Covid cases double to 93,000 a day amid emergence of new variant
Covid cases have almost doubled over the last month to almost 93,000 new infections par day, the latest estimates show.
New data from the ZOE health study shows there were 92,965 new daily cases of symptomatic infection on September 1, nearly double the 50,000 we were seeing at the start of August. The ZOE heath app collects data reported from millions of users - it now estimates around 1.15million people in the UK currently have the virus.
With schools returning today cases are expected to continue rising as we head into autumn. The worrying news also comes alongside the rise of a new Covid variant, BA.2.86, known as Pirola and which has recently appeared in the UK for the first time. The new strain is reportedly a mutation of the Omicron variant - however just four cases have officially been detected in the UK, although reduced levels of testing means it could already be more widespread.
Health experts have warned of a “challenging winter” ahead if the new variant is found to be more infectious than current types, however Pirola is not yet being treated as a ‘variant of concern’. Officials brought forward the annual flu and Covid vaccination programme last week, in an effort to ensure the most vulnerable are protected this winter. Booking dates for jabs have been moved forward for those eligible from early October to today, with residents in care homes and health staff taking priority.
Denmark currently has the most cases, recording 10, followed by four in Sweden and the US, three in the UK, two in Portugal and South Africa, and one in Canada and Israel. But these, according to UKHSA, don’t include countries that have detected BA.2.86 in wastewater.
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Possible explanations for Pirola’s emergence include a mass gathering event seeding multiple countries, an ongoing outbreak in a country that isn’t tracking variants, or, worryingly, widespread community transmission that remains undetected despite the efforts of scientists and researchers.Due to the little data, and how early on it is, it is difficult to draw conclusions on the exact nature of Pirola. But as a precautionary measure, the flu and Covid autumn vaccine programmes have been brought forward and will now start on September 11.
Chief Executive of the UKHSA, Dame Jenny Harries said: “As we continue to live with Covid-19 we expect to see new variants emerge. Thanks to the success of our vaccine programme, we have built strong, broad immune defences against new variants throughout the population. However, some people remain more vulnerable to severe illness from Covid-19.
“This precautionary measure to bring forward the autumn programme will ensure these people have protection against any potential wave this winter. There is limited information available at present on BA.2.86 so the potential impact of this particular variant is difficult to estimate.
“As with all emergent and circulating Covid-19 variants - both in the UK and internationally - we will continue to monitor BA.2.86 and to advise government and the public as we learn more. In the meantime, please come forward for the vaccine when you are called.”
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