Experts unsure why Covid cases are increasing again

Covid cases and hospitalisations are rising in England – and experts don’t know why. The lifting of all Covid restrictions has made it more difficult to properly track and understand the country’s epidemic, scientists have warned the government, following a recent and sudden rise in hospital admissions.

- SAMUEL LOVETT

Since the turn of the month, infections and hospitalisations have both increased across England, according to the latest data. It comes after the scaling back of testing and removal of mandated self-isolation at the end of February, as part of plans for “living with Covid”. The uncertainty surrounding the current prevalence of cases has been reflected in the fact that admissions appeared to initially rise before infections, when typically it is the former that follows the latter by seven to 10 days.

Figures recently published by the React and ZOE Covid studies have since confirmed the current scale of infections, with cases rising in all age groups and regions of the country, but experts fear it is becoming increasingly harder to monitor and explain fluctuating trends in England’s epidemic.

“The one thing we do know is that both cases and admissions are rising, seemingly across all age groups and regions. What we don’t understand is exactly why,” said Christina Pagel, a professor of operational research at University College London (UCL). According to the ZOE Covid study, around 175,100 new infections are occurring on a daily basis in the UK – an increase of 20 per cent from 145,530 reported last week. The government’s Covid dashboard shows 71, 259 cases were picked up on Thursday.