February 9, 2022

expert reaction to latest COVID-19 Infection Survey headline results, UK: 9 February 2022

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have released the latest headline results from their COVID-19 Infection Survey.

Prof Sheila Bird, Formerly Programme Leader, MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, said:

“Today’s headline figures from the ONS Community Infection Survey (top row in the table below) contain a salutary warning that the percentage of those in the community aged 50-69 years and also 70+ years testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 has risen significantly between 26 January and 2 February 2022 to 3.0%  and 2.5% respectively after hitherto a steady decline from peak prevalence of 5.2% and 3.1% at 3  or 12 January 2022.

“Proportion testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 has continued to increase to 8.7% at 2 February 2022for children in school-years 7 to 11 but has begun to decline significantly for the youngest age-group which now stands at 11.5% versus 13.1% a week previously. Mid-term break should put a brake on prevalence in pupils.”

https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveyheadlineresultsuk9february2022

All our previous output on this subject can be seen at this weblink:

www.sciencemediacentre.org/tag/covid-19

Declared interests

None received.