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Four years after the COVID-19 pandemic, cases are once again on the rise in the United Kingdom. As per the latest reports, the number of COVID cases have increased across the country. Furthermore, more variants of the novel virus have been detected in the UK and the United States.
In the UK, those in the vulnerable sections of society such as children, senior citizens (60 and above) and those with chronic illnesses have once again been advised to wear masks. Meanwhile, hospitals across England has also resumed their mask mandate.
As per the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), one in every 25,000 people in the UK have tested positive for COVID till June 26. While this number is much lower than in March 2020, the rise in cases is still a cause for concern.
When it comes to hospital admissions, the number has gone upto 3.31 admissions per 100,000 in the week till June 16. As per official data, there were a total of 4.37 COVID cases per 100,000 people admitted to hospital in England as of June 26.
Despite an increase in cases, no formal restrictions have been announced by the UK Government for the time being. However, people are advised to stay at home for at least five-seven days if they test positive for COVID.
FLiRT Vairant Behind Spike?
In the recent months, a new COVID variant - FLiRT - was detected. FLiRT was a descendent of the JN.1 variant, which itself comes from the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The FLiRT Variants include - KP.2, KP.3 and LB.1.
As of now, KP.3 - has been detected in the UK. This variant has also been attributed to the rise of COVID cases in the United States.
Amid the rising cases, the UKHSA has stated it "needs more data" on the new FLiRT variants to understand their rate of transmission, symptoms and more.
