Crofts, deputy director of Covid Infection Survey Analysis, said: “While it may be too early to say that the recent wave of infections is behind us, we have seen a second week of declines in the UK.
The number of infections in England is now below one million and the lowest in seven weeks. We also saw a decline in every region of England and in every age group.
“While it is reassuring to see these declines, we will continue to monitor the data closely throughout the winter months.”
The data shows that the number of infections fell by 9 percent in the same week to 97,500 in Scotland, where one in 55 people carried the virus.
They fell by 14 per cent to 34,200 (one in 55) in Northern Ireland and 23 per cent to 56,000 (one in 55) in Wales.
In England, Covid was least common in London, where just 1.5 percent of the population became infected during the week.
This was followed by the West Midlands and South East (both 1.6 per cent) and East of England, East Midlands and North East (1.8 per cent).
The north-west was the worst-hit region of the country, with 2 per cent of people infected during the week – one in 50.
Primary school children were infected with just 0.9 percent of them, the age group least affected by the virus.
This was followed by children aged 11 to 16 years (1.2%) and 17 to 34 years (1.6%). Covid was most common in adults aged 50 to 69, with 2 percent of the population infected.
The ONS found that three in ten Covid infections in the UK in the week to October 30 were caused by the omicron subvariant BQ.1, up from 24.8 per cent the previous week.
BQ.1, previously named as one of the most immune-evasive strains of Covid, has caused alarm over the past month due to its meteoric rise in Europe.
Experts are divided on whether it could cause another wave of infection or whether it will die out due to the immunity built up by successive waves of infection and vaccination.
Covid hospital activity is also declining on all fronts.
As of November 14, around 522 people infected with the virus had been hospitalized in England, down 13 percent in a week.
And as of Nov. 16, 5,010 people were in hospital beds nationwide, down 11 percent in seven days and the lowest number in two months.
Meanwhile, as of Nov. 16, there were 122 mechanically ventilated beds, down 19 percent from the week — another two-month low.
While these people are classified as Covid patients, only a third have been hospitalized primarily due to the virus. The rest sought NHS care for another condition but happened to also be infected.
Covid hospital activity is down on all fronts across England. About 522 people infected with the virus had been hospitalized as of Nov. 14, a 13 percent drop in a week (top chart). And as of Nov. 16, 5,010 people were in hospital beds nationwide, down 11 percent in seven days and the lowest number in two months (middle chart). Meanwhile, on November 16, there were 122 mechanically ventilated beds, down 19 percent from the previous week – another two-month low (bottom chart).
NHS bosses claim the drop in the latest wave was due – at least in part – to the booster vaccination campaign in the autumn.
The latest vaccination statistics show that 14.7 million eligible people in England – including those over 50, health and care workers and those with weakened immune systems – received an extra dose.
The booster campaign aims to boost the immunity of those most at risk from Covid this winter and limit hospitalizations and deaths.
However, experts fear that the number of cases will rise again. And if the next rise comes at the same time as a surge in flu infections, the NHS could be overwhelmed, they said.
The NHS is already crippled by a record backlog, staff shortages and an emergency services crisis. In addition, hundreds of thousands of health workers will go on strike over pay and working conditions in the coming weeks.
Unions coordinate strikes between different parts of the workforce to cause maximum disruption. Nurses have confirmed they will take industrial action, while midwives, trainee doctors and paramedics will be voted out.
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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.
