Health authorities need to act urgently to prepare for an autumn that could see new waves of Covid-19 cases spreading across the UK.
This is the clear warning from scientists and doctors after last week’s figures revealed another dramatic jump in cases. It was found that more than 2 million people across the UK were infected during the week ending June 24, an increase of more than 30% over the previous week.
And while most experts said they expected the current wave, driven by Omicron BA4 and BA5 virus variants, to peak in a few weeks, they also warned that it would inevitably be followed by another wave this fall. “Our current planning assumptions are that we will see at least one wave [of Covid] during the fall-winter period once we get over the current wave we are in right now, ”said Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser to the UK Health Safety Agency.
This view was supported by virologist Professor Lawrence Young of the University of Warwick. “We need to prepare now for the fall and winter months, when the colder weather will drive people indoors, increasing the risk of infection, not only with the new variants of Covid, but also with other virus infections. respiratory “.
A key component of these preparations will be the selection of those vaccines that are best suited to counteract the next big wave of the disease. Modern, Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies are working on vaccines that target different variants of Omicron in different ways.
“However, it will be up to the government to decide which of these versions will be best for the country,” said Professor Adam Finn of the University of Bristol. “Officials are likely to be influenced not so much by the data showing which formulation seems most promising to address the new variants as by the company that seems most able to deliver the right number of vaccines on time.”
This point was supported by Professor Francois Balloux, Director of the Institute of Genetics at University College London. “Obviously, if you wait until the last minute, you’ll have the best chance of designing a vaccine that’s better able to address the more widespread variant, but you don’t want to risk production not delivering enough doses on time.” .
Covid-19 is not, however, the only health threat seen on the horizon. Scientists have warned that pandemic measures, particularly the imposition of the blockade, that were used to control Covid-19 have likely left the public vulnerable to other diseases such as the flu.
Finn said, “Basically, we haven’t been infected with the flu for two years, so we haven’t been generating immunity against it.”
He added: “As a result, we are now more vulnerable to the flu and are likely to see winter peaks, possibly large ones, this year. In fact, the flu could be a much bigger problem this winter than Covid-19. “For this reason, I think it is crucial to give the autumn Covid booster vaccine at the same time as the annual flu vaccine for people over 65.”
Other factors that could affect the well-being of the nation this winter will include the cost-of-living crisis. “It could help, unwittingly, reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus if people are less likely to spend time in crowded indoor entertainment venues such as shopping malls and cinemas,” said virologist Julian Tang of the University of Leicester. “On the other hand, the inability to heat homes, along with increased virus circulation, will exacerbate hospitalization rates for the disease.”
Stephen Griffin, of the University of Leeds, also urged the need for a comprehensive continuing vaccination plan for the UK, a plan aimed especially at younger age groups.
“Although it is much less common than in adults, we can expect, based on the previous wave, that the very high prevalence of Omicron will unfortunately lead to a considerable number of juvenile hospitalizations and a long Covid, the whose impact in a young life destroys the soul. ”