More people over 70 are testing positive for Covid-19 than at any time in the pandemic as cases continue to rise in every age group and region.
The latest infection report from the Office for National Statistics estimates that 1 in 20 people in England, 1 in 14 in Scotland and Northern Ireland and 1 in 25 in Wales are testing positive.
Across the UK as a whole, the figures are close to the highest ever reported and are a record in Scotland. Scientists said that they were concerned about the prevalence in older age groups.
Among those over 70, about 1 in 29 in England are positive, higher than during the Omicron wave in January.
Although infections are also higher in younger age groups, infections in older people have been the best predictor of future hospital admissions throughout the pandemic.
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Ministers remained relaxed about a steep rise in admissions, which are approaching January’s peak, because most of them are not primarily caused by Covid-19, in a reversal of previous patterns. Scientists are nervous, however, about how much further admissions could rise as older people who were sheltered start to get infected.
The proportion of patients who acquired the coronavirus infection in hospital has also reached record levels, accounting for an estimated quarter of positive patients.
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Professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute, said that the figures were worrying but were also a testament to the effectiveness of vaccines.
“Without vaccines, this would be bleak for this country,” he said. “Countries with poor vaccination rates face a very challenging future.”
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At the moment Hong Kong is experiencing the highest death rate in the world, in large part because of poor vaccination among the most elderly.
Naismith said that the surge was clear evidence of the increased infectiousness of a sub lineage of the Omicron variant called BA.2, which has come to dominate infections in Britain and much of Europe.
“At this level of prevalence and the decision not to halt the spread, the most likely outcome is that almost everyone who is susceptible is going to be infected,” he said.
Naismith said that while death rates were very unlikely to come close to those seen before vaccines, the high levels were still a concern.
“For the UK, my main concern is for the vulnerable for whom this disease is serious and for those whose lives will be blighted by long Covid,” he said.
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“Every effort must be made to triple-vaccinate as many people as possible, quadruple vaccinate the most vulnerable and make available antivirals.”
