Category Archives: omicron

The Most Common Symptoms Of XBB Covid Variant, According To Doctors

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If you’ve been following Covid news, then you’re likely well aware there’s a new variant in town that’s concerning the scientific community.

Known as XBB, the variant is believed to be the most immune-evasive to date and currently accounts for over 40% of infections in the United States, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It’s been called the “kraken variant” by some, and according to the World Health Organisation, it has now been identified in at least 28 other countries.

As the BBC reported, some cases of XBB.1.5 variant, which evolved from XBB, have already been recorded in the UK – the mutation helped it beat the body’s immune defences, but has also reduced its ability to infect human cells, the report said.

Because XBB is relatively new, scientists are still working to figure out if and how the variant behaves differently from other recent variants. Though XBB’s symptoms are expected to be on par with past omicron infections, doctors say they are seeing some issues becoming more prevalent than others.

“Viruses typically mutate to become more contagious and less severe; it appears that this is happening with this strain of the coronavirus,” Dr. Henry Redel, the chief of infectious disease at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, tells HuffPost US.

We asked infectious disease experts what they’re seeing in US hospitals right now. Here’s what they said.

The most common XBB Covid symptoms appear to be congestion and body aches.

There’s limited data on XBB, but experts suspect the symptoms associated with XBB infections will be similar to the symptoms people experienced with Covid throughout 2022.

That said, evidence has shown that the symptom profile has shifted a bit with each variant. Omicron caused more cold-like symptoms (like fatigue, runny nose, sneezing and muscle aches), for example, whereas delta and alpha more commonly triggered anosmia (loss of smell) and ageusia (loss of taste).

So, what is on the docket for XBB? “In general, I think people are more achy and still have congestion and headache,” Dr Julie Parsonnet, an infectious diseases specialist with Stanford Health Care, tells HuffPost. You may also expect to see the other usual symptoms: fever, chills, cough and sore throat.

Less common symptoms include loss of taste and smell and shortness of breath.

Anosmia and ageusia appear, anecdotally, to be less common with XBB. Experts don’t expect ageusia and anosmia to make a comeback just yet.

“Since XBB is part of the Omicron group, I expect that loss of taste and smell will not be common, but I have not seen data yet,” says Dr. Thomas Campbell, a professor in the department of infectious disease at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

One thing doctors on the front lines are seeing less of: severe shortness of breath, Redel says. Rarely have recent patients needed supplemental oxygen, he added. Redel notes he’s seeing many more Covid patients come in with classic upper respiratory symptoms – like runny nose, congestion and sore throats – along with fever and muscle aches.

Common symptoms have changed since the original iteration of the coronavirus.

Malcolm P Chapman via Getty Images

Common symptoms have changed since the original iteration of the coronavirus.

What causes symptoms to change between subvariants?

Because so many people have been infected – in some cases, multiple times — it’s tough to pin down exactly how the symptomatology is influenced by the host versus specific traits of the virus. Parsonnet suspects that immunity plays a pretty big role.

“There is likely a strong element of underlying immunity, but there may also be differences in the virus’s ability to cause symptoms,” Parsonnet tells HuffPost.

According to Dr. Martin Krsak, an infectious disease expert at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, people’s genetics and underlying health – i.e. whether they have a chronic disease or prior injury – also influence the type of symptoms they develop.

Like Parsonnet, Krsak says that each variant and the way it infects our cells likely impacts symptoms as well. “Variants have a different capacity to evade prior immunity and also a different capacity to bind to the main target on human cells,” he says.

Does the current Covid booster prevent you from getting infected with XBB?

A pre-print study from Japan determined that XBB came to be during the summer of 2022 when two sub-variants of the BA.2 omicron lineage combined. Scientists believe that, in this process, XBB picked up mutations that help it better evade immunity conferred by both vaccination and previous infections.

XBB’s mutations also let it attach to our cells more easily, enabling it to spread more efficiently than other versions of omicron.

“It binds tighter, appears more transmissible, and is also immune-evasive,” says Dr. Eric M. Poeschla, the head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. It’s unknown whether those mutations alter the virus’ clinical profile and the symptoms it causes, Parsonnet says.

