Experts have warned Covid is 'not being taken seriously' after a huge surge of cases in the US. Almost half of new cases are thought to have been caused by a new fast-spreading Omicron subvariant - XBB.1.5 - which was behind 43 percent of cases in the US last week, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated.
The new subvariant is the most transmissible at the moment and can bypass some aspects of the vaccine and immunity provided by antibodies. However, experts have said booster vaccines are still protecting the public against the most severe symptoms, hospitalisation, and death.
The subvariant has been identified in more than 25 countries, including the UK, and has been increasing globally, according to the General of The World Health Organisation. Neil Sehgal, an assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Maryland School of Public Health said that uptake for the most recent booster has been “pitiful”, The Express reports.
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It comes after UK health experts predicted that two new variants of Covid, including 'Kraken', are likely to become the dominant strain in the UK. The XBB.1.5 variant, commonly known as 'Kraken', has been spreading across the US in recent months.
Now, Kraken and the CH.1.1 variant are expected to be the UK's dominant strains of the virus. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said currently, most cases in the UK are made up of BQ.1 and its sublineages.
Figures from the Office of National Statistics showed the number of people likely to have coronavirus over Christmas was a huge 2.9 million. With experts in both the UK and US continuing to highlight the spread of Covid, we're taking a look at the five infection hotspots across Nottinghamshire right now.
5 biggest Covid hotspots in Nottinghamshire
Area// Case rate per 100,000 people// Total cases
Edwalton// 261.5// 22
Bilborough North// 189// 13
Huthwaite// 157.7// 11
Radcliffe-on-Trent & Shelford// 148.3// 14
Hucknall Westville// 145// 12
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