It is not clear how prevalent Covid has become in the UK. 9 Do we know enough about how widespread Covid is? In the longer term, scientists anticipate that a single vaccine will eventually be developed to protect against Covid and flu and also RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), which also causes illness in winter. “It is easier for patients to have both vaccines at the same time at only one visit: one in each arm,” said epidemiologist Professor Keith Neal at Nottingham University. In the meantime, doctors have urged patients to try to arrange to have the two separate vaccines at the same time. Scientists are working on creating such a joint vaccine. 8 Why don’t they create a combined Covid-flu vaccine? A new vaccine specifically tailored to target another Omicron variant will become available by the end of the year. This will be available to those getting the vaccine from 11 September and targets the original virus strain that appeared in 2020 as well one of the more recent Omicron variants. 7 Has the Covid-19 vaccine been tweaked?Īn updated version of the vaccine that targets two coronavirus variants has been approved for adult booster doses by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. However, manufacturers have yet to offer their products for sale in the UK. The government has said recently that in future it will not oppose the sale of Covid vaccines to those who want to buy one. Those outside these groups will not be given a jab and – unlike those seeking immunisation against flu – will not be able to buy one. 6 Can I get a vaccine?įrom 11 September, the vaccine will be offered to residents in care homes all adults aged 65 years and over people in clinical risk groups and frontline health and social care workers. Lateral flow tests can be purchased for a couple of pounds from pharmacies, while PCR tests – which give a more definitive indication of a person’s infection status – cost about £50. 5 How do I get a test these days?Ĭovid tests are no longer available free of charge. “However, our genomic surveillance suggests that BA.2.86 is still at low prevalence, and although this strain has been identified in a number of different countries, it is not yet clear whether it is replacing existing strains in any of these settings,” said Professor John Edmunds, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The new variant, BA.2.86, is characterised by a large number of mutations, many of which might be expected to help the virus evade existing immune responses. Photograph: Oliver Helbig/Getty Images 4 How dangerous is the latest variant? New hospital admissions and numbers of beds occupied by Covid patients have also been rising, but again doctors stress they are increasing slowly from a very low baseline.Ĭovid tests are no longer free but can be bought at pharmacies. “The virus is still evolving quickly and new waves are appearing throughout the year.” 3 What’s happening in hospitals? “It was thought that Covid-19 would end up being a seasonal illness like flu but this has not yet happened,” added Professor Adam Finn, of Bristol University. Nor has Covid-19 become a seasonal disease as expected. 2 Will it get worse as winter approaches?Īs weather worsens and days get shorter, that social mixing will intensify and numbers of cases are likely to continue to rise, although scientists also point out that current levels are still very low compared with case numbers last year. In addition to waning immunity to Covid-19, poor summer weather and the screening of blockbuster films such as Barbie and Oppenheimer may have caused increased indoor mixing, setting off rises in infections. Scientists say that the daily number of new positive tests and the proportion of tests coming back positive have been increasing since the end of June.
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