Covid infections jump by 17% in a week as hospital cases up for 4th week in a row
COVID infections have jumped by 17 per cent this week, fresh figures have revealed.
Around 1.4million Brits had the bug in the week up to February 14, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) states.
That’s up from 1.2million the previous week, with levels having increased among all adults over 25 in England, though the proportion of schoolchildren testing positive has fallen.
Hospital cases of the bug are also up for the fourth week in a row, data from the NHS states.
There were 9.4 admissions per 100,000 people in the week to February 19, up from 7.9 per 100,000 the previous week and the fourth successive increase.
The rate peaked at 11.8 per 100,000 over Christmas 2022.
A total of 8,015 people were in hospital in England on February 22 who had tested positive for Covid-19, up 11 per cent on the previous week and the highest since January 10.
Vaccines are the best way to protect against severe illness from the bug, and millions of Brits have now been jabbed due to a stellar rollout.
The BA.5 variant had been responsible for most Covid-19 infections in the country since the end of June 2022.
But nearly three-quarters (74.5 per cent) of sequenced infections now belong to the BA.2.75 family, including its subvariants XBB and CH.1.1, both of which have a “growth advantage”, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
Michelle Bowen, ONS head of health surveillance, said: “Infections have continued to increase across most of the UK, with Northern Ireland the exception with an uncertain trend in the most recent week.
“Across age groups in England the picture is mixed. We’ve seen decreases in schoolchildren, though this data comes too early to see the impact of half-term, yet growth in all adults over the age of 25.”
Around one in 45 people in England is estimated to have coronavirus, up from one in 55 the previous week.
The virus continues to be least prevalent in Northern Ireland, at around one in 60 people.
The latest estimate for Scotland is one in 45 people, while for Wales it is one in 55.
Around 2.7 per cent of children in England between school Year 7 and 11 were likely to test positive for Covid-19 in the latest week, the highest percentage for any age group, though the figure is down from 3.1 per cent the previous week.
The next highest rate is for 3 to 49-year-olds, at 2.6 per cent, up from 2.3 per cent.
Across the regions of England, infections have increased in the North East, North West, East Midlands, London and the South West, while the trends elsewhere were uncertain.
Dr Mary Ramsay, UKHSA head of immunisation, said: “Hospital admission rates for Covid-19 are continuing to increase, particularly among those aged 65 and over.
“You can help by regularly washing your hands or staying at home and avoiding vulnerable people if you are unwell.
“If you do have to leave the house, please consider wearing a face covering, which can help prevent you passing respiratory viruses on.”