COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI H5N1 bird Flu, Measles, Tropical Imports and other virus UK and World News Update 22nd August 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI H5N1 Bird Flu, Measles, Tropical Imports and Other Virus UK and World News Update 22nd August 2025

In the UK the number of people in hospital with respiratory symptoms who test positive for COVID has risen by almost 1/3 in the last fortnight. 

Although that's not good, thankfully we began at low levels, so it is actually still considered relatively 'low' - although you'd hope not to see a rise during Summer and before the kids all go back to school. Latest variants and waning immunity may well be to blame. 

The steady COVID wave is continuing in the US. Hospital admissions were up another 15% last week (on top of 18% 2 weeks ago), with 98,600 new cases reported. Medics and emergency room staff are noting a visible rise and commenting on social media. 

An average 206 people in the US have died from COVID each week this year (227 were reported last week). 

On 15th August the UK's DEFRA raised England's risk level for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI bird flu) "in response to a change in the pattern of wild bird findings and an increase in cases in poultry and captive birds".

Risk level in any areas with 'sub-optimal biosecurity' is now MEDIUM (event occurs regularly).

Risk in wild birds remains HIGH.

From 26th August nationwide biosecurity measures are increased, including for game birds. E.g. footwear and vehicle tyres need to be disinfected. 

DEFRA's last report on 11th August confirms 9 additional infected commercial and backyard poultry flocks detected since 21st July (including 2 in Breckland, Norfolk), and 78 infected wild birds of 20 different species, across 36 separate British sites in 26 counties (England 48, Scotland 29, Wales 1). 

This outbreak began on 5th November 2024, and since then across the whole UK 79 farmed or backyard flocks have been confirmed infected with avian flu:

- 1 low pathogenic avian flu (Wales)

- 1 HPAI H5N5 (England)

- 77 HPAI H5N1 (England 68, Scotland 3, Wales 2, Northern Ireland 4)

In addition a total of 848 collected wild birds have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza. 

COVID-19, Measles, HPAI H5N1 Avian Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 17th April 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 17th April 2025

World Health Organisation members, after over 3 years of discussions, have agreed the wording for the legally binding Pandemic Treaty. The draft agreement will be up for consideration (and hopefully accepted) at the upcoming World Health Assembly next month.

This is only the 2nd time such a treaty has been drawn up, the first being a tobacco control agreement in 2003. 

Under terms of the treaty member countries will share data about pathogens swiftly via the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS). 10% of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics will be given to WHO, and another 10% will be supplied at affordable prices.

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI H5N1 Avian Flu, Measles and other virus UK and World News Update 4th April 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI H5N1 Avian Flu, Measles and other virus UK and World News Update 4th April 2025

The UK has announced Spring COVID boosters, with a focus on "protecting those who are most likely to become seriously ill", the same as last Spring, but unlike previously you have to COME FORWARD and book your appointment, rather than waiting for an invitation. Do this online at nhs dot uk /bookcovid or by calling 119.

Those eligible include:

- people aged 75 or over by 17th June

- residents of care homes for older adults (not staff or carers)

- people meeting immunosuppression criteria (check online for a list)

The UK Department of Health and Social Care has agreed an extra £167m funding (over 2 years) with Community Pharmacy England.

On top £193 million of debt for community pharmacy owners will be written off. 

In return community pharmacies in England will:

- all offer the ‘morning-after pill’ free of charge

- offer patients prescribed antidepressants "convenient support at pharmacies".

- cut red tape, with more of the pharmacy team able to deliver services such as medicines advice, Pharmacy First services, and blood pressure checks.

- have financial incentives boosted for pharmacists to identify patients with undiagnosed high blood pressure, to take pressure off GPs.

- have funding for medicine supply boosted, so patients have better access to the medicines prescribed for them. This includes writing off the historic debt linked to dispensing activity during the pandemic and increasing fees linked to dispensing prescriptions.

