Daily Covid cases and hospitalisations spike 26% in a week

Covid cases and hospitalisations rose across the UK again today as the Health Secretary admitted we may ‘need to give a lot more people a booster’ this autumn.

Another 89,717 infections were confirmed in the past 24 hours, Government dashboard data shows, up 26 per cent on the previous week and nearly double the number a fortnight ago.  

A technical error means not all of the cases in Scotland, where cases are rising quickly, were added to today’s tally, meaning the total number for the UK is probably slightly higher.

Cases have been rising for a fortnight, on the back of Freedom Day and amid the rise of the more infectious BA.2 Omicron subvariant.

There were 138 Covid deaths logged across the country, down 3 per cent in a week. Average daily fatalities have been hovering at around 100 for weeks, illustrating the weakened link between infection and severe disease. And intensive care rates have barely budged.

But hospital admissions are continuing to rise, with the latest data showing there were 1,777 virus admissions in Britain on March 13 — marking a 26 per cent increase compared to the previous week.

Admissions have now risen for two weeks straight in what a number of scientists believed to be an early sign of waning immunity from the original boosters — which started to be dished out six months ago.

But half of hospital patients with Covid in England are thought to be ‘incidental’ cases — those who test positive after being admitted for another reason, or beat the illness only to fall ill with something else.

It may mean the recent rise in hospital admissions is more likely to reflect infection rates in the community, rather than severe illness.

Britain’s Covid booster vaccine programme is gearing up for another round of inoculations this autumn, the Health Secretary has revealed.

Fourth jabs will be dished out to all over-75s, care home residents and patients with weak immune systems from next week.

But Sajid Javid hinted last night that millions more may be eligible for top-up doses later this year, ahead of the country’s third Covid winter.

Grilled about the topic on ITV’s Peston programme, he did not specify exactly who would be invited in any roll-out this autumn. However, he admitted there may be a ‘need to give a lot more people a boost’.

Experts have speculated another inoculation drive this year could be expanded to include over-50s, effectively covering the same groups who will be offered a free flu vaccine on the NHS.

When asked if the booster drive would be widened to the general population, Mr Javid said: ‘I think at some point they will.’

Graph shows: The number of Covid patients on ventilators in hospitals in England over time compared to the overall number of coronavirus patients over time

Graph shows: The number of Covid patients on ventilators in hospitals in England over time compared to the overall number of coronavirus patients over time

UK approves first drug that PREVENTS Covid in AstraZeneca antibody cocktail 

A first-of-its-kind drug that stops people from getting Covid has been approved in the UK by the country’s medical watchdog.

The antibody cocktail, made by AstraZeneca, will be used for immunosuppressed people who are less likely to get strong protection from vaccines. There are believed to be around 500,000 Britons who could benefit from the drug.

Evusheld was found to slash the risk of getting symptomatic Covid by around 80 per cent for up to six months in a clinical trial last year. 

Britain is believed to have ordered a million doses of the drug, which has been used on vulnerable people in the US since December. 

The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) revealed its review found Evusheld provided ‘long-lasting protection’.

But the watchdog admits its unclear how well it will work on Omicron or the now-dominant BA.2, with officials suggesting a higher dose might be ‘more appropriate’ for these variants. 

Evusheld is administered via two injections at the same time and uses antibodies — immune proteins — that have been modified in a lab to make them last longer.

While vaccines train the body to muster its own response to Covid, the drug skips this process and makes the antibodies readily available.

He claimed the Government would follow the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a panel of influential scientists that have guided No10 through their historic inoculation campaigns.

Mr Javid insisted the group had been ‘clear’, adding: ‘Their most recent advice is they think towards the end of this year, maybe in the autumn, there will be a need to give a lot more people a boost, an offer of a boost. But I’ll wait for that advice.’

The JCVI recommended last month that the spring vaccination programme should cover all over-75s, care home residents and immunocompromised over-12s, roughly 8million people.

