The highest level of virus infection in the UK since May

According to one study, the number of people infected with the coronavirus is the highest recorded in the UK since May.

The study, which tested more than 167,600 volunteers in the United Kingdom between January 6 and 22, showed that Covid-19 infection was very high throughout this period, with 1 in 64 infected. it was done.

According to the results of the React study at Imperial College London, infections in the UK have leveled off, but declined in the last week of the study, at the highest levels recorded by researchers.

The main findings from the eighth round of the study estimated that the national prevalence was 1.57%, or 157 per 10,000 infected, and the national reproduction numbers ranged from 0.98, 0.92 to 1.04. Suggests.

The prevalence of the region was highest in London at 2.83% and in the southwest at 0.87%.

The prevalence increased nationwide in all adult age groups, with the highest prevalence of 2.44% between the ages of 18 and 24, and the prevalence of 0.93% over the age of 65, almost 1 in 100.

Professor Paul Elliott, Program Director at Imperial College, said: “The number of people infected with the virus is the highest ever since we started testing in May last year.

“There is no sharp reduction in infectious diseases that occurred in the first blockade, and without a significant reduction in infectious diseases, hospitals cannot cope with the number of people in need of critical care.

“We all need to stay home as much as possible to help control the virus and protect the already overextended healthcare system.”

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“I think the proposal for decline, especially in some areas, reflects that blockade restrictions are beginning to have some effect on prevalence,” Elliott added.

He said that even if there was a “down tick” suggestion, it would never be as fast as it happened in the first blockade.

“When we first entered the field in May, the prevalence dropped rapidly,” he said.

Researchers say it will take some time for the effects of vaccination to relieve pressure on hospitals.

It is not yet known if vaccination can prevent someone from transmitting the virus to others.

Steven Riley, a professor of infectious disease dynamics at Imperial College London, said the UK government needs to look at different datasets, including hospitalization information and a positive Covid-19 test, to get the most credible expectations. Said. What will happen in the next few weeks?

“We know the” R “value at the end of the first blockade, but it is significantly lower than the” R “value we are currently measuring and is consistent with other data,” he said.

Professor Riley also commented on pre- and post-Christmas data, stating that there was concern that social mixing would cause a surge in infection, but that was not the case.

He explained: “We expect a peak one week to ten days after the increase in mixing. Our data does not show evidence of this, and certainly not in the ONS (National Bureau of Statistics) and some other data. . Data source.

“In the highest-risk elderly group, you will notice a significant increase in infection.

“Therefore, there were no obvious spikes in absolute numbers, but fairly high levels of infection are seen in the highest-risk older people, so intergenerational mixing during Christmas may have contributed to it. “

React surveys of Imperial College London and Ipsosmori have been conducted monthly since May, except December.

Health Minister Matt Hancock said the findings “clearly remind” us of the need to be vigilant.

The investigation begins with Prime Minister Boris Johnson designating March 8 as the date to begin reopening UK schools.

This goal is based on the progress of immunizing the most vulnerable groups in society by mid-February and then giving the jabs time to take effect.

Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel also planned to have tighter control over overseas travel to reduce the risk of importing mutant strains.

This measure includes a 10-day quarantine at the hotel for travelers from 30 high-risk countries currently subject to travel bans, including South Africa, Portugal, and many South American countries.