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New data from the React study reveals that Covid-19 infections in March were at their highest levels since the study began nearly two years ago.
While the data suggests that Covid infections may have peaked in children and younger adults, it is still spreading rapidly among adults aged 55 and over.
In the general population, Covid prevalence was 6.37% between 8 and 31 March 2022, surpassing the previous high of 4.41% recorded in January 2022.
In those aged 55 and over however, the prevalence was 8.31%, nearly 20 times higher than the average for that age group from when the study started in May 2020 through to March 2022.
This is concerning given that older adults are at higher risk of severe outcomes, and the researchers are warning that the increasing prevalence of Covid among older adults “may increase hospital admissions and deaths despite high levels of vaccination.”
React study to end after government pulled funding
Paul Elliott, professor of epidemiology at Imperial College London, who led the study, said the rise in infections is the result of “people mixing more” and the waning of vaccine protection, given that most over 55s had their booster dose five-to-six months ago.
With hospital admissions rising, he said “ongoing surveillance is required both to monitor severe outcomes of Covid-19, but also the emergence of new variants.”
However, the React study is coming to an end now the government has pulled funding. While the Covid-19 infection survey by the Office for National Statistics will continue, Elliott said the React team are “disappointed” they will no longer be in the field.
Nearly 20,000 people in hospital with Covid in England
With nearly 20,000 people in hospital with Covid in England, Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said the government must be prepared to partake in a “realistic conversation” about the reality of the struggling health service.
“NHS leaders and their teams are increasing their Covid services and reopening coronavirus wards, but the Government must take heed, combined with chronic staff shortages, and a waiting list backlog that now tops 6.1m, we really need a realistic conversation about the current situation in the health service.
“Rather than setting unreasonable, unrealistic and over-ambitious targets that do little to tangibly support and improve health services for patients right now, the government needs to come clean with the public about what they can expect from the NHS now and in the months ahead,” she said.