Immunologists push for increase in testing and more widespread vaccine booster rollout as new variant, XEC, emerges

Immunologists push for increase in testing and more widespread vaccine booster rollout as new variant, XEC, emerges

Covid is on the rise in England, and experts have warned that more must be done to prevent and control infections after a “capitulation to the virus”.

Prof Danny Altmann, an immunologist at Imperial College London, said those working in the field were perplexed by the current attitude to the battle against Covid, as the latest figures showed an increase in hospital admissions.

The latest data for England from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed that hospital admissions increased to 3.71 per 100,000 population for the week between 16 and 22 September 2024, compared with 2.56 per 100,000 the previous week.

The percentage of people with symptoms who have tested positive for Covid, based on tests at sentinel “spotter” laboratories, has also risen in the last week to 11.8% compared with 9.1% in the previous week.

  • reddig33@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    2 months ago

    Strange photo. Isn’t that swab supposed to go up the nose for a Covid test? Or do they do it differently in the UK?

    • egrets@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      2 months ago

      I don’t know about other countries’ tests, but some in the UK are just nasal swabs, others are both tonsils and nose. The earlier tests - in my area, at least - were tonsil and nose swabs.

  • ThePyroPython@lemmy.worldEnglish
    44·
    2 months ago

    Speaking as an Englishman: fuck 'em.

    I’m so done with dealing with these antivax idiots that I hope they catch the new variants and suffer.

    I do feel sorry for those with compromised immune systems and the kids of antivaxers who also have to suffer because these morons believe the wild conspiracies that it’s a weapon for population control that is activated by 5G.

    It almost makes me wish the conspiracy was true and these morons were the target leaving the rest of the population alone.

    But I guess these loons won’t see reason until their grandma or child is gargling on fluids in an understaffed, overcrowded, and collapsing NHS hospital.

    • Novi@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      10·
      2 months ago

      As good as it would feel to support this sentiment, every one of these “antivax idiots” that catches covid gives the virus more generations to mutate. Creating a danger to us all.

      • ThePyroPython@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        2 months ago

        Great, I’ll go get my tranquilizer gun and load up some Pfizer, and inoculate the morons as I drive past them standing on the roundabout.

          • ThePyroPython@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            2 months ago

            Your Honour I was not, as you so derisively put it, “assaulting people with a weapon” and “administering medication without consent”.

            I was merely “providing an expediant public health service” and frankly for making those three booster shots at 20mph from 15 meters away I deserve a fucking medal!