COVID-19 Infections Hit Elderly UK Again, Expert Says

The increase in the number of deaths from covid-19 in the United Kingdom, despite the extensive vaccination plan, shows that “the infection is now beginning to penetrate groups of older people,” said Wednesday the deputy medical director of the Health in England, Jonathan Van-Tam.

The expert, one of the country’s leading medical personalities during the pandemic, made this observation in a question and answer session with the public organized by BBC Radio 4 and the BBC Breakfast television program.

In the last month, infections in the country have risen and, according to the latest official figures, the United Kingdom yesterday registered 33,865 new infections and another 293 deaths from covid.

“The deaths are increasing,” insisted Van-Tam, who asked people to be cautious because the months are very difficult, although he was more optimistic for next spring.

After weeks of ascent, the number of hospitalizations has not increased in the last four days and we will have to wait a little longer to know the evolution of the epidemic, he added.

“This tells me that we have to wait a little longer to see (what happens). This may be a pause before things escalate, it may be the first sign that things have started to stabilize,” he stressed.

“But my concern is that deaths are increasing and this shows that the infection is now beginning to penetrate groups of older people,” warned the deputy medical director.

Therefore, Van-Tam asked the population to accept a booster dose of the covid vaccine when Health offers this third preparation, as well as the flu vaccine.

The UK has implemented a third-dose vaccination program for those over 50 years of age, after several studies indicated that the protection offered by the preparations begins to wane six months after the second dose. (I)