The updated Covid booster, which was tweaked in 2022 to target newer variants of Omicron, doesn’t work super well at preventing infections of XBB, considering there are so many new infections in the community, Parsonnet says.

But the fact that there hasn’t been a rapid increase in deaths shows that the shots, combined with the immense amount of immunity gained from past infections, continue to protect many people from severe outcomes. Together, that immunity will help blunt the XBB wave, according to Poeschla.

Of course, there’s always the very real risk of long Covid, which is a debilitating condition that can follow even a mild case of the coronavirus. Long Covid can cause lasting fatigue, brain fog, respiratory issues and more. There’s still a lot for us to learn about XBB and the symptoms or potential complications it may cause.

But there’s one thing we know for sure: There’s a benefit to being vaccinated rather than not. “The bivalent booster offers some protection against all omicron-based variants and is highly recommended, especially for those over 65 or with serious other risks,” Poeschla says.

Experts are still learning about Covid-19. The information in this story is what was known or available at the time of publication, but guidance could change as scientists discover more about the virus. To keep up to date with health advice and cases in your area, visit gov.uk/coronavirus and nhs.uk.

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There Are Two New Covid Variants In England, Here’s What We Know

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The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified two new Covid-19 variants circulating in England, named BQ.1 and XBB. Both appear to come from the Omicron variant.

“A number of Omicron variants are currently circulating in England, many of which have acquired mutations which may produce a degree of immune escape,” the agency said. “Omicron sublineages BQ.1 and XBB have been given UKHSA variant designations to facilitate continued studies.”

BQ.1 is a sub-lineage of the previous Omicron variant, BA.5. It has been “designated on the basis of rapid growth”, the UKHSA said.

XBB, meanwhile, is what’s known as a “recombinant lineage”, meaning it derives from two previous Omicron sublineages. It has been already been found in 17 countries.

The variant may be a factor in the recent spike in cases in Singapore. So far, it has successfully evaded drug therapies and vaccines by working around the body’s immune system – potentially making it a more potent strain than its predecessors.

But, the most damaging element of this sub-variant is that scientists expect it will be just one of many which could emerge at the same time this winter.

XBB is causing concern among scientists after being detected in Europe, Asia and Australia.

XBB is spreading rapidly in Singapore in particular, having pushed Covid cases from 4,719 on October 9, to 11,732 on October 10, according to data from Johns Hopkins’ Coronavirus Resource Centre.

However, the country expects this wave to be “short and sharp”, averaging at around 15,000 daily cases by mid-November – although it could peak at around 20,000 on some days.

Previously BA.5 was the dominant variant in the UK, nearly 78.7% of confirmed cases in England were BA.5 which was first identified in April and was designated as a Variant of Concern on May 18.

Both new variants are not a cause for concern for some scientists. “It is not unexpected to see new variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerge. Neither BQ.1 nor XBB have been designated as Variants of Concern and UKHSA is monitoring the situation closely, as always,” Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infection at UKHSA said.

Chand continued: “Vaccination remains our best defence against future COVID-19 waves, so it is still as important as ever that people come take up all the doses for which they are eligible as soon as possible.”

While early signs suggest it is more resistant to antibody treatments, the world is starting to create more boosters which broader protection, by producing vaccines with half the original vaccine and half protection against the dominant strains BA.4 and BA.5.

Lead respiratory virus immunology specialist Natalie Thornburg at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, also said in a webinar this week: “XBB is a chimera. I think there have been a couple of sequences identified in the US. But it’s way, way, way, way below that 1% threshold. I mean, it’s really like a handful of sequences.”

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Why Do Some People Get Covid But Others In The House Don’t?

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When I caught COVID right before Christmas — a breakthrough infection I got despite being vaccinated, boosted and wearing a medical-grade mask just about everywhere I went — I resigned myself to the fact that my kids would get it, too. We live in a tiny New York City apartment, after all. And my younger child is too young to be vaccinated.

