UK study: 1 in 200 people in England infected with coronavirus

British scientists are reporting that the rate of coronavirus infection across England has jumped four-fold in the last month and even higher in regions like northwest England and London.

That’s according to a large government-commissioned study that randomly tested tens of thousands of people in the community. But the researchers also say the epidemic does not appear to be growing exponentially at the moment.

“There is some evidence of a deceleration,” says Paul Elliott, chair of epidemiology at Imperial College London, who led the study. Elliott says some of the recently imposed measures in the UK, including banning gatherings of more than six people, may have helped slow the spread of COVID-19.

Elliott says about 1 in 200 people across England are infected with the coronavirus, an increase from about 1 in 800 people in early September.

“We need to get on top of this now so we don’t have an exponential increase,” he says.

Elliott and colleagues note that the steep rise in cases began in August — when the UK government launched a month-long promotion offering people steep discounts to eat out at restaurants.

The study also notes that rates of infection are increasing among all age groups in England, with the highest prevalence among 18- to 24-year-olds. The scientists reported that Black people and those of Asian descent were twice as likely to have COVID-19 as white people.

— AP