Covid deaths in the UK at highest level in months

According to the latest figures provided by the government Covid-19 deaths in the UK are at their highest level in months, reaching 1,109 for the seven day period ended April 4^th.

The number of death is up 30 percent on the previous week and up nearly 50 percent on the last week in which free Covid-19 tests were made available.

Although the number of deaths is considerably lower those of 2020 and 2021, they will still be a cause for concern with infection rates of the highly contagious BA.2 variant resulting the prevalence of the virus at record highs.

The death rate peaked at 1,484 for the week to January 21, a time in which the original Omicron variant was prevalent.

Of concern will be the news that the XE variant, which initial findings suggest could be more virulent, has found its way to British shores. What isn’t known about the new variant, which is being monitored by the World Health Organisation, is what level of protection the vaccinations provide and just how dangerous it is.

A fresh campaign is now under way to give a “spring booster”, a fourth dose of vaccine, to people aged 75 and over, residents of older adult care homes, and those aged 12 and over who are immunosuppressed.

Although the number of infections is dropping, a good sign, that could quite simply be down to a simple fact stated by the US President Donald Trump, “if you test you will get infections”. Testing rates have since the change in rules and the doing away with free kits dropped dramatically, down nearly 15 percent last week alone.

Health officials in the UK and elsewhere will be keeping an eye on the number of deaths in England and Wales, where Covid-19 deaths are their highest level in months as some like Spain are in the midst of discussions to relax their final restrictions.

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