http://www.bbc.com/news/health-61995463
Covid is rising again in the UK - should we worry?
James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent
@JamesTGallagheron Twitter
Published
1 day ago
Share
Related Topics
Coronavirus pandemic
Lateral flow test
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
You'd be forgiven for letting out a weary sigh. There's so much going on
from Ukraine to the rising cost of everything - and now Covid is rearing
its ugly head again.
The latest statistics show the number of people infected in the UK has
more than doubled since the start of June with around 2.3 million people >testing positive. You probably know someone who's had it.
So is summer ruined? Two-and-a-half years into the pandemic we're back
facing new variants, a surge in infections, questions about whether the
NHS can cope and what it means for all our lives. It's also giving us a >clearer idea of what living with Covid is going to look like.
"We're in a bad patch at the moment," says professor of public health at
the University of Edinburgh Linda Bauld.
"It's very disruptive to society and some are suffering severe effects,
but that's still a tiny proportion of where we were."
Graph
The driving force behind the sudden surge in infections is the double
act of BA.4 and BA.5. These two mutated forms of the virus are
technically sub-variants of Omicron. The original Omicron had an
impressive ability to spread and overcome the immune defences our bodies
have built up to keep the virus out. BA.4 and BA.5 are even better.
Their ascent started before big summer events like the Jubilee
celebrations or Glastonbury so it's not like we've just partied our way
into a new wave.
Prof Danny Altmann, an immunologist at Imperial College London, says
it's "shocking" how much the virus is able to change to keep on
infecting us. He recalls seeing the first scientific analysis of Omicron
last winter: "I felt like I'd just seen the worst horror film on the
planet and yet it keeps throwing up worse ones".
The result is we're now entering another - arguably our third - Omicron
wave of the year and it's only just July.
Slippery virus
Research in the New England Journal of Medicine showed BA.4 and BA.5 can >"substantially escape" the protection from either vaccination or
infection. A study in Science also showed the original Omicron was like
a "stealth virus" that left limited protection if you came across
Omicron again.
The new sub-variants' slippery skills combined with our waning immunity
means stories of catching Covid multiple times are now increasingly
common. Plus there's still a surprising number - one-in-five of us - who
have somehow dodged Covid throughout the pandemic.
"[This virus] continues to surprise us in unpleasant ways, you would
have hoped there would be more protection from one Omicron variant to >another" says Prof Mark Woolhouse, who studies disease outbreaks at the >University of Edinburgh.
'I've had long Covid for two years now'
Covid: The London bus trip that saved maybe a million lives
Five things we still need to keep an eye on
However, the most important form of protection - against becoming
severely ill, ending up in hospital and dying - is clearly holding up.
If there were 2.3 million cases in the era before vaccines then the NHS
would be swamped and tens of thousands of people would die. That is
clearly not happening.
Jubilee celebrations
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
The upswing in Covid cases started before the Jubilee celebrations
But even with that protection BA.4 and BA.5 still have the potential to
leave you feeling seriously rough.
"I think it's far from a bad cold," says Prof Susan Hopkins, from the UK >Health Security Agency, who says people are "ill for between seven and
10 days".
That has knock-on effects if you need to work - staff sickness in the
NHS is another way the virus can pile pressure on the health service -
or were planning to go on a nice holiday.
"What do you do if your school has no teachers or an airline has no
pilots? How do you suck that up?" asks Prof Altmann.
Rising cases will also have a disproportionate effect on the clinically >vulnerable and leave behind cases of long Covid.
Severity question
There are no signs this virus is any more or less dangerous that
original Omicron, but we don't know for sure.
So far there is only laboratory and animal research. A study in Japan
shows BA.4 and BA.5 can grow more readily in lung cells. Hamsters had
worse disease than with earlier forms of Covid.
The UKHSA has reported a "small" increase in the proportion of those
infected needing hospital treatment since April. But the reason is
unclear and could include waning vaccine protection or a shift in who is >catching the virus.
Prof Woolhouse, who was one of the scientists to show original Omicron
was milder, says "we haven't seen definitive data" on BA.4 or BA.5
because we're not collecting the same volume of information now.
However, variants don't have to be worse for it to impact the NHS - they
just have to infect enough people. Then the small proportion who do get
into trouble still add up to a big number.
The number of people in hospital with Covid across the UK is 10,081 - up
by around 2,500 in a week. More than half of those will be there for
other reasons, such as a broken bone or a stroke, but they still need to
be managed.
Chart showing the number of patients in hospital across the UK with covid
"I remain concerned, one more doubling [in numbers] brings the NHS into >significant challenge," says Prof Hopkins, the chief medical advisor at
the UK Health Security Agency.
The hope will be that the UK follows a similar trajectory to countries
like South Africa and also Portugal.