It has now been six months since the rollout of third shots was launched, and England is yet to send out invites for the next part of the drive — despite Covid admissions and infections rising again. Scotland embarked on its top-up campaign more than a week ago.

A number of expressed concern that the current uptick in cases hospitalisations could be an early sign of waning immunity from boosters, with ex-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt last week calling for ‘more oomph’.

A health source suggested the roll-out of a second round of boosters could begin as early as next week, adding it was ‘right’ that ministers ‘crack on with it’.

They said texts and letters could be sent out to those who are eligible, and the NHS booking system would open from Monday.

Mr Javid said last night: ‘When it comes to vaccinations I think we rightly take the advice of our clinicians.

‘There’s a committee, it’s called the JCVI and we listen very carefully to what they’ve got to say.

‘They look at the data very, very carefully and their latest advice as you say is that there should be a second boost — or let’s call it a fourth dose — but to focus on those over 75, those in care homes, those who are immunosuppressed.

‘Now we will start that by the end of this month, that’s what we’ve said and we’re completely on track for that. But we listen to their advice all the time, should they come forward…’

When the plans were announced, officials said it would mean that some severely immunocompromised people who have already had four jabs would get a fifth — this group can include blood cancer patients and transplant recipients.

It also raises the prospect that hundreds of thousands may even be offered a sixth dose this autumn, if a third round of boosters are approved.

Only a quarter of the rise in newly-occupied NHS Covid beds in the first week of March was down to patients actually ill with the virus, NHS England data suggests. Graph shows: Changes in the overall number of Covid patients and the number being primarily treated for the virus over time in England

Only a quarter of the rise in newly-occupied NHS Covid beds in the first week of March was down to patients actually ill with the virus, NHS England data suggests. Graph shows: Changes in the overall number of Covid patients and the number being primarily treated for the virus over time in England

The NHS England data show increase in overall Covid patients and those primarily for the virus varied wildly across the country. London has the lowest proportion of Covid patients that are primarily being treated for the virus, with only 27 per cent actually in hospital because of an infection

The NHS England data show increase in overall Covid patients and those primarily for the virus varied wildly across the country. London has the lowest proportion of Covid patients that are primarily being treated for the virus, with only 27 per cent actually in hospital because of an infection

NHS England figures show 63 per cent of over-18s — or 31million out of 50million — have already had their third dose.

But uptake varies widely by age group, with more than nine in 10 over-70s having got their third jab. The rate is just a third among 18-29 year olds.

JCVI sources suggested last month that the booster programme could be further expanded in the autumn, potentially to cover all over-50s.

There are some 5.5million over-75s in England who are being called forward for their fourth doses. Should the drive be expanded to over-50s, this would add roughly another 17million people.

Ministers have made no secret of plans for an annual Covid jabbing programme, which could cost in the region of £600million.

SAGE scientists have also backed the strategy, saying this will likely be part of Covid’s gradual transition to becoming endemic like the flu.

But other scientists have claimed a never-ending cycle of boosters might not be needed, if the virus continues to become milder over time.

Britain’s Covid cases have been rising for the last two weeks, with the country now recording about 73,000 new infections a day on average.

Hospitalisations have also been heading up over this period, and are now at a similar level to early February when the Omicron wave was subsiding.

But half of hospital patients with Covid are thought to be ‘incidental’ cases — those who test positive after being admitted for another reason, or beat the illness only to fall ill with something else.

It may mean the recent rise in hospital admissions is more likely to reflect infection rates in the community, rather than severe illness.

The uptick coincides with surging cases of a more transmissible version of Omicron scientifically named BA.2, which estimates suggest now makes up 80 per cent of cases.

Ministers in England, however, say the increases were to be ‘expected’ following the country’s ‘Freedom Day’ on February 24 — when the final Covid measures were dumped. Mr Javid has insisted there was ‘nothing in the data at this point in time that gives us any cause for concern’.

But in Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has opted to keep compulsory face masks in place until April, with officials saying they do not expect the BA.2 outbreak to peak for the next few weeks.

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