But we tested them frequently throughout my quarantine, and after 10 days I hadn’t spread it to either of my kids or my husband. This has caused some people in my life to question whether I really had COVID-19 after all. (I’m going to believe the, like, seven at-home rapid tests that told me I did.)

But it’s also made me wonder a lot about the mysteries of COVID spread within households and how that has changed because of omicron. Many people fighting infections are also dealing with the same phenomenon.

Here’s what experts have to say about household COVID spread right now:

Omicron is more likely to spread within households than previous variants

Estimates suggest the initial omicron variant is up to four times more transmissible than previous COVID variants — and the newest omicron subvariant (BA.2) may be even more contagious than that. That seems to track within households as well. In early December, British health officials estimated that the risk of spreading omicron within a household was three times higher than with the delta variant.

With all of the variants, households pose a big risk just because of how much time you’re spending around those people.

“There are a lot of high-touch surfaces that might not get cleaned frequently. You might interact directly with saliva more frequently, especially if you have little kids. You’re probably not masking at home, so sitting next to each other on the couch you could easily get a spray of the bigger droplets in your face,” explained Alex Huffman, an aerosol scientist with the University of Denver.

“But, most importantly, your exposure to inhaled virus is likely much higher at home,” Huffman said. A lot of that has to do with ventilation.

“Many apartments and houses have pretty low air-exchange rates, so the air doesn’t get refreshed very often, and air that an infected person breathes out can build up to fairly high concentrations,” he said.

That said, household spread is not inevitable

One of the many reasons why health experts really hate the idea of just “getting omicron over with” ― aside from the fact that even “mild” COVID can feel really bad and that long-haul symptoms are a real risk ― is that it is by no means inevitable that you’ll get infected just because someone else in your family or home is sick.

“It’s very difficult to compare one study against the next. In general, early on in COVID, it was roughly found that between 10 to 20% of household exposures would end up with COVID, and that was pre-vaccine,” said Dr. Richard Martinello, an associate professor of infectious diseases and pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine. Other studies have put the secondary attack rate (i.e., the spread of the disease within a household or dwelling) a bit higher — more like 25% or 30%.

With omicron, those rates are likely higher. But again, it is by no means inevitable. Martinello pointed to a recent study from Denmark — which has not yet been subject to peer review — that suggests that with BA.2, a little over 40% of household contacts became infected themselves. With BA.1 (the initial omicron strain), it was more like 30%.

Basic prevention makes a big difference

There are a lot of factors that determine how likely household spread is, which is one issue that makes precise estimates of that type of transmission so challenging.

For one, some people shed more of the virus than others. People who are immunocompromised, for example, tend to have more severe, long-lasting infections. That means they’re likely to shed the virus for a longer period of time. Then there are other elements, like whether everyone in your home is vaccinated. The fact that my unvaccinated preschooler never got COVID when I had it makes me question whether he had an asymptomatic infection at some prior point that we never knew about that gave him some level of immunity, but I have no evidence of that. Also, antibody tests can be unreliable.

No matter your family or household’s specific circumstances, prevention can make a big difference in stopping the spread at home. To the extent it is possible, you should still isolate within your own home. (I fully admit that I gave up on this quest when I was sick myself because it was Christmas and also because there are only so many places you can hide from a zealous 3-year-old in an 800-square-foot home.)

“If the sick person can’t be fully isolated, I would suggest keeping as much distance as possible; wearing high-quality, tight-fitting masks (i.e., N95s); opening windows when you can; adding a couple portable air filters (like commercial HEPA filters or DIY Corsi-Rosenthal boxes); and limiting the time you spend in shared areas together,” Huffman said.

And be strategic about the time you spend together, he added.

“If possible, make sure you eat and drink in separate areas where the air can be ventilated or filtered more quickly,” he said, because any time the masks come off, the risk is highest.

Experts are still learning about COVID-19. The information in this story is what was known or available as of publication, but guidance can change as scientists discover more about the virus. Please check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the most updated recommendations.

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These Are The People Most Likely To Experience Long Covid

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Long Covid has been shrouded in mystery for much of the pandemic. But new research has finally shone a light on those who suffer a whole range of symptoms weeks or even months after they stopped being infectious.