Prof Bauld: "I think we should be optimistic, in those countries that
are ahead of us, things are settling down, these things do burn
themselves out as they run out of people to infect."
However, it looks as though the idea that Covid will just become a
winter bug is either wrong or someway off.
"Every year we say this and then it causes a wave in the summer, driven
by new variants coming along more than once a year," warns Prof Woolhouse.
The virus may be looking more flu-like in terms of severity, but the >difference at the moment is flu comes only once a year.
There is no political appetite to return to any restrictions. The big >decision is going to be around the vaccination programme ahead of next
winter - who gets vaccinated and equally importantly with what?
Both Pfizer and Moderna have announced updated vaccines that target the >original Omicron, but that is already yesterday's variant.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-61995463
Covid is rising again in the UK - should we worry?
HeartDoc Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote:
Subject: The LORD says "Blessed are you who hunger now ..."
Shame on andrew, look at his red face.
He is trying to pull a fast one. His scripture bit is found among these:
'14 Bible verses about Spiritual Hunger'
Psalms
81:10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: >open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
Proverbs
13:25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, But the stomach of >the wicked is in need.
Joel
2:26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of
the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my
people shall never be ashamed.
Psalms
107 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Acts
14:17 "Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by >giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying
your hearts with food and gladness."
someone eternally condemned & ever more cursed by GOD perseverated:
HeartDoc Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote:
Subject: a very very very simple definition of sin ...
Does andrew's "definition" agree with scripture? Let's see in 1 John:
John wrote this to christians. The greek grammer (sic) speaks of an ongoing >> status. He includes himself in that status.
1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us.
1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, >> and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is >> not in us.
HeartDoc Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote:
Subject: The LORD says "Blessed are you who hunger now ..."
Shame on andrew, look at his red face.
He is trying to pull a fast one. His scripture bit is found among these:
'14 Bible verses about Spiritual Hunger'
Psalms
81:10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: >open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
Proverbs
13:25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, But the stomach of >the wicked is in need.
Joel
2:26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of
the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my
people shall never be ashamed.
Psalms
107 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Acts
14:17 "Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by >giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying
your hearts with food and gladness."
someone eternally condemned & ever more cursed by GOD perseverated:
HeartDoc Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote:
Subject: a very very very simple definition of sin ...
Does andrew's "definition" agree with scripture? Let's see in 1 John:
John wrote this to christians. The greek grammer (sic) speaks of an ongoing >> status. He includes himself in that status.
1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us.
1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, >> and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is >> not in us.
On Sun, 3 Jul 2022 08:07:42 -0700, NOT Michael Ejercito <MEjercit@HotMail.com> wrote:
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-61995463
Covid is rising again in the UK - should we worry?
No need for YOU to worry, gook...the only place you're going to is
Manila!
Michael Ejercito wrote:going on
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-61995463
Covid is rising again in the UK - should we worry?
James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent
@JamesTGallagheron Twitter
Published
1 day ago
Share
Related Topics
Coronavirus pandemic
Lateral flow test
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
You'd be forgiven for letting out a weary sigh. There's so much
rearingfrom Ukraine to the rising cost of everything - and now Covid is
peopleits ugly head again.
The latest statistics show the number of people infected in the UK has >more than doubled since the start of June with around 2.3 million
health attesting positive. You probably know someone who's had it.
So is summer ruined? Two-and-a-half years into the pandemic we're back >facing new variants, a surge in infections, questions about whether the >NHS can cope and what it means for all our lives. It's also giving us a >clearer idea of what living with Covid is going to look like.
"We're in a bad patch at the moment," says professor of public
bodiesthe University of Edinburgh Linda Bauld.
"It's very disruptive to society and some are suffering severe effects, >but that's still a tiny proportion of where we were."
Graph
The driving force behind the sudden surge in infections is the double
act of BA.4 and BA.5. These two mutated forms of the virus are
technically sub-variants of Omicron. The original Omicron had an >impressive ability to spread and overcome the immune defences our
have built up to keep the virus out. BA.4 and BA.5 are even better.
Their ascent started before big summer events like the Jubilee >celebrations or Glastonbury so it's not like we've just partied our way >into a new wave.
OmicronProf Danny Altmann, an immunologist at Imperial College London, says
it's "shocking" how much the virus is able to change to keep on
infecting us. He recalls seeing the first scientific analysis of
canlast winter: "I felt like I'd just seen the worst horror film on the >planet and yet it keeps throwing up worse ones".
The result is we're now entering another - arguably our third - Omicron >wave of the year and it's only just July.
Slippery virus
Research in the New England Journal of Medicine showed BA.4 and BA.5
who"substantially escape" the protection from either vaccination or >infection. A study in Science also showed the original Omicron was like
a "stealth virus" that left limited protection if you came across
Omicron again.
