Although the UKHSA COVID dashboard has now moved to weekly reporting to hide the inconvenient truth about the current rising wave of infection, PMP continues to publish its daily report.
The Zoe COVID Study’s positive symptomatic case estimate is currently 308,999 cases (+17.8% in a week). The 7-day estimate shows 2,030,137 cases in a week (+26.1%). On average, it is now estimated that at least 290,020 people are still infected by coronavirus every day in the UK.
🙈🙉🙊 #CovidIsNotOver
First published in June 2022.
covid summary
Latest UK Dashboard
Reminder on data reporting in the UK
▫ From Friday 1 July 2022, the COVID-19 UKHSA Dashboard moves to weekly reporting.
▫ The reporting of ZOE COVID Study data will remain daily.
▫ The reporting of ONS Infection Survey data will remain weekly with a 7-day lag.

(Source: UKHSA | ZOE | ONS)
Zoe COVID Study & ONS Infection Survey UK Latest Estimates

■ Zoe COVID Study

ZOE COVID Study
■ ONS Infection Survey UK Latest Estimates
latest guidance
■ UK Government’s List of symptoms of COVID-19
After two years without updating its list of just three symptoms of COVID-19 (a high temperature, a new continuous cough and a loss or change to the sense of smell or taste), the NHS has finally updated its list of symptoms of COVID:
😩 Shortness of breath
🥱 Feeling tired or exhausted
🤕 An aching body
🤯 A headache
🤐 A sore throat
🤧 A blocked or runny nose
😞 Loss of appetite
🥴 Diarrhoea
🤮 Feeling sick or being sick
■ BA.4 and BA.5 have become dominant in the UK, driving increase in infections — Update
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is reminding people to ensure their COVID-19 vaccinations are up to date and to continue following COVID-safe behaviours, as latest technical data indicates BA.4 and BA.5 have become dominant in the UK and are driving the recent increase in infections.
The UKHSA’s COVID-19 variant technical briefing 43, published today, includes epidemiological analysis that shows that Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 now make up more than half of new COVID-19 cases in England, accounting for approximately 22% and 39% of cases, respectively.
Omicron BA.4 and Omicron BA.5 were designated as variants of concern on 18 May on the basis of an apparent growth advantage over the previously-dominant Omicron BA.2 variant.
UKHSA’s latest analysis suggests that Omicron BA.5 is growing 35.1% faster than Omicron BA.2, while Omicron BA.4 is growing approximately 19.1% faster. This suggests that BA.5 is likely to become the dominant COVID-19 variant in the UK.
The increasing prevalence of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 is likely to be a factor in the recent increase in cases seen in the UK and elsewhere, though there is currently no evidence that Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 cause more severe illness than previous variants.
So far, vaccination means that the rise in cases is not translating to a rise in severe illness and deaths. UKHSA scientists are urging anyone who has not had all the vaccines they are eligible for to make sure that they get them as soon as possible.
COVID-19 has not gone away, so it is also vitally important that people continue to follow the guidance. Stay at home if you have any respiratory symptoms or a fever and limit contact with others until you are feeling better, particularly if they are likely to be at greater risk if they contract COVID-19.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA said:
“It is clear that the increasing prevalence of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 are significantly increasing the case numbers we have observed in recent weeks. We have seen a rise in hospital admissions in line with community infections but vaccinations are continuing to keep ICU admissions and deaths at low levels.
“As prevalence increases, it’s more important than ever that we all remain alert, take precautions, and ensure that we’re up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, which remain our best form of defence against the virus. It’s not too late to catch up if you’ve missed boosters, or even first doses so please take your recommended vaccines.
“Our data also show that 17.5 per cent of people aged 75 years and over have not had a vaccine within the past six months, putting them more at risk of severe disease. We urge these people in particular to get up-to-date.
“If you have any symptoms of a respiratory infection, and a high temperature or feel unwell, try to stay at home or away from others – especially those who are elderly or vulnerable. Face coverings in crowded indoor spaces and hand washing will help to reduce transmission of infection and are especially important if you have any respiratory symptoms.”
UKHSA encourage everyone to continue to follow the most up-to date guidance.
As we learn to live safely with COVID-19, there are actions we can all take to help reduce the risk of catching COVID-19 and passing it on to others.
The risk of catching or passing on COVID-19 is greatest when someone who is infected is physically close to, or sharing an enclosed or poorly ventilated space with, other people.
You will not always know whether someone you come into contact with is at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from respiratory infections, including COVID-19. They could be strangers (for example people you sit next to on public transport) or people you may have regular contact with (for example friends and work colleagues).
There are simple things you can do in your daily life that will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections and protect those at highest risk. Things you can choose to do are:
- get vaccinated
- let fresh air in if meeting others indoors
- practise good hygiene:V
- wash your hands
- cover your coughs and sneezes
- clean your surroundings frequently
- wear a face covering or a face mask, particularly if you are in crowded and enclosed spaces
■ TRAVEL: ENTRY RULES AND RESTRICTIONS
Check out the latest situation for 20 of the top travel destinations for Brits:





(Source: Gov.uk)
we need your help
Since February 2022, the UKHSA has slowly reduced the publishing of its daily COVID updates, following the UK Government’s narrative that we should all “live with the virus”.
England now reports on weekdays, Scotland reports on Mondays and Thursdays only, Wales reports on Thursdays only, and Northern Ireland has stopped reporting altogether.
The virus doesn’t take a break at weekends.
It doesn’t infect people from time to time.
It doesn’t stop at a border either.
The virus still spreads and kills people every day in the UK and around the world. COVID-19 is NOT over.
We, at PMP, have decided to continue to publish the latest COVID data available every day, especially the Zoe COVID Study estimates – probably more accurate than the UK Government’s own data since free testing has ended in England, and the ONS COVID Infection Survey estimates.
Please, support our work through our crowdfunding to help us to continue our COVID reporting: Donate now.
🙈🙉🙊 #CovidIsNotOver.
variant news
■ 🧬 COG-UK sequencing
The BA.5 sub-variant is now dominant in the UK.
(Source: COG-UK)
full data
📈 UKHSA COVID-19 CHARTS
long covid
🧩 Long COVID
🚨 2.0 million people currently live with long COVID in the UK (vs 1.8 million last month)
🚨 3.1% of the UK population currently live with long COVID (vs 2.8%)
🚨 1 in 33 people in the UK has long COVID
🚨 Long COVID symptoms adversely affect the day-to-day activities of 1.4 million people, 71% of long COVID sufferers (vs 1.2 million)
🚨 Of those, 398,000 people (20%) are “limited a lot” (vs 346,000)
🚨 593,000 (30%) first had COVID-19 before Alpha became the main variant; 239,000 (12%) in the Alpha period, 427,000 (21%) in the Delta period, and 619,000 (31%) in the Omicron period.
🚨 Most common symptoms of long COVID
▫ fatigue (55%)
▫ shortness of breath (32%)
▫ cough (23%)
▫ muscle ache (23%)
🚨 Prevalence of long COVID is greatest in people
▫ aged 35-69 years
▫ females
▫ living in more deprived areas
▫ working in social care, teaching, education or health care
▫ with another activity-limiting health condition or disability
🚨 Long COVID by occupation (ONS – 29 Jun-2022)
▫ Police and protective services (25%)
▫ Education (22%)
▫ Social care sector (22%)

(Source: ONS)
LONG COVID News
- What causes long COVID? Canadian researchers think they’ve found a key clue | Global News
- Faster Progress Is Needed on Treatments for Long Covid | Bloomberg
- Long COVID Can Hit Kids, Even Babies | HealthDay
- Almost 1 in 20 older pupils have had long COVID | ONS
- As the pandemic ebbs, long-haul Covid still drains patients and confounds doctors | The Guardian
- Long COVID found in 20% of US cases — CDC
- Is Omicron Creating More Cases of Long Covid? — Bloomberg
- Long Covid can lead to trauma and depression — Sunday Times
long covid kids
🧩 Long COVID Kids
According to a recent systematic review and meta-analyses of Long-COVID in children and adolescents published in Nature:
🚨 Long COVID affects 1 in 4 infected children (25.24%)
🚨 For hospitalised children, prevalence of long-COVID is nearly 1 in 3 infected children (29.19%)
🚨 Most prevalent clinical manifestations of Long COVID in children/adolescents:
▫ mood symptoms (16.50%)
▫ fatigue (9.66%)
▫ sleep disorders (8.42%)
▫ headache (7.84%)
▫ respiratory symptoms (7.62%)
▫ sputum production or nasal congestion (7.53%)
▫ cognitive symptoms (6.27%)
▫ loss of appetite (6.07%)
▫ exercise intolerance (5.73%)
▫ altered smell (5.60%)
🚨 Children infected by COVID-19 have a higher risk of persistent dyspnea, anosmia/ageusia, and/or fever
🚨 Like adults, the pediatric population’s risk factors associated with long-COVID are:
▫ older age children
▫ female gender
▫ severe COVID-19
▫ overweight/obesity
▫ comorbid allergic diseases and other long-term co-morbidities

Conclusion
The authors of the systematic review and meta-analyses of Long-COVID in children and adolescents conclude:
“Long-COVID represents a significant public health concern, and there are no guidelines to address its diagnosis and management.
“Our meta-analyses further support the importance of continuously monitoring the impact of long-COVID in children and adolescents and the need to include all variables and appropriate control cohorts in studies to better understand the real burden of pediatric long-COVID.”
additional data
■ Weekly New Hospital Admissions for COVID-19 (per million)
■ Cumulative number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the UK
(Source: ONS)
(Sources: UK Health Security Agency + Welsh Government
+ Scottish Government + N-I Ministry of Health)
■ Population Testing Positive for COVID-19
(Source: ONS)
■ Number of contact tracing alerts sent (England & Wales)
(Source: NHS)
(Source: University of Oxford)
data sources
📚 Data Sources:
- Daily summary: Coronavirus in the UK | UK Government
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) NHS Advice | PMP Magazine
- Variants: distribution of cases data | UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
- Vaccination Data | UK Government
- What’s new | UK Government
📈 Full Daily UK #COVID19 Charts & Comments via #LatestCovid: www.pmp-magazine.com/tag/latest-covid/
🦠 Everything #COVID19: www.pmp-magazine.com/covid19/
🗃️ Sources: @CovidGenomicsUK | @UKHSA | @ONS
🧮 Special thanks: @JoePajak | #NHS | NHS staff

— AUTHORS —
▫ J.N. PAQUET, Author & Journalist, Editor of PMP Magazine.
Sources
- Text: This piece was first published in PMP Magazine on 3 July 2022. | The author writes in a personal capacity.
- Data cross-referenced with the latest official data from the UK dashboard.
- Cover: Adobe Stock/SergeyBitos.
- Icons from www.flaticon.com