Covid is on the rise in England, and experts have warned that more needs to be done to prevent and control infections after a “capitulation to the virus”.
Prof Danny Altmann, an immunologist at Imperial College London, said those working in the field were confused about the current attitude to the fight against Covid, as the latest figures show an increase in hospital admissions.
The latest data for England from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed that hospital admissions increased to 3.71 per 100,000 population for the week between 16 and 22 September 2024, compared to 2.56 per 100,000 the previous week.
The percentage of people with symptoms who tested positive for Covid, based on tests at the “spotter” laboratories, also rose in the past week to 11.8% compared to 9.1% in the previous week.
Altmann described the prevailing stance on the virus as a “capitulation”. “For those working in this field, the current attitude of acceptance of losing this war of attrition against Covid is confusing and a bit desperate,” he said.
“The data, both in the UK and the US, shows that the current Omicron sub-variants are extremely successful in bypassing any waning population immunity, so we tolerate a high incidence of around 12%. Our capitulation to the virus is ‘ a combination of a population where most are now many months or years from their last vaccine dose, and that vaccine dose was poorly cross-protective to the very distinct current variants anyway.
“It is clear that there is behavioral polarization between those who are concerned about this and are looking for mitigation, and those who think we have to learn to live with it and have paid too high a price for our earlier measures,” he said.
Dr Simon Williams, from Swansea University, added that surveys suggest there is also a large group of people who do not think much about Covid at all. “Part of this is psychological – for two to three years it was something people had to think about all the time and is something that for many had very negative memories and feelings attached to it,” he said.
While Altmann said debate on measures needed to be properly informed and data-driven and to avoid extreme positions, it was important not to downplay the impact of the virus.
“Those at the weaker end of the immune response spectrum can often experience four or more breakthrough infections a year. These can range from mild to those requiring several days’ work, with all the associated economic costs, plus any additional NHS burden.” he said.
Altmann also highlighted the impact of long Covid, noting that it is thought to affect around 400 million people worldwide – with 3% lost workforce and a global cost estimate of $1tn annually – and can even occur in vaccinated people after re-infection .
The latest Covid data comes as a new variant is expected to become common in the coming months. Known as XEC, it was first identified in Germany during the summer, and cases have increased already identified in the UK. It is thought to have arisen from two other Covid variants, which are themselves descended of the BA.2.86 variant.
However, experts have said soCurrently, XEC is not thought to cause different symptoms from previous variants and does not appear to be causing an uptick in cases. It is also expected that Covid vaccinations and previous infections will continue to provide protection against serious disease.
While bookings for the NHS autumn Covid booster samples opened this week, Altmann said they should be offered more widely, along with greater use of lateral flow tests to avoid the spread of Covid.
Williams added that it is strange that more has not been done to clean indoor air and improve ventilation in public spaces including schools.
But while he backed the offering of boosters more broadly, he also expressed concern: “I am concerned that again this fall we will see a relatively low uptake of the booster among priority groups, including younger adults with compromised immune systems.”