New data from the Office of National Statistics has now revealed approximately 1.3 million people in the UK have self-reported long Covid as of December 6.

These estimates are based on participants who responded to a survey, rather than everyone in the population who had been clinically diagnosed with long Covid. This is a staggering number, adding up to 2% of the population.

Trends spotted among long Covid sufferers:

  • They tend to be between 35 and 69 years.

  • They are usually female.

  • They might live in a more deprived area.

  • They work in health, social care or teaching and education.

  • They deal with another activity-limiting health condition or disability.

ONS reported that 64% of people who self-reported long Covid said it affected their daily activities.

And among those who told ONS they had long Covid – in the month leading up to December 6 – 21% said they had confirmed or suspected Covid less than 12 weeks before.

Around 70% said they had confirmed or suspected Covid at least 12 weeks ago, while 40% said they had it at least one year ago.

Symptoms can include:

  • Fatigue

  • Loss of smell and taste (parosmia)

  • Shortness of breath

  • Difficulty concentrating (brain fog)

  • Insomnia

  • Dizziness

  • Pins and needles

  • Joint pain

  • Depressing and anxiety

  • Chest pain or heart palpitations

  • Tinnitus or earaches

  • Feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches of loss of appetite

  • High temperature

  • cough

  • Sore throat

  • Rashes

What it’s like to have long Covid

Support worker Quincy Dwamena, 31, told PA reporters that he was a “healthy young guy” who “went to the gym often” before getting seriously ill from Covid.

Speaking in August 2021, he said: “I ended up being hospitalised and thought I was going to die.

“My advice is to get the vaccine: don’t put yourself and others at risk, I wish I’d got mine as soon as it was offered.”

Special needs tutor from London, Megan Higgins, 25, also told PA: “It’s now been eight months since I tested positive, and I can’t even walk around the shops without getting exhausted.

“Long Covid is debilitating, so please, get vaccinated. I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I have.”

Ella Harwood, 23, also contracted long Covid. She told reporters: “I’m young and fit but I was bed-bound for seven months with Covid.

“Before I caught the virus, I was super active and had no health concerns but I now suffer with asthma which I didn’t have before and a number of allergies.

“I fear I’ll never be the same again but I’m making progress and I’m very grateful that I’m still alive.”

However, some hopeful studies around long Covid have been published in recent months.

Being double-vaccinated can halve your risk of developing long Covid, while the overall numbers of people reporting long Covid is thought to be falling.

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Scientist Explains How Your Lateral Flow Test Changes According To How Infectious You Are

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Lateral flow tests are accurate in tracking how infectious someone is, according to an epidemiologist.

Prime minister Boris Johnson has announced from the January 11 the rules around PCR tests and Lateral Flow tests (LFTs) will be changing.

Asymptomatic people who test positive on LFTs no longer need to take follow-up PCR tests. Instead, they have to start their self-isolation period immediately, rather than waiting for another test result.

Symptomatic people are advised to continue taking PCRs.

LFTs are an increasingly important part of the UK’s response to Covid even though they have been criticised in the past for not consistently detecting the virus.

US epidemiologist and immunologist Dr Michael Mina explained how they work on Twitter amid concerns LFTs were not going to pick up the new highly-transmissible variant, Omicron.

Responding to questions about why some people stay negative on LFTs the first few days they have symptoms, he explained: “This is expected. Symptoms don’t [equal] contagious virus.

“This is literally a reflection of the fact that vaccines are doing their job!”

He tweeted again: “Rapid tests work with Omicron.

“Omicron is mutated mostly in spike [protein].

“Rapid tests don’t detect the spike.”

Dr Mina added that newly symptomatic people who are coming up negative on LFTs are “probably not infectious” but it’s advisable to test again the next day.

“I am primarily trying here to explain that it is expected for people to show symptoms earlier than before, as a result of vaccination and developed of acquired immunity.

“My point was that symptoms SHOULD be expected to arise early now that people’s immune systems don’t have to spend 5+ days realising someone is infected with a new virus. Now our immunity kicks in fast, and with it, symptoms do too.”

