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Covid infection levels in England are Critically High, with around 1 in every 23 people in England infected with Covid, as of 13 December. Today, around 1 in every 19 people are likely to be infected with Covid, and we are expecting infection levels to continue to increase over the Christmas period. These are among the highest Covid levels ever seen in England, and it is essential that everyone takes precautions to avoid catching Covid.

As an example of the risk of catching Covid, a typical busy supermarket will have between 13 and 15 infected people breathing out virus for you to breathe in. In a full single decker bus, there will be 2 or 3 infected people breathing out virus. In a busy train carriage, there will be between 9 and 10 infected people breathing out virus. In these circumstances, unless you wear a respiratory filter mask, you are extremely likely to catch Covid. Cloth and surgical masks do not protect you.

Covid infection levels in England continue their relentless slow increase, with around 1 in every 37 people in England now infected with Covid. (This is also the rate and risk for Bucks). As an example of the risk of catching Covid, a typical busy supermarket will have between 6 and 11 infected people breathing out virus for you to breathe in. The risk level remains Extremely High.

Remember, Covid is airborne: the virus spreads mainly through the air. An infected person in an unventilated place creates a large invisible cloud of virus which hangs in the air like smoke, ready for you to breathe in. Because the NHS has not improved the ventilation in its buildings, hospitals and GP practices are extremely dangerous places to catch Covid. NHS staff are now required to work even if they have Covid and there are no Covid precautions in place at most NHS buildings. Do avoid hospitals and GP practices unless your visit is essential and wear a tight-fitted filter mask (FFP2 or FFP3) or respirator all the time if you have to go there.

Covid infection levels in England relentlessly continue to rise, with around 1 in every 39 people in England now infected with Covid. (This is also the rate and risk for Bucks). As an example of the risk of catching Covid, a typical busy supermarket will have between 6 and 11 infected people breathing out virus for you to breathe in. Remember, Covid spreads mainly through the air.

The risk level remains Extremely High. Infection levels are now the same as they were in mid-December 2022, at the beginning of the huge winter wave. If current trends continue, we should reach Critically High levels (more than 1 in every 25 people infected) in the next 6 to 8 weeks.

We are still seeing a steady week-on-week increase in Covid infections rather than a very steep peak. This suggests that the new Covid variant BA.2.86 is not yet infecting large numbers of people. A new variant which is highly infectious and escapes previous immunity usually causes a very sharp peak in infections. However, the criminal lack of Covid surveillance in the UK makes it hard to be sure.  

Alert: Hospitals and GP practices are extremely dangerous places to catch Covid. NHS staff are now required to work even if they have Covid and there are no Covid precautions in place at most NHS buildings. Do avoid hospitals and GP practices unless your visit is essential and wear a tight-fitted filter mask (FFP2 or FFP3) or respirator all the time if you have to go there.

The risk of meeting a Covid-infected person in your everyday life remains Extremely High. The next wave of Covid continues to build, with around 1 in every 44 people in England now infected with Covid. (This is also the rate and risk for Bucks). The number of hospital patients infected with Covid, both in Bucks and nationally, also continues to rise very sharply.

As an example of the risk of catching Covid, a typical busy supermarket will have between 5 and 10 infected people breathing out virus which you could catch.

It is likely that this continuing rise in Covid-infected people is being driven by a new variant, BA.2.86, and by waning immunity to by existing variants.

Hospitals and GP practices remain extremely dangerous places to catch Covid. NHS staff are now required to work even if they have Covid and there are no Covid precautions in place at most NHS buildings. Do avoid hospitals and GP practices unless your visit is essential and wear a tight-fitted filter mask (FFP2 or FFP3) all the time if you have to go there.

We’ve raised the risk of meeting a Covid-infected person in your everyday life to Extremely High. The next wave of Covid continues to build, with around 1 in every 50 people in England now infected with Covid. (This is also the rate and risk for Bucks). The number of hospital patients infected with Covid, both in Bucks and nationally, also continues to rise very sharply.

As an example of the risk of catching Covid, a typical busy supermarket will have between 5 and 8 infected people breathing out virus which you could catch.

Because of the limited number of virus tests being done, we don’t know whether this continuing rise in Covid-infected people is being driven by the new variant, BA.2.86 or by existing variants, or both.

Hospitals and GP practices remain the most dangerous places to catch Covid. NHS staff are now required to work even if they have Covid and there are no Covid precautions in place at most NHS buildings. Do avoid hospitals and GP practices unless your visit is essential and wear a tight-fitted filter mask (FFP2 or FFP3) all the time if you have to go there.

The risk of meeting a Covid-infected person in your everyday life continues to rise. With around 1 in every 53 people in England now infected with Covid, the risk remains Very High. (This is also the rate and risk for Bucks). There also has been a sharp increase in the number of hospital patients infected with Covid.

As an example of the risk of catching Covid, a typical busy supermarket will have between 4 and 8 infected people breathing out virus which you could catch.

Hospitals and GP practices remain the most dangerous places to catch Covid. NHS staff are now required to work even if they have Covid and there are no Covid precautions in place at most NHS buildings. Do avoid hospitals and GP practices unless your visit is essential and wear a tight-fitted filter mask (FFP2 or FFP3) all the time if you have to go there.