COVID-19, HPAI H5N1 Avian Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 7th March 2025

COVID-19, HPAI H5N1 Avian Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 7th March 2025

Just in case you haven't had enough of Norovirus this year, the UK Health Security Agency are warning us that there are 2 common strains, and the one which was most popular a couple of months ago is waning, but the second one is having a bit of a party. Sadly catching one doesn't mean you won't catch the other, so there are fun times ahead for some of you... 

As an aside, UKHSA reckon for every lab confirmed case, there are another 288 riding it out quietly at home. 

Latest UK Norovirus figures still aren't pretty, but they do finally show a decrease in cases. Overall still very high levels, and more than double the 5 year average for the same 2 week period. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI H5N1 Bird Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 10th January 2025

COVID-19 Coronavirus, HPAI H5N1 and other virus UK and World News Update 10th January 2025

Happy New Year! I hope you had a good festive break, and I'm delighted to say that the world didn't become overrun by virus during the last 3 weeks, not entirely anyway... 

"NHS England says there were over 5,000 patients in hospital with flu at the end of last week. The average...was almost 3.5 times higher than the same week in 2023. NHS England says the number quadrupled since the end of November."

BBC Health Editor Hugh Pym on 3rd January. 

"NHS England says average flu patient numbers in hospitals at 5,400 last week - up on previous week. A&E attendances in 2024 up 7 per cent on the year. NHS leaders say strain on staff at times as bad as height of pandemic."

Hugh Pym on 9th January.

Flu levels are currently abysmal in the UK, but some suggestions we may soon peak - I hope so.

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus including HPAI H5N1 and Disease X UK and World News Update 13th December 2024

 COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 13th December 2024

World COVID Statistics: 776,947,553 officially reported cases and 7,076,993 losses of life.

The world is still officially losing around 500 people to COVID each week, despite only 102 countries still reporting regular figures to the World Health Organisation. 

“We cannot talk about COVID in the past tense.

It’s still with us, it still causes acute disease and Long COVID, and it still kills.

The world might want to forget about COVID-19, but we cannot afford to.”

Dr Tedros, Head of WHO, at Wednesday's media briefing. 

This time 5 years ago, the first severely ill patients in Wuhan, China, were about to be hospitalised. 

Symptom onset for patient A was 1st December 2019, with 3 more patients by 10th December, and first hospitalisations around 17th. 

"On that first confirmed case, none of his family members developed fever or any respiratory symptoms. He had not been to the Huanan seafood market and also no epidemiological link could be found between the first patient and later cases.

Chinese media later reported that there were earlier suspected infectections, going back to 17 November. Authorities did not publicly accept there was human-to-human transmission of the virus until 21 January."

Jim Reed, BBC Health Reporter. 

5 years people... We all having been living a pandemic for 5 years. 

 

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 29th November 2024

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 29th November 2024

"I have no idea how to work within a system that accelerates catastrophic risk because people are pi**ed about the COVID pandemic. I have no idea how to convince people who think public health is a form of tyranny that millions of people could die in a flu pandemic."

Professor Angie Rasmussen, virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan.

English virus watch summary from the UK Health Security Agency (HSA):

- Influenza activity increased and has reached low activity levels

- COVID-19 activity remained stable and is at baseline levels

- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) activity increased is at medium levels

RSV is particularly affecting babies and infants 0-4 years (moderate levels), and children 5-14 (high). The UK also has a pretty big issue with Norovirus right now (sickness tummy bug). 

Stay at home if you are ill... 

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 15th November 2024

 COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 15th November 2024

10,644 deaths were registered in England and Wales, week ending 1 November 2024 (Week 44):

· 13.3% lower than the expected number (1,634 fewer deaths)

· 13.8% involved influenza or pneumonia (1,469 deaths)

· 2.5% involved COVID19 (262 deaths)

Office for National Statistics

The UK HSA have started publishing weekly virus watch reports for England. We currently have lots of RSV, especially in children under 5. COVID and flu are pretty stable. 

During the UK Autumn budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced significant extra money for the NHS - £25.7 BILLION over the next 2 years.

It includes:

- funding to reduce waiting times by supporting the NHS to deliver an extra 40,000 elective appointments a week. This is part of the "plan to make sure patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from their referral to getting treatment". (Which would be utterly amazing if it ever happens.)

