Covid update: Age group with the highest infection rates according to latest Study App

17/02/2022

Omicron: Another 'more infectious variant will come' says doctor

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The more infectious Omicron variant appears to produce less severe disease than the globally dominant Delta, but should not be categorised as “mild”, stated the head of the World Health Organization (WHO). The Covid Study App was launched by health science company ZOE with scientific analysis provided by King’s College London and provides up to date data regarding infections.

“New daily symptomatic cases continue to rise in all regions,” said the Covid Study App.

It added: “Cases are now slowing in all age groups, apart from the 18-34 group where cases continue to increase, and the older, more vulnerable 75+ age group who are slightly increasing.

“Cases are slowing in the 0-18- and 35–74-year-old age groups.”

The top five symptoms warning of a possible Omicron infection include:

Runny nose
Headache
Fatigue
Sneezing
Sore throat.

David Nabarro, the WHO’s special envoy for coronavirus said: “There will be more variants after Omicron and if they are more transmissible, they will dominate.

“In addition, they may cause different patterns of illness, in other words, they may turn out to be more lethal or have more long-term consequences.

“The pandemic has a long way to go and – as is the case since it started – people and their leaders will influence its long-term impact through actions they take now.”

The ZOE COVID Study incidence figures are based on reports from up to a million weekly contributors and the proportion of newly symptomatic users who have received positive swab tests.

The latest survey figures were based on data from 50,264 recent swab tests done on symptomatic cases in the two weeks up to 7th February 2022.

Professor Tim Spector, lead scientist on the ZOE COVID Study app, spoke on the latest data and said: “Although the true rate of new cases (unlike the government dashboard) is currently far too high, it is somewhat reassuring to see signs of rates slowing down and it looks like we’ve now passed the second big peak of the year, with hospitalisations, ICU cases and deaths also continuing to fall.

“Cases need to decline more among older and more vulnerable age groups before we can start to relax, and it’s still too early to tell the effects of Long Covid as a result of an Omicron infection or the effect of the super infectious BA.2 variant that continues to increase nationally.

“Despite the Government’s hasty decision to end all restrictions this month, and the message this sends, this does not mean the pandemic is over.

“We should all try to be good citizens by continuing to self-isolate when ill and protect ourselves and others from what can be a really nasty infection.”

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