The new sub-variants' slippery skills combined with our waning immunity >means stories of catching Covid multiple times are now increasingly >common. Plus there's still a surprising number - one-in-five of us -
the UKhave somehow dodged Covid throughout the pandemic.
"[This virus] continues to surprise us in unpleasant ways, you would
have hoped there would be more protection from one Omicron variant to >another" says Prof Mark Woolhouse, who studies disease outbreaks at the >University of Edinburgh.
'I've had long Covid for two years now'
Covid: The London bus trip that saved maybe a million lives
Five things we still need to keep an eye on
However, the most important form of protection - against becoming
severely ill, ending up in hospital and dying - is clearly holding up.
If there were 2.3 million cases in the era before vaccines then the NHS >would be swamped and tens of thousands of people would die. That is >clearly not happening.
Jubilee celebrations
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
The upswing in Covid cases started before the Jubilee celebrations
But even with that protection BA.4 and BA.5 still have the potential to >leave you feeling seriously rough.
"I think it's far from a bad cold," says Prof Susan Hopkins, from
who isHealth Security Agency, who says people are "ill for between seven and
10 days".
That has knock-on effects if you need to work - staff sickness in the
NHS is another way the virus can pile pressure on the health service -
or were planning to go on a nice holiday.
"What do you do if your school has no teachers or an airline has no >pilots? How do you suck that up?" asks Prof Altmann.
Rising cases will also have a disproportionate effect on the clinically >vulnerable and leave behind cases of long Covid.
Severity question
There are no signs this virus is any more or less dangerous that
original Omicron, but we don't know for sure.
So far there is only laboratory and animal research. A study in Japan >shows BA.4 and BA.5 can grow more readily in lung cells. Hamsters had >worse disease than with earlier forms of Covid.
The UKHSA has reported a "small" increase in the proportion of those >infected needing hospital treatment since April. But the reason is
unclear and could include waning vaccine protection or a shift in
theycatching the virus.
Prof Woolhouse, who was one of the scientists to show original Omicron
was milder, says "we haven't seen definitive data" on BA.4 or BA.5
because we're not collecting the same volume of information now.
However, variants don't have to be worse for it to impact the NHS -
- upjust have to infect enough people. Then the small proportion who do get >into trouble still add up to a big number.
The number of people in hospital with Covid across the UK is 10,081
need toby around 2,500 in a week. More than half of those will be there for
other reasons, such as a broken bone or a stroke, but they still
covidbe managed.
Chart showing the number of patients in hospital across the UK with
Woolhouse."I remain concerned, one more doubling [in numbers] brings the NHS into >significant challenge," says Prof Hopkins, the chief medical advisor at >the UK Health Security Agency.
The hope will be that the UK follows a similar trajectory to countries >like South Africa and also Portugal.
Prof Bauld: "I think we should be optimistic, in those countries that
are ahead of us, things are settling down, these things do burn
themselves out as they run out of people to infect."
However, it looks as though the idea that Covid will just become a
winter bug is either wrong or someway off.
"Every year we say this and then it causes a wave in the summer, driven
by new variants coming along more than once a year," warns Prof
The virus may be looking more flu-like in terms of severity, but the >difference at the moment is flu comes only once a year.
There is no political appetite to return to any restrictions. The big >decision is going to be around the vaccination programme ahead of next >winter - who gets vaccinated and equally importantly with what?
Both Pfizer and Moderna have announced updated vaccines that target the >original Omicron, but that is already yesterday's variant.The only *healthy* way to stop the pandemic, thereby saving lives, in
the U.K. & elsewhere is by rapidly ( http://bit.ly/RapidTestCOVID-19 ) finding out at any given moment, including even while on-line, who
among us are unwittingly contagious (i.e pre-symptomatic or
asymptomatic) in order to http://tinyurl.com/ConvinceItForward (John
15:12) for them to call their doctor and self-quarantine per their
doctor in hopes of stopping this pandemic. Thus, we're hoping for the
best while preparing for the worse-case scenario of the Alpha lineage mutations and others like the Omicron, Gamma, Beta, Epsilon, Iota,
Lambda, Mu & Delta lineage mutations combining via
slip-RNA-replication to form hybrids like
http://tinyurl.com/Deltamicron that may render current COVID vaccines/monoclonals/medicines/pills no longer effective.
Indeed, I am wonderfully hungry ( http://tinyurl.com/RapidOmicronTest
) and hope you, Michael, also have a healthy appetite too.
So how are you ?
Revd Terence Fformby-Smythe wrote:
On Sun, 3 Jul 2022 08:07:42 -0700, NOT Michael EjercitoMangina, I have no plans to visit Manila.
