Covid experts are calling for a free test return as UK cases have reached new highs.coronavirus

According to the latest official data, Covid is the highest ever in the UK, with an estimated 1 in 13 people being infected with the virus, and experts say the return of free testing. I am seeking.

The figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (ONS) came from the government that day Finished a free quick test for most people in the UK And because tens of thousands of people wanted to embark on an Easter vacation. Many people have to pay for tests to see if they are infected, whether they have symptoms or not.

Hospitalizations and deaths in the UK are also on the rise, but these are inconsistent with the surge in infections, and scientists said they expect the levels to drop again sharply in April and May.

Kara Steel, senior statistician at the ONS survey, said she estimated the case of the community for the week ending March 26. Omicron variant BA.2 was spurring a surge. The removal of Covid’s restrictions and the shift to pre-pandemic action have also contributed.

BA.2 is more contagious than the original Omicron variant BA.1, but the data are May be infected with BA.2 after being infected with BA.1.It’s very rare – At least at the moment.

This means that the latest Covid waves are likely to pass mostly through people who have not been infected with previous Omicron waves and to follow short, sharp orbits, as seen in Denmark and the Netherlands.

Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said: Rapidly spreading infections peak rapidly and decrease rapidly on the other side. “

Today, the situation in Covid is very different from the early days of the pandemic. 68% of people over the age of 12 in the UK have been vaccinated with Covid jab three times, and the vaccine has not broken the link between infection, hospitalization and death, but it is weakening. ..

However, recent hospitalizations in Scotland have reached record highs, with 19,534 Covid patients in wards across the UK on Wednesday.Since the arrival of Omicron, the proportion of people who are mainly treated with coronavirus has decreased, but both The number of people hospitalized “together” and “for” Covid is increasing..

Dr. David Strain, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter School of Medicine, said he is now seeing people positive for Covid for longer. This means that you will be hospitalized longer and your staff will be absent. He warned that infection levels were rising, especially when vaccine-based immunity was weakening among the elderly.

In the light of BA.1, plans were made to end the Free Lateral Flow Test (LFT) and other measures, but BA.2 changed the situation. [spring] I think the booster program can be implemented and evaluated [it is] It’s too early to get rid of the free test. He said wearing a mask should also come back.

Professor Devi Sridhar of the University of Edinburgh, who spoke at a conference of the Royal Society of Medicine on Thursday, also expressed concern about the end of the free exam. “Looking at the coming months in the UK, we are in a pretty good position compared to most countries in the world. [But] Hundreds of people still die every day and let go of the test. I am very worried about it. “

Dr. Julian Tang, a clinical virologist at the University of Leicester, said he acknowledged other demands for resources and funding, but believes that Mask’s mission, surveillance research, and ongoing free testing could last longer. I did. “As with seasonal flu, Covid-19 becomes more seasonal and endemic, so I think we’ll probably have to overcome this as part of learning to live with Covid-19,” he said. Said.

Professor Andrew Hayward, co-director of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, said that while LFTs contribute to management, uptake is mottled and their removal is unlikely to make a significant difference in overall rates. I did.

But he added: It can also be used as a means of testing before visits to protect vulnerable contacts, self-diagnosing symptomatic infections, and properly isolating them, especially during periods of very high infection levels. “

according to Latest ONS dataBased on cotton swabs from randomly selected households, about 7.6% of England’s population (1 in 13) had Covid in the week leading up to March 26. This is the highest value recorded in the survey since it began in April 2020.

The infection level is EnglandHowever, it is estimated to be the highest in the southwest, with 9.4% having Covid.

Infection levels have leveled off between children and young adults, but continue to rise between the ages of 25 and older, with approximately 6.6% of people over the age of 70 infected. This is the highest ever in that age group.

Infection levels remain high in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with approximately 1 in 12 and 1 in 15 infected, respectively, reaching 1 in 14 in Wales, and investigations began in July 2020. Since then, it has reached the highest level. ..

LFTs are now available for purchase at high street shops such as boots and Tesco. A Guardian’s search of the online marketplace on Friday found few signs of individuals wishing to sell the kits they obtained for free from the NHS. As seen earlier this year..Online marketplace eBay has previously stated that Covid testing has been banned For sale on that site..