GMB: Professor Susan Hopkins asked about symptoms of Covid
Coronavirus is currently driving up cases in the UK, with two new variants stirring the wheel.
In the seven days leading up to September 3, the latest government data confirmed there were 8,961 confirmed cases of Covid in England.
This data suggests there’s about 15.8 cases for every 100,000 people in the country.
Furthermore, there were additional 298 cases in Wales, which is the equivalent to 9.4 for every 100,000 people, while Scotland saw 1,561 cases, which is about 28.6 for 100,000.
While these figures show an increase in cases, it may not reflect the virus’ actual prevalence in the country.
READ MORE Professor warns Covid Pirola should be treated with ‘caution’ – signs to spot
The removal of free testing has seen the number of people taking Covid tests plummet since the height of the pandemic.
The rise in cases comes as two new variants, Eris and Pirola, have appeared in the UK.
Considered the second most prevalent variant in the UK after Arcturus, Eris, or EG.5.1, was first classified as a variant by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on August 9.
The Omicron spin-off has an additional mutation (F456L) in the spike protein which might account for its ability to evade the neutralising antibody response from previous Omicron infections.
On the other hand, the Covid variant BA.2.86, dubbed Pirola, has sparked concern among many experts this summer because it has an even larger number of mutations in the spike protein.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed there were 34 cases of Pirola in England, as of September 4.
Five people have been hospitalised with the Omicron spin-off but no deaths have been reported.
You can see how your local area compares by using the interactive map below.
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Interactive
As has been the case throughout the pandemic, the number of cases varies widely by locality.
Barrow-in-Furness has seen the highest rates of new infections of any local authority in England, with 25 new cases reported in the area in the week ending September 3.
Copeland, which has a larger population, also had 25 new cases, while Newcastle-under-Lyme had 42 new cases, bringing it to the equivalent of 32.4 cases per 100,000 people.
Furthermore, Stoke-on-Trent had 82 new cases, Craven had 18 new cases and Tendring saw 46 cases.
What are the current symptoms of Covid to spot?
In a previous interview, Adeem Azhar, clinical pharmacist and co-founder of Core Prescribing Solutions, shared with Express.co.uk the key symptoms to spot right now.
“The most common symptoms of Covid, including the new variants like Eris and Pirola, seem to be similar to the original strain,” Azhar said.
Therefore, he recommended looking out for the following tell-tale signs:
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Altered sense of smell.
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