<MEjercit@HotMail.com> wrote:
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-61995463
Covid is rising again in the UK - should we worry?
No need for YOU to worry, gook...the only place you're going to is
Manila!
HeartDoc Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote:
Subject: The LORD says "Blessed are you who hunger now ..."
Shame on andrew, look at his red face.
He is trying to pull a fast one. His scripture bit is found among these:
'14 Bible verses about Spiritual Hunger'
Psalms
81:10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: >open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
Proverbs
13:25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, But the stomach of >the wicked is in need.
Joel
2:26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of
the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my
people shall never be ashamed.
Psalms
107 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Acts
14:17 "Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by >giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying
your hearts with food and gladness."
someone eternally condemned & ever more cursed by GOD perseverated:
HeartDoc Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote:
Subject: a very very very simple definition of sin ...
Does andrew's "definition" agree with scripture? Let's see in 1 John:
John wrote this to christians. The greek grammer (sic) speaks of an ongoing >> status. He includes himself in that status.
1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us.
1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, >> and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is >> not in us.
HeartDoc Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote:
Subject: The LORD says "Blessed are you who hunger now ..."
Shame on andrew, look at his red face.
He is trying to pull a fast one. His scripture bit is found among these:
'14 Bible verses about Spiritual Hunger'
Psalms
81:10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: >open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
Proverbs
13:25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, But the stomach of >the wicked is in need.
Joel
2:26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of
the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my
people shall never be ashamed.
Psalms
107 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Acts
14:17 "Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by >giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying
your hearts with food and gladness."
someone eternally condemned & ever more cursed by GOD perseverated:
HeartDoc Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote:
Subject: a very very very simple definition of sin ...
Does andrew's "definition" agree with scripture? Let's see in 1 John:
John wrote this to christians. The greek grammer (sic) speaks of an ongoing >> status. He includes himself in that status.
1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us.
1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, >> and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is >> not in us.
(Linda) 07/05/22 Revd Terence tragically vainjangling (1 Tim 1:6) ...
https://groups.google.com/g/sci.med.cardiology/c/4tIJn_I167w/m/bKWQRUarAgAJ
Link to post explicating vainjangling by the eternally condemned: >https://groups.google.com/d/msg/sci.med.cardiology/O23NguTslhI/-xLGqnNjAAAJ
"Like a moth to flame, the eternally condemned tragically return to be
ever more cursed by GOD."
Behold in wide-eyed wonder and amazement at the continued fulfillment
of this prophecy as clearly demonstrated within the following USENET
threads:
On Mon, 4 Jul 2022 04:13:02 -0700, NOT Michael Ejercito <MEjercit@HotMail.com> wrote:
Revd Terence Fformby-Smythe wrote:
On Sun, 3 Jul 2022 08:07:42 -0700, NOT Michael EjercitoMangina, I have no plans to visit Manila.
<MEjercit@HotMail.com> wrote:
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-61995463
Covid is rising again in the UK - should we worry?
No need for YOU to worry, gook...the only place you're going to is
Manila!
Gook, you don't NEED plans to visit Manila...the ICE 5-0 will make all
the plans for you!
Revd Terence Fformby-Smythe wrote:
On Mon, 4 Jul 2022 04:13:02 -0700, NOT Michael EjercitoNithing, ICE has no reason to make plans for me to go to Manila, for
<MEjercit@HotMail.com> wrote:
Revd Terence Fformby-Smythe wrote:
On Sun, 3 Jul 2022 08:07:42 -0700, NOT Michael EjercitoMangina, I have no plans to visit Manila.
<MEjercit@HotMail.com> wrote:
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-61995463
Covid is rising again in the UK - should we worry?
No need for YOU to worry, gook...the only place you're going to is
Manila!
Gook, you don't NEED plans to visit Manila...the ICE 5-0 will make all
the plans for you!
they deal with immigration law.
HeartDoc Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote:
Subject: The LORD says "Blessed are you who hunger now ..."
Shame on andrew, look at his red face.
He is trying to pull a fast one. His scripture bit is found among these:
'14 Bible verses about Spiritual Hunger'
Psalms
81:10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: >open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
Proverbs
13:25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, But the stomach of >the wicked is in need.
Joel
2:26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of
the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my
people shall never be ashamed.
Psalms
107 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Acts
14:17 "Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by >giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying
your hearts with food and gladness."
someone eternally condemned & ever more cursed by GOD perseverated:
HeartDoc Andrew, in the Holy Spirit, boldly wrote:
Subject: a very very very simple definition of sin ...
Does andrew's "definition" agree with scripture? Let's see in 1 John:
John wrote this to christians. The greek grammer (sic) speaks of an ongoing >> status. He includes himself in that status.
1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us.
1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, >> and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is >> not in us.
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