Coronavirus cases rise by just 1.1% in a week to 32,406

Coronavirus cases rise by just 1.1% in a week to 32,406 while daily deaths jump by 29 to 133

Health chiefs today posted another 32,406 infections, up only slightly from 32,058 recorded last Saturday
Another 969 Covid hospitalisations were also registered, which was also a slight rise from seven days ago
But deaths linked to the virus rose by almost a third after 133 were registered in the last 24 hours
Britain is recording 30,000 cases a day on average, which experts fear could surge when schools return
A separate study today found AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine was best at preventing hospitalisations

Britain’s daily Covid cases rose just one per cent today compared to the same time last week, but deaths jumped by almost a third.

Health chiefs posted another 32,406 infections that were registered in the last 24 hours, up slightly from the 32,058 recorded last Saturday.

Hospitalisations have also risen slightly after 969 people were admitted to wards with the virus on August 24, the latest date available, up two per cent from 948 a week ago.

But another 133 Covid deaths were recorded, which was 29 more fatalities than the same time last week.

Britain is currently recording about 30,000 Covid cases a day, which SAGE scientists fear will surge when pupils go back to classrooms next week. This time last year there were nearly 2,000 cases a day.

Secondary school and college pupils in parts of the South West have already been told to wear face masks in corridors, playgrounds and ‘communal areas’ when they return to school to limit the spread of the virus.

It comes after a study found AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine is best at keeping people out of hospital and preventing deaths from the virus.

The Bahraini researchers found just just 1.52 per cent of those who two doses of the Oxford-made vaccine were admitted to wards after catching the virus, and 0.03 per cent died from the disease. For comparison, among those who got the Pfizer vaccine 1.99 per cent were hospitalised, and 0.15 per cent died.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has formed the backbone of Britain’s vaccine roll out with more than 25million people having already received the jab. But under-40s were told they should receive an alternative in May because of concerns over vanishingly rare blood clots.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid today ordered the NHS to prepare to vaccinate 12 to 15-year-olds in the clearest sign yet that jabs could be offered to the age group. They are expected to be offered the Pfizer or Moderna jabs. The JCVI — which decides Britain’s vaccine roll out — is yet to say whether the age group should be jabbed.

A separate study from Public Health England and Cambridge University has today suggested people infected with the Indian ‘Delta’ variant are twice as likely to be hospitalised as those who catch the Kent ‘Alpha’ variant.

The above graph shows the risk of hospitalisation and death after catching Covid among the un-vaccinated and those who got either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine. The results showed the AstraZeneca vaccine was best at preventing hospitalisation and death from the virus

The AstraZeneca vaccine has formed the backbone of Britain’s roll out, and been administered to almost 25million people. But in May an alternative jab was recommended for under-40s amid concern over a very rare blood clot

Amid concern over a wave of infections this year face masks will be brought back in secondary schools and colleges in Cornwall — England’s Covid hotspot — and Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly. The above map shows the infection rates for each local authority. Purple means a higher infection rate, and blue means a lower infection rate

Department of Health figures showed Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have the highest infection rate in England at around 800 cases per 100,000 people. That is equivalent to one in 120 residents having the virus.

Experts suggest the infection rate in the area is so high because many Britons have travelled there for their summer holidays amid a staycation boom, and due to music festivals.

Almost 5,000 Covid cases have already been linked to music and surfing festival Boardmasters which was held in Cornwall this year between August 11 and 15.

Devon has the second highest infection rate in England where official figures suggest one in 160 have the virus (601 Covid cases per 100,000 people), followed by Torbay where one in 165 have the virus (581 per 100,000) and Plymouth where one in 177 have the virus (563 per 100,000).

It came as researchers in Bahrain and at the New York-based Columbia University carried out a study on the effectiveness of jabs against hospitalisation and death between December and July, which was published as a pre-print.

They monitored hospitalisations and deaths among people who caught the virus in Bahrain, an island nation in the Middle East, among the un-vaccinated and those who got their jabs.

The study also included the Chinese Sinopharm and Russian Sputnik jabs, which were both worse at preventing hospitalisations than their European counterparts.

The Delta variant doubles the risk of hospital admission, a study has found.

It was already known that the Covid strain first identified in India is up to 50 per cent more transmissible than the previous dominant Alpha variant, which emerged in Kent.

But the largest study to date comparing the two now shows those infected with the Delta strain are 2.26 times more likely to be admitted to hospital.

Delta is also 1.45 times more likely to see people entering A&E needing emergency treatment.

Scientists claimed this is more proof that the same traits which make the variant spread faster also increase levels of the virus in those it infects, which results in them becoming more severely ill.

The authors of the study, led by Public Health England and Cambridge University, said their results should be used by hospitals to plan – especially in areas where the Delta variant is on the rise.

Dr Anne Presanis, a senior statistician at the university, said: ‘Our analysis highlights that in the absence of vaccination, any Delta outbreaks will impose a greater burden on healthcare than an Alpha epidemic.

‘Getting fully vaccinated is crucial for reducing an individual’s risk of symptomatic infection with Delta in the first place and, importantly, of reducing a Delta patient’s risk of severe illness and hospital admission.’

For those who got the Sinopharm vaccine 6.94 per cent were hospitalised, and 0.46 per cent died — which was the worst performance out of the four vaccines.

Among Sputnik recipients 2.24 per cent were hospitalised, but only 0.09 per cent died from the virus.

