The number of people testing positive with Covid soared by more than 33% in June, as scientists say we are facing another ‘wave’ of infections – and we asked Mirror readers if they were ‘worried’
Cases of summer Covid have grown by more than a third in recent weeks, as experts keep a close eye on the new FLiRT variants – and we asked Mirror readers what they thought.
There were 2,815 confirmed Covid cases in England – an increase of 33.5 percent – in the week leading up to June 19, reports the UK Health Security Agency. Many of these are from a new group of variants, officially known as ‘Fresh Lineage of Rapid Transmission’, which comes from the JN.1 variant.
In the week ending June 16, Covid hospitalisations had increased by 23 percent from the week before, working out as 3.31 in every 100,000 people. The highest hospital admission rate for the disease is those aged over-85, which soared to 34.70 per 100,000 following a short interval of decreases.
Latest data shows 146 people died with Covid-19 on their death certificate in the week up to June 14. This compares to almost 1,000 a week at the height of the pandemic. Prof Steve Griffin from Leeds University commented on the situation: “This is clearly early days, but it certainly looks as though yet another Covid wave is building. If the rise in hospitalisations continues, this is obviously worrying.”
Meanwhile, leading infectious disease expert Prof Paul Hunter, of the University of East Anglia, added: “To be honest, you can’t really avoid it because it’s so common. We are all of us going to get repeated Covid infections from birth through to death.
“Generally what we’ve seen is that over the last three years, four years, the severity of illness associated with Covid has gone down a lot. Ultimately, it’s going to become another cause of the common cold and, for many people, that’s what it is now.”
We asked Mirror readers if they were worried about the summer wave of Covid, and a staggering 61 percent selected the poll option “Yes, I am.” Sharing their thoughts in the comments section, one user penned: “I’ve seen a lot more people wearing masks. It’s definitely out there and is worrying.”
Another shared: “As someone with a compromised immune system this strikes fear in my heart; I had Covid last October and was extremely ill for almost two weeks. I try to stay away from huge groups of people as it is!”
“I’ve got it now, I was fine yesterday morning, by the evening I felt like I’d been hit by a bus, had a spare test in the cupboard and tested positive. Feeling really rough today, defo still around, defo not scaremongering,” a third added.
While a fourth wrote: “It’s out there alright, I’m sure I have the same symptoms as I had before with COVID but not as bad ! I’m not elderly either ..keep away from anyone coughing or sneezing.”
Meanwhile, 39 percent confessed that they were “not worried” about the surge in cases, as one person expressed: “We’re in 2024 now not 2021 or 2020! Just a short rise in cases that comes to nothing again after a few weeks. Nothing to fret about AT ALL!”
A second voiced: “You can’t control a virus, it’ll do as it pleases to the body without a proper cure. It’s how humans have evolved throughout their existence.”
While a third posted: “Oh please! The country is rife with hay-fever and colds all year round! My late father used to wear thick jumpers in heatwaves, saying that he was cold. Then he always had summer colds, even had pneumonia in a heatwave too! These days that would be called Covid new variant!”
Please note that the poll is still live, so these results may change after the article has been published.
You can still vote in the poll HERE to have your say on the topic. Are you worried about a summer wave of Covid? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
