The UK could be on the verge of a new wave of Covid with some parts of the country showing signs of a possible increase in cases. The first signs of an increase come from a jump in infections of the Omicron variant BA.1, as well as the newer variants BA.4 and BA.5.
All four nations have seen a slight increase in the prevalence of the virus, although the National Statistics Office describes the trend in Scotland and Wales as “uncertain”. The Guardian reports that the variants may have evolved to make them more dangerous by favoring lung tissue infection.
A total of 989,800 people in private households in the UK were infected with the virus in the week ending June 2, compared to 953,900 the previous week, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This is the first time that total infections have increased week by week since the end of March, when the figure reached a record 4.9 million at the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave.
Omicron BA.1 is the original variant of Omicron that caused an increase in infections in the UK in December and early January. BA.4 and BA.5 are newer variants that the UK Health Agency recently classified as “worrying variants”, after the analysis found that both could have a “growth advantage” over BA. .2, which is still the dominant one. tension in the country.
People who test positive for Covid-19 in private homes in the UK
Initial findings suggest that BA.4 and BA.5 have a degree of “immune escape”, meaning that the immune system can no longer recognize or fight a virus, which is likely to contribute to its growth advantage over at BA.2, the UKHSA said.
Some 4,082 patients in England had Covid-19 on June 9, 6% more than the previous week, while in Scotland 637 patients were registered on June 5, the last available date, 8% more weekly.
The number of patients in both nations had previously been on a steady downward trend since early April, following the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave. In Wales and Northern Ireland, the number of people hospitalized with the virus has stabilized.
The number of patients across the UK remains well below the peaks reached during previous waves of the virus.
The Guardian reports that in South Africa, BA.4 and BA.5 have been responsible for a second wave of Omicron infections in early May, although it appears that it is now flattening.
While research published in Science on Tuesday said that natural Omicron infection does not produce a strong immune response, so those who have recovered from an Omicron infection could become infected again.
The findings, from Professor Danny Altmann of Imperial College London and colleagues, could help explain why infection levels have remained high in countries such as the United Kingdom, although many are already have been infected.
Data from the University of Tokyo in Japan suggested that BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.12.1 may promote lung cell infection, rather than upper respiratory tract tissue, The Guardian reported. He also quoted Dr. Stephen Griffin, a virologist at the University of Leeds, as saying, “It looks like these things are returning to the most dangerous form of infection, so they’re going down to the lungs.”
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