Just as the warm weather arrives and we all want to spend more time outdoors, our old pal Covid-19 is on the rise again, threatening to keep us inside.
It may be three years since the start of the pandemic, but health experts warn that Covid still poses a risk to the UK. While rates are far lower than 2020 levels, it’s estimated that one in 20 Brits are currently infected and hospital admissions for the virus are approaching a three-month high. The recent chilly weather has apparently helped to drive the increase in infections – as more of us have been socialising inside.
Chris Hobson, the NHS’s chief strategy adviser, said: ‘While we are in a very different situation today than we were three years ago, thanks largely to the speed and success of the NHS Covid vaccination programme, we know the virus still poses risks.’
Vaccines are still available and appointments can be booked via the NHS website. Earlier this year it was revealed that those most vulnerable to the infection, including over-50s and care-workers, would be offered extra booster jabs in the spring and autumn.
Think you might be coming down with something? These are currently the most reported Covid symptoms, according to the ZOE Health app:
- a sore throat
- a runny nose
- a blocked nose
- sneezing
- a cough without phlegm
- a headache
- a cough with phlegm
- a hoarse voice
- muscle aches and pains
- an altered sense of smell
And some other possible symptoms, according to the NHS:
- a high temperature or shivering (chills)
- shortness of breath
- feeling tired or exhausted
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea
- feeling sick or being sick
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