Thread by @FLAHAULT

1/8 - “#COVID19 infections continue to surge across the UK, with the number of people in England estimated to have the virus jumping 20 per cent to 1.3mn in the past week, according to the latest official survey.”
ft.com/content/825af0…

2/8 - “The latest Covid wave has hit Scotland hardest. About one in 20 people or 4.76 per cent of the population in Scotland had #COVID19 — up 40 per cent on the previous week.”

3/8 - “These increases are largely driven by the #Omicron #BA4 and #BA5 variants . . . In England, infections increased across all age groups, with the lowest level of infection seen in school aged children.[…] #BA4 accounts for 22% and #BA5 for 39% of new cases.”

4/8 - “UKHSA estimates that #BA5 is growing 35 per cent faster than #BA2, while #BA4 is increasing 19 per cent faster — suggesting that #BA5 will become the dominant #COVID19 variant in the UK.”

5/8 - “Reassuringly, there is no evidence that #BA4 and #BA5 cause more severe illness than previous variants. [There is] a rise in hospital admissions in line with community infections but vaccinations are continuing to keep ICU admissions and deaths at low levels.”

6/8 - “The ONS infection study is based on testing a representative range of households across the UK. About 150,000 samples are analysed every month. The survey does not depend on test results submitted from the general population.”

7/8 - “The latest ONS data “highlights the ability of these viruses to evade antibody immunity”, said Stephen Griffin, associate professor of medicine at Leeds university. “The rapidity with which they are causing waves across the world is concerning.”

8/8 - “The government is considering scaling back the ONS Covid survey — a move Griffin called “short-sighted and negligent”. “The ONS is an excellent means of assessing the #COVID19 situation across the UK, as the survey is independent of testing bias,” he said.”