Latest COVID 🦠
Latest Weekly UK COVID-19 Data. COVID levels are rising in England and Wales, with hospital admissions nearing summer peak levels in England. Scotland and Northern Ireland show stable hospital data. New variants, especially XEC, could dominate this winter.
▪ UK ANALYSIS
Recent data show mixed trends across the UK. COVID levels are rising in England and Wales, with England seeing increased hospital admissions, nearing summer peaks, especially in the Midlands and North East. In Scotland, hospital admissions and bed occupancy have stabilised but remain higher than earlier in the year. Welsh hospital admissions have risen sharply despite stable case numbers. In Northern Ireland, COVID positivity has slightly decreased, while hospital admissions remain steady. Additionally, the COVID variant XEC is gaining ground in England and may become dominant during the winter, posing potential future challenges to public health.
REMINDER: The NHS Autumn 2024 booster campaign is now open. Book your vaccination now: click here.
— ENGLAND DATA ONLY. | Credit: Dr Joe Pajak
“In England, hospitalisations due to COVID have continued to increase significantly. It’s surely [not] coincidence that government and health service leaders have appeared to offer little in the way of guidance or advice, to limit the spread of this harmful virus.”
— Dr Joe Pajak
▪ Variant Data
▪ VARIANT GLOBALLY -- ANALYSIS
Key observations: The KP3-family variants and JN-family variants are in decline in the UK.
A new COVID variant, XEC, identified in Germany, may soon dominate globally. Though slightly more transmissible, experts say updated vaccines still offer strong protection, with NHS boosters available for vulnerable groups. Symptoms mirror common cold or flu: high temperature, aches, tiredness, cough, or sore throat. Most people recover within a few weeks, though recovery may take longer for some more vulnerable individuals.
The XEC variant already represents 15% of COVID cases in the UK and 10.7% of COVID cases in the United States.
▪ Vaccination Data
▪ VACCINATION ANALYSIS
Key observations: The largest group of the UK population aged 12+ last received a COVID vaccination over two years ago, particularly under-50s and those ineligible for boosters. Over a quarter remain unvaccinated. Immunity mainly stems from infections, with lingering risks of Long COVID despite low hospitalisation or death rates.
▪ COVID Death Data
▪ COVID DEATH ANALYSIS
Last week, there was a decrease in weekly deaths. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 (241,808) still underscores the pandemic’s continuing impact and the need for sustained public health interventions and support for affected individuals, the most vulnerable and their families.
▪ COVID Free Aerosol Transmission Estimator
▪ FREE TOOL FOR EVERYONE
Try this FREE risk assessment tool to estimate indoor airborne transmission of COVID-19 around you.
▪ COVID on X/Twitter
COVID XEC strain and worrying surge in hospitalisations across UK.
— 🇪🇺 Dr Joe Pajak CSci FRSC (@JoePajak) October 14, 2024
Those lucky enough to be eligible to get vaccinated against the three main threats – COVID-19, flu and RSV – now is the time to take them up.
🤦@UKHSA short-sighted to restrict eligibility.https://t.co/JLLfPxkWBz
I teach everyday like it's my children in the front row.
— Nina Wildflower (@Ninawildflower) October 13, 2024
But I also know that #CovidIsAirborne and that I share air with every child in the class. Distance isn't sufficient for safety.
If you teach, learn about how COVID spreads through the air like smoke. https://t.co/ocaGXk80Ta pic.twitter.com/izdhlZCQvv
Elevators are riskier than many conference rooms for infection with an airborne virus. This seems like common sense but we all know plenty of people who don’t realize how much sneezing and cough there are in elevators—& the risk lingers in the elevator air even if elevator empty. https://t.co/dHAC87Mx0L
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) October 14, 2024
Shocking revelations have emerged from the Covid Inquiry about the flawed decisions which left healthcare workers unprotected against airborne Covid transmission.