The results showed those who did not get the vaccine were most likely to be hospitalised or die if they caught the virus.

Among the un-vaccinated, 13.22 per cent who caught the virus were hospitalised and 1.32 per cent died.

The Bahraini researchers said in their study: ‘All four vaccines decreased the risk of coronavirus infections, hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths when compared to unvaccinated individuals.’

Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at Reading University, told The Sun: ‘This study shows people in the UK can be confident they’re getting the best vaccines available.

‘AstraZeneca and Pfizer provide good protection.’

The Chinese Sinopharm vaccine has been the main jab used in Bahrain, which is home to almost 1.5million people.

More than 569,000 people have been inoculated with the jab.

For comparison, 245,000 residents got the Pfizer jab, 169,000 got AstraZeneca’s vaccine and 73,000 received Sputnik.

Clinical trial results suggested the Pfizer vaccine was the most effective at preventing hospitalisations and deaths from Covid.

But experts have warned these figures may not be comparable when jabs are dished out in the real world, when other factors can influence their impact.

Out of 3,000 AstraZeneca recipients included in the study who caught Covid, only 45 were hospitalised (1.52 per cent) and just one died from the virus (0.03 per cent).

Out of 2,000 Pfizer recipients who caught the virus, 40 were hospitalised (1.99 per cent) and three died from the virus (0.15 per cent).

Out of 3,000 Sputnik recipients who caught the virus, 77 were hospitalised (2.24 per cent) and three died (0.09 per cent).

For the Sinopharm vaccine there were 24,000 cases, of whom 1,683 were hospitalised (6.94 per cent) and 112 died (0.46 per cent).

And among the un-vaccinated almost 65,000 caught the virus, of whom almost 9,000 were hospitalised (13.22 per cent) and 857 died (1.32 per cent).

More than 1.5million people have got the US-made Moderna vaccine in Britain, but this was not included in the study.

There are warnings the country will face a ‘large’ Covid wave when schools return in England and Wales. This graph shows Covid cases in Scotland, where schools returned a week ago. The country registered a record 6,835 new cases yesterday

Scientist says vaccinating kids will help protect them from long Covid

Vaccinating younger children against coronavirus could help protect them against long Covid as well providing indirect protection for older relatives, experts have claimed.

Dr Mike Tildesley, an epidemiologist from the University of Warwick, said that while the risks of severe Covid are low in young people, long Covid can be more prevalent in them and vaccines can help reduce the chances of developing it.

And Dr Deepti Gurdasani, an epidemiologist at Queen Mary University, also leant her support to widening the rollout to schoolchildren.

She said the benefits outweigh the risks with vaccination for children and insisted ‘every day we delay, more children are getting infected’.

It comes after Sajid Javid last night told the NHS to start preparing to jab children as young as 12 after SAGE experts warned a ‘large’ Covid wave was likely to hit schools next month.

Dr Tildsley told Times Radio: ‘A younger person, if they get Covid, most of those individuals are very unlikely to develop severe symptoms.

‘But of course, we do need to remember that the younger you are, you’re not just taking the vaccine for yourself, you’re taking it for potentially, indirect protection for your more elderly and more vulnerable relatives.

‘And then, of course, there’s this issue that some commentators talk about, which is the potential for long Covid and that possibly protects younger people if they’re vaccinated.

‘All of these things need to be weighed up. Because it’s children there are a lot of ethical concerns around that.

‘So this is why it’s taken a little bit of time for JCVI to make that recommendation that the Government can then make a decision on.’

It came as pupils in parts of the South West were told they will need to wear face masks in corridors and playgrounds when they return to classrooms next week.

The Department of Health announced the extra restrictions for secondary schools and colleges in the area last night to help head off a surge in Covid cases. The measures will apply in England’s Covid hotspot Cornwall, as well as Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said that although vaccines have ‘tipped the odds in our favour’ extra measures were needed to ‘control the spread of the virus’.

Mr Javid said: ‘Vaccines have built an enormous wall of defence that spans the length of the country, allowing us to regain our lost freedoms — from seeing out loved ones to going on holiday.

‘(But) while vaccines have tipped the odds in our favour, we have to keep listening to the data.

‘To control the spread of the virus we’re working closely with local authorities… to make sure testing is widely available and as many people as possible are protected by the vaccine.’

He added: ‘I would urge anyone whether they live in, work in or are just visiting these beautiful areas, to test regularly and make sure you come forward for your jab at the earliest opportunity.’

These measures could be extended to other areas should they also experience a spike in Covid cases.

The Health Secretary has also ordered the NHS to prepare to administer vaccines to 12 to 15-year-olds, in the clearest sign yet that they could be rolled out to the age group.

Vaccinating younger children against coronavirus could help protect them against long Covid as well providing indirect protection for older relatives, experts have claimed.

And Dr Deepti Gurdasani, an epidemiologist at Queen Mary University, also leant her support to widening the rollout to schoolchildren.

She said the benefits outweigh the risks with vaccination for children and insisted ‘every day we delay, more children are getting infected’.

Dr Tildsley told Times Radio: ‘A younger person, if they get Covid, most of those individuals are very unlikely to develop severe symptoms.

‘And then, of course, there’s this issue that some commentators talk about, which is the potential for long Covid and that possibly protects younger people if they’re vaccinated.

‘All of these things need to be weighed up. Because it’s children there are a lot of ethical concerns around that.

‘So this is why it’s taken a little bit of time for JCVI to make that recommendation that the Government can then make a decision on.’

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