Is there yet another COVID outbreak in the UK?

In some worrying news, new strains of the coronavirus are spreading across the UK and data also reveals that men are more susceptible to it than woman. While COVID has largely ended, it is making a comeback in the UK, due to a series of new strains. The KP.3 has emerged as a new strain and this is part of a new group of variants known as FLiRT which emerged in early April.

Variants:

The name of these variants has been inspired by the mutations in their genetic codes. They are an offshoot from JN.1 which could transmit easily through one or two mutations. As of April 2024, it was recorded that three strains of the FLiRT variant have been responsible for more than 40% of the COVID cases in the UK. The three strains are KP 1.1, KP.3 and KP.2. This data has been recorded by the UK National Health Security Agency. It is KP.2 that is believed to have sparked a surge of infections before handing it over to KP.3 which has doubled the infection to 44% within a short period of time.

KP.2’s share has dropped to 22%. The rate of hospitalization has increased from 2.67 per 100,000 population needing hospitalization to 3.31 per 100,000 needing hospitalization.


Also Read: One Piece season 2 release date on Netflix: Cast of 4 new villains, premier date

Men are more susceptible than women:

The number of recorded cases for the period from June 1 to June 19, saw the number of females contracting the virus per 100,000 population, up from 2.76 to 3.63. A high of 2.98 was reported on June 18.

For males, this number has constantly moved up. For the same time period, per 100,000 males, the number has gone up from 3.11 on June 1 to 3.88 on June 19. Further, 4.4 was recorded on June 17.

Also Read: Bugatti is manufacturing the world’s fastest car; here are the details regarding the “Tourbillion”

Death toll:

The week ending on June 7, witnessed a death toll of 139. The week prior to it ended with 110 deaths. The week prior to May 24 witnessed 159 deaths.

FAQs:

Has there been any COVID warning issued in the UK?
There has been no warning that have been issued till date. The UK National Health Security Agency is monitoring the situation.

What is the best COVID test?
The RT-PCR test has proved to be the best test with its accurate prediction. This has been extensively used to detect COVID cases among the general population.