— Cat in the Hat 🐈⬛ 🎩 🇬🇧 (@_CatintheHat) October 14, 2024
Nurse, Rebecca Firth, nearly died as a result of this inadequate guidance.
She’s now suing the NHS for negligence. https://t.co/sRhzUqa1Kf pic.twitter.com/8SKHWWjA8v
#CleanAir is trending 👏🏼
— The Safe Air Schools Foundation (@SafeAirSchoolUK) October 13, 2024
It’s not just teachers, parents and children demanding clean air inside schools, the best scientists in the world are too!
Scientists Demand Action On Indoor Air https://t.co/RE219vJejY via @YouTube
‘Scientists have done the maths.’
— 🇪🇺 Dr Joe Pajak CSci FRSC (@JoePajak) October 14, 2024
‘They’ve made the models.’
‘The days when we only had a pandemic once every century?’
‘They’re over.’
‘We’ve entered the age of consequences.’ @JessicaLexicus
P.s. #COVIDisNotOver!https://t.co/YbFwLa3KEj
“Parents have forced three academies to abandon hardline attendance policies in which pupils were told to come in even when unwell and were banned from missing school for period pains without further medical information.”https://t.co/aZZlqaG1k1
— Kit Yates (@Kit_Yates_Maths) October 13, 2024
As we head into winter, hospital admissions in England with Covid are increasing sharply (again), plus flu and RSV starting their annual rise.
— Prof. Christina Pagel (@chrischirp) October 11, 2024
The year round nature of Covid could not be more obvious!
There's also a lot of Rhinovirus (causes common cold) around. pic.twitter.com/xCW8DSSblu
▪ COVID Latest News & Studies
COVID doctor explains why XEC variant could bring back masks and social distancing | THE MIRROR
COVID XEC strain sparks worrying new surge in hospitalisations across UK | THE MIRROR
Britain ‘falling behind’ on vaccines, says team behind COVID jab | THE TIMES
History of COVID-19 doubles long-term risk of heart attack, stroke or death | CARDIOVASCULAR BUSINESS
The astonishing link between having COVID and heart attacks: As more fit and healthy young women suffer coronaries, doctors close in on cause | DAILY MAIL
The Post-COVID Decline Of Wines And Spirits Sales Is Accelerating | FORBES
COVID XEC strain surge puts UK on alert as NHS issues 5-day warning for Brits | THE MIRROR
▪ COVID Article Archives
Post-COVID-19 condition symptoms among emergency department patients tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection | NATURE
SARS-CoV-2 infection of the inner ear | NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Staff, visitors and patients urged to wear face masks at the Alexandra and Worcestershire Royal Hospitals after rise in COVID cases | BROMSGROVE STANDARD
Devon care home nurse refused to wear mask as they believed 'COVID was a conspiracy' | DEVON LIVE
Changes in memory and cognition during the SARS-CoV-2 human challenge study | THE LANCET
Future pandemic as big as COVID is inevitable, says Whitty | THE GUARDIAN
My sporty son is bedbound with long COVID – nearly every doctor let him down | THE i NEWSPAPER
Is the NHS “broken”? Staff haven't given up, neither should our politicians | THE bmj
COVID and cold infections surge in autumn double whammy | THE i NEWSPAPER
Airborne transmission, facemasks, and how COVID spread | THE HERALD
XEC Variant Threatens KP.3.1.1 Dominance, New Surge Looms. Excess Mortality Could Linger for a Decade: Reinsurance Company Warns | T.A.C.T.
We have lived through a COVID summer – and now there is new variant causing concern | The Independent
People can't make "risk assessments" without knowing the risks | The Gauntlet
New XEC COVID variant: What are the symptoms and is it spreading in the UK? | BBC News
New COVID variant XEC now in half of states. Here's what to know. | CBS News
COVID Kidney Infection and Associated Damage with Potential of Kidney Failure | T.A.C.T.
