Covid wave feared as FLiRT variants spread and vaccine drive falters
The Covid-19 cases in SG may be falling, but the wave is not over. The summer wave is just starting in the US and UK.
Soccer fans gathering to watch the Euros this year could be behind the 'building' summer Covid wave as new FLiRT variant spreads amid the vaccine drive faltering.
An infectious disease expert and former government adviser on Covid-19 suggested that the high number of cases is coinciding with the football championship, as it did in 2021.
Prof Mark Woolhouse told The Telegraph: 'There is a widespread impression of a growing 2024 summer wave, much as we saw in 2021 when there was also a Euros football tournament, and evidence that this contributed significantly to the spread of infection.'
Hospitals saw the number of cases of the virus rise by a quarter in a week due to the more aggressive strains, also known as KP.2 and KP.3, which have already caused a significant spike in cases in the US.
It comes as only 4.1million of the 7million vulnerable people eligible for a spring booster jab have taken up the offer, meaning 40 per cent won't have the extra protection.
Experts also fear current vaccines are less effective FLiRT variants, which have evolved to become more contagious and to evade antibodies.
Dr Matthew Binnicker, of the Clinical Virology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic in the US, said this was due to the spike protein, the part of the Covid virus vaccines are designed to target, changing significantly.
'This variant can evade the immune response more effectively than prior versions of the virus,' he said.
Dr Binnicker added those who were last vaccinated more than six months ago will have fading immunity and are more likely to suffer symptoms if they catch Covid.
NHS statistics show the number of people going into hospital with Covid went up to 3.31 per 100,000 in the week to 16 Jun, compared with 2.67 per 100,000 in the previous week.
Latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows there were 1,985 Covid cases logged in the week ending May 7, up 25% on the previous seven days.
The new variant is now being monitored. It makes up around 40% of new cases currently.
FLiRT also accounts for roughly a quarter of new cases in the US, surveillance data suggests.
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Always Growing : Not again! Just when the wave seemed to have died down….![[undefined]](https://static.moomoo.com/nnq/emoji/static/image/default/default-black.png?imageMogr2/thumbnail/36x36 "undefined")
bullrider_21 OP Always Growing : Seems to be dying down in SG but not in other countries
Always Growing bullrider_21 OP : Probably that’s why $UGHealthcare(8K7.SG)$ and $Top Glove (BVA.SG)$ is dancing cha-cha vertically…. The former hardly stretched a limb….
bullrider_21 OP Always Growing : I think it will catch up. Cannot be only Top Glove rise.
Always Growing bullrider_21 OP : Patiently waiting for Top Glove to reach 0.36. Not sure if it will go higher though…..
bullrider_21 OP Always Growing : Wait to see whether can reach 0.375 first.