- £1.5 billion to fund new surgical hubs which will help build capacity for over 30,000 additional procedures, and more than 1.25 million additional diagnostic tests (which use CT or MRI scanners) 

- £70 million to invest in new radiotherapy machines to improve cancer treatment 

- Over £2 billion for NHS technology and digital improvements to increase productivity and save staff time 

- Over £600 million increase in local government spending to support social care  

- £26 million to open new mental health crisis centres  

"Looking beyond this Budget, the government will publish a 10-year health plan for the NHS in spring 2025. This will set out the long-term vision for fixing the NHS."

Well that all sounds incredibly promising... as long as they can get, and keep, the staff to deliver it. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 1st November 2024

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 1st November 2024

In the week ending 18th October, 241 people in England and Wales had COVID listed as their cause of death. This is the highest since February, and reflective of the recent wave of infection. 1,447 people had pneumonia or influenza listed as cause of death. 

Overall deaths were still down on the expected number by a massive 10.8%.

The better news is that based on todays figures, hospitalisations (England data) have peaked and are decreasing.

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 11th October 2024

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 11th October 2024

England's hospital admissions with COVID rose by 69% over September, so the wave did continue, and alas it seems it's not peaked yet. Cases are a mystery, as hardly anyone tests, but I know it is running around our local area at the moment, which is a lot rarer than it was when we were in Manchester.  

"10,096 deaths were registered in England and Wales, week ending 27 September 2024 (Week 39):

· 10.7% lower than the expected number (1,215 fewer deaths)

· 12.8% involved influenza or pneumonia (1,291 deaths)

· 1.4% involved COVID19 (143 deaths)"

It's absolutely great that we have sustained the lower losses of life, but 143 people still officially died from COVID last week - it really isn't 'over'.
There is a very important and somewhat grounding point to note, as Stuart McDonald of the COVID Actuaries explains:
"Mortality rates for young adults are still higher than any recent pre-pandemic year.
The CMI quarterly mortality monitor published yesterday shows that only 2021 and 2023 had higher death rates than we’ve seen so far in 2024."
We are still losing far too many people too early. It's hard to pull apart exactly why, but cardiovascular mortality is the main driver - heart and blood conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, aneurysm etc. These are areas we know can often sustain damage from COVID infection. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 27th September 2024

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 27th September 2024

The UK's 'cumulative mortality' continues to run at a level lower than would be expected historically. Summed up by COVID Actuary Stuart McDonald:

"Age-standardised death rates this year have tracked the best year on record (2019) very closely, except during the Covid-19 waves in June and July when death rates were a bit higher."

It's a very sad victory, but after so many people died early due to COVID, we would expect death rates to be lower than averages once stability returns. Last year it was clear that hadn't happened, this year looks more promising (unless XEC ruins it). 

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 13th September 2024

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 13th September 2024

The UK had a fairly small but significant COVID wave over early Summer due to the arrival of the FLIRT variants. As expected it then dropped down during the last few weeks of the English school Summer holidays, but it has started to creep back up already. No rest for the wicked. 

This peak and drop was reflected in hospital admissions with COVID, which peaked in England in July at their highest level since January, but fell by 45% in August.

COVID-19 Coronavirus, Avian Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 19th July 2024

 COVID-19 Coronavirus, Avian Flu and other virus UK and World News Update 19th July 2024

"More from COVID inquiry on UK preparedness - strategy “outdated and lacked adaptability” , “fatal strategic flaws”, “lack of adequate leadership” by ministers, advisers and officials, Planning and policy  “failed their citizens” , system was “unduly complex and labyrinthine”"

Hugh Pym,  BBC News Health Editor, with the release of the first report from the UK COVID Inquiry. 

COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 12th April 2024

 COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 12th April 2024

World COVID Statistics: 704,749,430 officially reported cases and 7,010,624 losses of life.

Hiya! Welcome back. Not a lot of COVID news this week, it's especially quiet because a lot of regular sciencey folk have taken time off, so no big COVID news means no disasters, which is always a good thing.