The Paris Olympics is the first Games that let COVID run free, and it impacted how the event played out | ABC Australia
Long COVID science, research and policy | Nature
Noah Lyles' collapse underscores our collective COVID denial | Salon
About 400 Million People Worldwide Have Had Long COVID, Researchers Say | New York Times
Urgent COVID comeback warning as new variant KP 3.1.1 on rise with Olympians struck down | Mirror
COVID cases still rising and could go higher later in the summer, scientists warn | iNews
COVID outbreak spreads among Australian Olympic team | InQueensland
A Long COVID Definition -- A Chronic, Systemic Disease State with Profound Consequences | National Academy of Sciences
JCVI advises on eligible groups for autumn COVID-19 vaccination | UKHSA
Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic for ventilation and indoor air quality | Science
Rapid response to: COVID inquiry report: We planned for failure | bmj
First COVID inquiry report ‘shows criminally negligent’ attitude of previous governments | Disability News Service
MHRA approves Comirnaty JN.1 COVID-19 vaccine for adults and children from infancy | MHRA
How worried should we be about the new FLiRT and LB.1 COVID variants? | BreakingNews.ie
COVID deaths rise as booster vaccine take-up falls | BBC News
Driver's brain fog from COVID-19 linked to Cork crash that claimed lives of elderly couple | Irish Examiner
Long-Term Health Effects of COVID-19 -- Disability and Function Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection | National Academy of Sciences
Are We Headed for Another Summer COVID-19 Wave? | Time
A Long COVID Definition -- A Chronic, Systemic Disease State with Profound Consequences | National Academy of Sciences
Three-year outcomes of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 | Nature
An Object Lesson From COVID on How to Destroy Public Trust | New York Times
Three-year outcomes of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 | Nature
Relative efficacy of masks and respirators as source control for viral aerosol shedding from people infected with SARS-CoV-2: a controlled human exhaled breath aerosol experimental study | Lancet
COVID can cause new health problems to appear years after infection, according to a study of more than 130,000 patients | Fortune
Post-Acute Cardiovascular Outcomes of COVID-19 in Children and Adolescents: An EHR Cohort Study from the RECOVER Project | medRxiv
The COVID Inquiry is Ignoring the Biggest Lesson: COVID-19 is Airborne | Byline Times
Up to 5.8 million kids have long COVID, study says. One mother discusses the "heartbreaking" search for answers. | CBS News
Is It COVID, Spring Allergies or a Cold? | New York Times
New COVID-19 Wave In Singapore, Minister Advises Wearing Of Masks After 25,900 Cases Recorded In A Week | News18
COVID patient testing, isolation of sick staff cut in-hospital viral spread, modeling study suggests | University of Minnesota
Hundreds of patients died after catching COVID in Victorian hospitals, new data shows | ABC News
An incomplete picture: understanding the burden of long COVID | The Economist
Updated estimates of Long COVID in England and Scotland show that it remains a serious issue | Christina Pagel
Exploring findings from the Winter COVID-19 Infection Study | ONS
The persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in tissues and its association with long COVID symptoms: a cross-sectional cohort study in China | The Lancet
Evidence from whole genome sequencing of aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 almost 5 hours after hospital room turnover | American Journal of Infection Control
NHS rolls out new variant COVID vaccine as virus continues to kill 100 a week | The Mirror
Indoor airborne risk assessment in the context of SARS-CoV-2 | WHO
W.H.O. Broadens Definition of Airborne Diseases | New York Times
Host-microbe multiomic profiling reveals age-dependent immune dysregulation associated with COVID-19 immunopathology | Science
Rishi Sunak spent £2m on focus groups for ‘eat out to help out’ scheme | The Guardian
What is the economic benefit of annual COVID-19 vaccination from the adult individual perspective? | The Journal of Infectious Diseases
COVID-19 shatters decades of global health progress, slashing life expectancy | News-Medical.Net
