Delta variant now makes up 99 per cent of new Covid cases in UK
The Delta variant now accounts for 99 per cent of new Covid-19 cases in the UK, according to the latest Public Health England data.
In the week to June 14, Britain reported another steep rise in new cases of the Delta variant, which was first identified in India. The latest PHE data showed the variant now accounts for 99 per cent of new cases in the country, up from just over a quarter at the start of May.
The PHE report identified 33,630 new cases of the Delta variant, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of the strain to 75,953 – a 79 per cent increase on the previous total.
PHE estimates that the Delta “variant of concern” is 64 per cent more transmissable than the Alpha variant that was previously dominant in the UK.
The Alpha variant, which caused a surge in the virus in the winter, accounted for only 4089 cases in the week to June 14.
A total of 806 people were hospitalised in England with the Delta variant of the virus in the last week. 527 of those hospitalised were unvaccinated, and only 84 had received both doses.
It comes after PHE analysis published this week showed that both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are over 90 per cent effective at preventing hospitalisations from the Delta variant after two doses, and 75 per cent effective after one dose.
Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK health security agency, said the increase was primarily in younger age groups, “a large proportion of which were unvaccinated but are now being invited to receive the vaccine.”
“It is encouraging to see that hospitalisations and deaths are not rising at the same rate but we will continue to monitor it closely,” Harries said.
Earlier this week, NHS England chief Sir Simon Stevens emphasised the need for young people to get their jab, describing how the vaccine rollout has “flipped” the age profile of those in hospital with coronavirus.
“Back in January, it was 60:40. 60 per cent of beds occupied by people over 65, 40 per cent under-65s,” Stevens said.
“Now it’s flipped to 30:70, so it’s about 30 per cent occupied by people aged 65 and over 70 per cent by younger people whose prospects are much greater,” he added.