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As it happenedended
2 years ago

Covid news – live: Hospital admissions continue to rise as experts warn of fifth wave

UK heading towards quarter of a million cases per day, lead scientist predicts

Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Tuesday 28 June 2022 11:39 EDT
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Experts have warned the fifth wave of coronavirus has already started
Experts have warned the fifth wave of coronavirus has already started (AP)

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The number of hospital admissions for Covid-19 in England has risen as experts warn the fifth wave of the virus has already started.

Some 7,822 patients in England had Covid-19 on June 27, up 37 per cent on the previous week, NHS figures show.

It is the highest total for nearly two months but is still some way below the peak of 16,600 patients during the Omicron BA.2 wave.

Professor Tim Spector, of the ZOE Covid symptom study app, said: “We’re in a wave at the moment,” he said, “heading towards a quarter of a million cases a day, that’s a wave already.”

The latest figures show 1.7 million people are testing positive across the UK, a 23 per cent increase on the week before.

Scientists believe the dramatic rise in cases is due to new Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 which have mutated further, thus are able to evade immunity more.

2 years ago

Covid-19 deaths remain low while infections and hospital numbers rise

The number of Covid-19 deaths registered in England and Wales continues to remain low, with no evidence yet of the impact of the latest rise in infections.

A total of 264 deaths registered in the seven days to June 17 mentioned coronavirus on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This is down slightly from 284 deaths in the previous week and remains well below the 1,125 recorded in the peak week of the Omicron BA.2 wave of infections earlier in the year.

Read more here:

Covid-19 deaths remain low while infections and hospital numbers rise

Prevalence of coronavirus is growing due to the spread of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain28 June 2022 11:02
2 years ago

Covid expert warns public not to be ‘complacent’ with new Omicron subvariants

Professor Christina Pagel, director of Clinical Operational Research Unit at UCL, has warned the public not to be “complacent” with Omicron, stating that BA.5 will become the dominant variant in the UK.

The professor added that the new Covid subvariants are more transmissible than previous Omicron strain, BA.2.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain28 June 2022 11:28
2 years ago

Voices: ‘Does anyone remember Covid? You should – it’s back with a vengeance'

Anyone remember Covid? That’s not supposed to be a facetious question. It has taken the lives of approaching 200,000 people in the UK alone (some 196,977 with Covid-19 on the death certificate, at the time of writing). It has destroyed families. It has caused untold harm and grief. It has changed lives forever. Some 400,000 people are living with “long Covid”, many unable to work or lead the active lives they once did.

But now? It is as if it had never happened. Yet there is another wave of Covid coming through, directly after the wave of complacency that has ripped through the nation since restrictions were lifted – too soon and too abruptly – in February, Sean O’Grady writes.

Read more here:

Does anyone remember Covid? You should – it’s back with a vengeance | Sean O’Grady

‘Living with Covid’ should never have meant ignoring it and going back to doing things exactly as before

Maryam Zakir-Hussain28 June 2022 11:49
2 years ago

Covid reinfections: How likely are you to catch coronavirus again as cases rise?

Unhandled: H5

Covid reinfections and how likely it is to catch virus again - explained

Do vaccines and booster shots protect against new variants? Here’s what you need to know

Maryam Zakir-Hussain28 June 2022 12:09
2 years ago

ICYMI: Covid hospital patients in England up by 37 per cent

Hospital beds taken up by Covid patients have surged by 37 per cent, as experts warn the UK has entered its fifth wave.

The number of Covid positive patients in hospitals across England has jumped to 7,822 – up by more than 2,000 in a week.

As of Monday, the number of patients in critical care jumped to 192 – up from 150 the week prior, according to NHS data.

Rebecca Thomas and Thomas Kingsley report.

Covid hospital patients in England up by 37 per cent

Hospital admissions continue to grow as experts warn ‘NHS is already on its knees’

Joe Middleton28 June 2022 12:40
2 years ago

Wimbledon Covid-19 guidelines under review in wake of Matteo Berrettini withdrawal

Wimbledon’s Covid-19 guidelines are under review after Matteo Berrettini and Marin Cilic were both forced to withdraw from the Championships due to positive tests.

Players are currently being asked to test only if they develop Covid symptoms, in line with UK Government guidelines, but Wimbledon are monitoring the situation in the wake of the withdrawal of two top names in the men’s draw.

Berrettini, last year’s finalist and a contender for the title this fortnight at the All England Club, pulled out of the tournament just hours after he was set to open his campaign on Court No 1 on Tuesday afternoon.

Wimbledon Covid-19 guidelines under review in wake of Matteo Berrettini withdrawal

There is no daily testing requirement at this year’s Championships but tournament organisers are monitoring the situation

Joe Middleton28 June 2022 13:00
2 years ago

China reduces quarantine for people arriving from abroad

China on Tuesday announced an easing of its quarantine requirement for people arriving from abroad but stopped short of lifting what remains a stringent COVID-19 policy compared to most other countries.

Anyone coming from outside the country will be required to stay in a quarantine hotel for seven days, followed by three days of home observation, the National Health Commission said in its latest pandemic response plan.

The previous plan called for 14 days in a hotel plus seven days of home observation. Pilot programs launched in recent months have already reduced the requirement in seven cities, including Beijing.

China reduces quarantine for people arriving from abroad

China has announced an easing of its quarantine requirement for people arriving from abroad, but stopped short of lifting what remains a stringent policy compared to most other countries

Joe Middleton28 June 2022 13:34
2 years ago

Thousands of patients still catching Covid on hospital wards amid warning of new wave

Thousands of patients are still catching Covid on hospital wards, analysis shows, as scientists have warned that Britain could be facing a new wave of coronavirus.

Just days after the NHS dropped a requirement to wear masks within hospitals and GP practices, data shows that 19 per cent of positive patients on wards are likely to have caught the virus in hospital.

Doctors told The Independent they had struggled to contain outbreaks on wards, with one warning that “hospitals enrich infection”.

Rebecca Thomas reports.

Thousands of patients still catching Covid on hospital wards amid warning of new wave

Exclusive: ‘We will have a new wave of infections this month,’ warns Professor Christina Pagel

Joe Middleton28 June 2022 15:21
2 years ago

PM publishes terms of reference for Covid inquiry

The Daily Mirror’s Pippa Crerar is reporting that Boris Johnson has now published the terms of reference for the Covid inquiry.

Joe Middleton28 June 2022 16:31
2 years ago

Blog closed

The Covid blog is now closed and no longer being updated on Tuesday.

Joe Middleton28 June 2022 16:39

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