Covid hospitalisations see a 27% jump in UK, experts warn of new wave

The UK has been seeing a significant rise in Covid-19 cases over the last few weeks, with a 27% jump being observed in Covid hospitalisations over the last few days.

The experts at National Health Service (NHS) have asked people to stay alert and cautious if they wish to make the most of this holiday season.

More than 10,000 people could be hospitalised with the infection by the end of the year, according to specialists at NHS. People have also been advised to take their booster doses as immunity is slowly waning.

Last month, more than a million UK residents had contracted the virus. Places like Somerset, Gloucestershire, Torbay, Plymouth and Bristol have been most affected so far, according to data provided by the Department of Health and Social Care.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that one in 50 people had Covid in England in the week ending December 5. It warned that the number might see a significant jump if residents are not careful enough.

The country might see a new wave as the infections have seen a surge since the beginning of December. "It is fair to say we're now definitely in a new wave," wrote The Mirror citing Christina Pagel, a senior Lecturer in Mathematical Biology, University of Bath.

"What we're seeing is people picking up Covid in hospital, then being delayed from going home, adding more pressure to the service. It brings the question as to why we haven't done anything significant to try and reduce transmission," Dr. Daniel Goyal, who works on an NHS Covid ward, told The Independent.

In the seven days to December 12, as many as 5,250 patients were hospitalised with Covid, up by 27.6% compared to a week earlier. Hospital admissions are highest among those aged 85 and above.

Even though the situation is far better than what the country witnessed in 2020 and 2021, the pandemic is far from over. The health experts have urged people to take all precautions to keep Covid in check.