Warning over potential new Covid-19 wave issued by Lincolnshire health bosses
Lincolnshire health bosses have warned of a potential autumn Covid-19 wave, with more to follow, following a slight increase in cases.
It comes as concerns rise the UK could follow southern hemisphere countries like Australia and New Zealand who saw an early flu spike.
Professor Derek Ward told Lincolnshire County Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board on Tuesday there had been 639 positive cases over the past week, a “slight increase” on the previous week.
However, he added: “As you’re all aware, the fact we aren’t routinely testing anymore, and the fact its been stood down in the NHS and care homes as well – means this could only be a very much the tip of an iceberg, or it might be a ice cube, we don’t know because we’re not testing.”
Hospital bosses said there were 82 covid-positive patients as of that morning. During the first wave, in April 2020, the figure reached around 103 cases.
“Whether this is the beginning of an ascent or it’s just a delay we’ll have to wait and see, but the international evidence and the epidemiology would suggest we are going to see an autumn wave – how big I don’t know yet – and then we will probably see a second wave in January or February,” said Professor Ward.
He told the committee that if there was an early flu spike it could be mid-October to early November and could clash with any covid wave.
He urged people to get their vaccinations for both flu and Covid-19 when offered, adding: “It may not stop you catching Omicron, but it will almost certainly reduce the severity of the disease as it manifests itself.”
Speaking following the meeting about the reduction in testing, Professor Ward believed covid figures represented 'a small proportion of the real number of cases' in the population.
“If we’re not testing people who’ve got to work, even though they’ve got symptoms because they can’t afford to test or they can’t afford to miss work, and not testing people who haven’t got symptoms but are positive, we’re never going to pick them up and that’s where the asymptomatic testing was really useful," he said.
Professor Ward didn’t expect lockdowns to come back, but suggested routine testing may return and urged people not to forget the lessons of the pandemic and preventative measures.
