London, Europe Brief News – Data suggests 1.3 million or one in 50 has Covid, with a “marked increase” in infections among over-70s in Britain.
Authorities called on tens of millions of people to have flu and Covid vaccines as soon as possible amid fears of a winter “twindemic” that poses a serious risk to public health.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) officials are braced for a resurgence in flu infections capable of causing severe disease in the coming months, and are concerned it will coincide with the major wave of coronavirus that is already building.
While Covid restrictions kept influenza at extremely low levels in the past three years, the return to almost pre-pandemic levels of mixing in the UK means the virus is ripe to bounce back this season, when immunity in the population is low.
Reminder texts, emails and letters will reach more than 6m people next week in at risk groups, says NHS England.
Britain ‘s National Statistician Sir Ian Diamond said it was too soon to call what was happening a “winter wave”. But it could turn into one.
“It is incredibly important that we maintain very high levels of vaccine uptake across our country,” he said.
“There are strong indications we could be facing the threat of widely circulating flu, lower levels of natural immunity due to less exposure over the last three winters, and an increase in Covid-19 circulating with lots of variants that can evade the immune response,” said Dr Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser at UKHSA.
“This combination poses a serious risk to our health, particularly those in high-risk groups.”
