One in eight people in England ‘has had Covid-19’

LONDON: An estimated one in eight people in England had had Covid-19 by December last year, up from one in 14 in October, new figures show.

Antibody data on infection in private households suggests that one in 10 in Wales had also been infected by December, alongside one in 13 in Northern Ireland and one in 11 in Scotland.

The figures come from the Office for National Statistic’s Covid-19 Infection Survey in partnership with the University of Oxford, University of Manchester, Public Health England and Wellcome Trust.

They are based on the proportion of the population who are likely to have tested positive for antibodies to Covid-19, based on blood test results, from a sample of people aged 16 and over.

The ONS found “substantial variation” between regions in England, with 17 per cent of people in private households in Yorkshire and the Humber estimated to have tested positive for antibodies in December, compared with 5 per cent in south-west England.

In London, the figure was 16 per cent in December, up from 11 per cent in October, while it was 15 per cent in the North West, up from 6 per cent in October.

In the West Midlands, 14 per cent have had Covid, up from 8 per cent in October, while 8 per cent in the South East and the East of England have had the virus, both up from 5 per cent in October.

The study came as Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed he is self-isolating after receiving an alert through the NHS Covid-19 app. Meanwhile, some family doctors continue to express their frustration about the rollout of vaccines across the UK.

With more than half of the over-80s and half of elderly care home residents having received the jab, ministers have now given the go-ahead to begin vaccinating the next priority groups – the over-70s and the clinically extremely vulnerable.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told LBC radio that “there will be an overlap” between those in the first group getting their jab and those in the second as the NHS keeps up the momentum of the vaccine rollout.

On Monday night, Hancock acknowledged that some parts of the country had made better progress than others in vaccinating those in the top priority group, but said more supplies of the vaccine are being pumped to areas that have fallen behind.

Nevertheless, some GPs have taken to social media saying they are “crying out for more vaccines” and that their elderly patients want to be vaccinated in local surgeries rather than having to travel further afield to mass centres.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, family GP Dr David Holwell said it is “disappointing” that the number of vaccines being given in his area has fallen because of a lack of supplies.

The doctor said that in his part of West Sussex they had been doing 2,000 vaccinations a week but only received 300 doses last week.

He said: “We were doing an average of about 2,000 vaccines a week, then last week we got 300 and this week we will get 800, so it’s disappointing.”

The number of people in the UK receiving their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine has now passed four million and the government is still on track to vaccinate around 15 million high-priority people across the UK by February 15.

Once those vaccines have taken effect, around two to three weeks later ministers will consider whether lockdown measures can be eased in England.

Despite pressure from Tory MPs to move as quickly as possible, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned there will be no “open sesame” moment when restrictions will all be lifted together.