Rising Covid in the UK
The Secretary of State for Health announced that 4,182 people have been infected with Covid in one day. This is the first time since 1 April 2021 that the statistics have exceeded 4,000 people per day and it is said that 75% of those infected have coronary heart disease. Health experts in the UK predicted that the number of cases would rise again after the reduction of Covid restrictions, and that the implementation of the vaccination programme would not help control the pressure on the country’s hospitals, which were paralysed during the second and third waves.
Increased Referral of Covid Patients in Recent Days
Official reports indicate that the number of Covid patients admitted to British hospitals has increased by 30% over the past week. This statistic is expected to increase significantly in the coming weeks after the introduction of new data. However, most of the Covid-19 restrictions imposed since the beginning of last year, following the unbridled outbreak of the pandemic, have so far been lifted and only one last step remains before the situation is returned to normal. According to the UK government’s roadmap, most of the restrictions will be lifted on 21 June.
Vaccination Statistics
According to the latest statistics published by the Secretary of State for Health, 38 million people have been vaccinated in this country so far, of which 24 million have received both doses. At the call of the UK government, people over the age of 32 can now go to health centres to get the vaccine. Experts believe that the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine increases the body’s resistance to the Delta variant by about 33%.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the Delta variant seen in India first is more contagious than the rest, and the severity and risk of the disease are under investigation. A total of official and unofficial information by the World Health Organization shows that this variant has spread to 60 countries.
Outbreak of the New Variant of Covid-19 with Three Mutations
Earlier, news sources in the UK reported a new Covid variant in the country, which has mutated three times so far and infected 49 people. Dubbed the triple mutant by some, it was first identified in Yorkshire and the Humber, with a strange combination of genes and has caused concern among officials. Precise information on its transmissibility and resistance to available vaccines is not yet available. However, UK officials are concerned that this could exacerbate health problems, along with the rampant spread of the Delta variant and an increase in the prevalence of the virus in the country.
Licensing of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorised the use of the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine in the country, which is facing an unbridled outbreak of the Indian variant of Covid. The effectiveness of this vaccine, which is produced by Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, is estimated at 67%. Some research has also shown that the vaccine reduces the severity of the coronavirus and the need for hospitalisation.
Strengthening Vaccination Programme on the Agenda of UK Government
The Secretary of State for Health has called for this vaccine to strengthen the vaccination programme in the country, which, according to him, has prevented the death of 13,000 people so far. Matt Hancock believes that the J&J/Janssen vaccine, which, unlike other vaccines produced, requires one injectable dose, could play an important role in the government’s programme to boost vaccination. The UK has ordered about 20 million doses of the J&J/Janssen vaccine. The vaccine can also be given to people who have difficulty accessing a second dose, says Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, the UK’s top medical deputy.
Delays in Licensing Due to Concerns over Adverse Vaccination Complications
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has delayed the licensing of the vaccine due to concerns about blood clotting. Last April, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention paused vaccination because 15 people who had been vaccinated with J&J/Janssen vaccine developed blood clots. The vaccine resumed in the United States a week later, but the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended that the issue of blood clots be added to information about the side effects of the vaccine.
High Efficiency of J&J/Janssen Vaccine
Johnson & Johnson claims that the vaccine is resistant to different types of the coronavirus. Clinical trials show that the vaccine has a 72% effectiveness rate among 43,783 Americans. The rate was 66% and 57% in Latin America and South Africa, respectively. In total, the effectiveness of this vaccine is 67%. Johnson & Johnson is the fourth licensed vaccine in the UK, after Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Moderna Vaccine.
Postponing Boris Johnson’s Decision to Ease Restrictions
The UK prime minister, Boris Johnson, warned at a news conference a few weeks ago that the last step of easing coronavirus restrictions would be postponed, saying that the government might have to make tough decisions. He insists that people play their part in controlling the virus by receiving the vaccine.
Government Concerns over Rising Number of Victims
The number of Covid casualties in the UK has not yet risen and fluctuates between 9 and 10 people a day. Last December, the death toll reached 1,000 people a day, and the government inevitably declared a nationwide quarantine. The Johnson government hopes to keep the death toll low by speeding up universal vaccination so that it does not have to impose a quarantine again.
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