Long COVID leaves telltale traces in the blood | UKRI
COVID-19 Virus Can Persist in the Body More Than a Year after Infection | PolyBio
Ventilation during COVID-19 in a school for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities | PLOS
NHS hospital capacity during COVID-19: overstretched staff, space, systems, and stuff | the bmj
Long COVID still has no cure — so these patients are turning to research | Nature
COVID boosters are a gamechanger – if they are free for everyone | The Guardian
COVID Linked to Lower IQ, Poor Memory and Other Negative Impacts on Brain Health | People
Clearing the air: Long COVID sufferers advocate for a healthier world | Texas Observer
COVID-19 Leaves Its Mark on the Brain. Significant Drops in IQ Scores Are Noted | Scientific American
How COVID lockdowns hit mental health of teenage boys hardest | The Guardian
Young and old: how the COVID pandemic has affected every UK generation | The Guardian
Thousands of disabled people died after ‘COVID treatment withheld’, inquiry to probe | iNews
Deaths involving COVID-19 by disability status: a retrospective analysis of 29 million adults during the first two waves of the Coronavirus pandemic in England | The Lancet Public Health
The History of COVID-19 Immune Evasion and the Increasing Pace of Evolution | TACT
As the pandemic turns four, here’s what we need to do for a healthier future | PUBLIC SQUARE UK
Impact of COVID on the UK's Economy and Health Service | Bob Hawkins
Long COVID after breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection | Nature
‘Hypervaccinated’ man reportedly received 217 COVID jabs without side-effects | The Guardian
Prospective Memory Assessment before and after COVID-19 | The New England Journal of Medicine
Mounting research shows that COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain, including with significant drops in IQ scores | PUBLIC SQUARE UK
Save lives in the next pandemic: ensure vaccine equity now | Nature
Cognition and Memory after Covid-19 in a Large Community Sample | The New England Journal of Medicine
COVID-19 may have small but lasting effects on cognition and memory | Imperial College London
What were the death tolls from pandemics in history? | OurWorldInData
Long COVID ‘brain fog’ may be due to leaky blood-brain barrier, study finds | The Guardian
Doctor behind brilliant new COVID drama reveals why she’s burning with rage | Metro UK
Prevalence of persistent SARS-CoV-2 in a large community surveillance study | Nature
COVID-19 protesters demand changes to infection control guidelines as ITV series airs | London News Online
Fewer people than ever will receive a COVID booster this spring. The UK needs a new strategy | The Guardian
The forgotten pandemic? | Cherwell
COVID cases and hospitalisations fall sharply – what the latest data tell us | iNews
What SARS-CoV-2 Does to the Body | Pandemic Accountability Index
Rampant COVID Poses New Challenges in the Fifth Year of the Pandemic | Scientific American
Patients denied latest COVID vaccine after having booster jab earlier in rollout | iNews
'The virus is still evolving at an incredible rate': How widespread is COVID now - and how many people are dying with it? | Sky News
The New COVID-19 Shot Is Surprisingly Effective Against the Latest Variant | The Time
'The NHS sold out its staff': Doctors whose lives were devastated by long COVID to sue health service | Sky News
UK government wasted nearly £10bn on unused COVID PPE, figures show | The Guardian
COVID-19: Doctors instruct law firm in bid for compensation after developing long COVID | bmj
WHO leader says COVID-19 is "still a pandemic" | Salon
Study shows Omicron variants evade immune system like predecessors, suggesting key evolutionary trait in SARS-CoV-2 | News-Medical.Net
Should we be worried about the new COVID-19 variant? | UKHSA
UK COVID rates mapped in every region of England - check full list for your area | Mirror
Vaccines reduce the risk of long COVID in children | Nature
Is It Dangerous to Keep Getting COVID-19? | Time
Lack of virus exposure due to COVID may be driving ‘never-ending’ colds, experts warn | The Independent
Should we wear masks again? UK virus cases rise as Spain restores COVID rules | iNews