He also shared a series of photos of LFTs each day during someone’s isolation period.

These images clearly show the positive line on each test strengthening during the first part of the self-isolation before fading out again by day 10.

This demonstrates that the individual who was taking the tests was at their most infectious during the middle of their isolation.

Another graph from the BBC was also circulating online, emphasising how LFTs pick up high levels of infection compared to PCRs.

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Covid Latest: All The Numbers You Need To Know

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Covid cases rising rapidly throughout the UK – but it can be overwhelming trying to understand all the different bits of data at once.

The government has also claimed it needs more data before the UK can fully understand what kind of impact Omicron is having in Britain, and before Downing Street can consider introducing further restrictions.

So, here’s a breakdown of the top six numbers you need to know about ahead of 2022.

1. How many people are testing positive?

As of Friday 31 December, 189,846 people have tested positive with Covid, according to the government’s ONS data. That means in the last week, slightly fewer than one million people tested positive in the UK.

However, it’s worth noting that, according to the ZOE Covid Study, this number was likely to be closer to 198,381 two days ago.

Either way, the UK has repeatedly reached record highs when it comes to Covid infections in recent days.

People testing positive for Covid-19 in private households in the UK.
People testing positive for Covid-19 in private households in the UK.

PA GraphicsPress Association Images

2. How many Covid-related deaths have been reported recently?

As of Friday 31 December, there were 203 additional deaths related to Covid reported. This is much lower than the peaks seen during the previous waves of infections, but there is usually a time lag between the first wave of transmission and deaths.

There have been a total 148,624 deaths in the UK since the pandemic began.

Deaths involving Covid-19 in England & Wales.
Deaths involving Covid-19 in England & Wales.

PA GraphicsPress Association Images

3. Omicron is now the dominant variant in England and Scotland

Omicron infections now dominate Covid infections in both England and Scotland.

Case numbers – particularly Omicron infections – are still increasing rapidly in Wales and Northern Ireland but the new variant has not quite overtaken the Delta variant in these two nations just yet.

This data was based off tests conducted between November 12 and December 23.

The UK Health Security Agency also found that the risk of hospitalisation with the highly transmissible Omicron variant is one third the risk of hospitalisation from the Delta variant.

4. How many people have had their booster jabs?

A total of 51,738,013 people in the UK have had their first jabs while around 47,368,074 people have had their second jabs.

Approximately 33,527,184 people have had their third or booster jab.

The government has reported that the NHS has met its target to offer all eligible adults in the UK a booster vaccine by December 31, 2021, and that eight million booster jabs were offered between December 12 and December 30 after the Get Boosted Now campaign.

However Boris Johnson has called for anyone who does not have all three jabs to come forward in the New Year.

Booster/third doses of Covid-19 vaccine in the UK
Booster/third doses of Covid-19 vaccine in the UK

PA GraphicsPress Association Images

5. How many NHS staff members are off sick?

Sickness among frontline health workers doubled in just 14 days according to new NHS figures.

On Boxing Day, 24,632 people in acute NHS trusts were absent due to contracting Covid or because they were quarantining.

This is a stark contrast to the 12,240 staff members who couldn’t work for the same reasons on Sunday 12 December.

Covid-19-related staff absences at NHS acute trusts in England
Covid-19-related staff absences at NHS acute trusts in England

PA GraphicsPress Association Images

6. How many people are in hospital with Covid?

There are 11,918 people in hospital with Covid as of December 31.

The total number of patients admitted is now at 1,915 per day and there are 868 people in ventilation beds.

Boris Johnson confirmed that around 90% of ICU patients have not have their booster jabs, and that the unvaccinated are eight times more likely to be hospitalised with Covid.

Hospital patients in England with Covid-19
Hospital patients in England with Covid-19

PA GraphicsPress Association Images

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Pharmacists Claim They Were Raising Concerns About The Supply Of Lateral Flow Tests ‘Weeks Ago’

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Pharmacists warned the government about supply of lateral flow tests “weeks ago”, according to the CEO of the Association of Independent Pharmacies.

Leyla Hannbeck told HuffPost UK that pharmacies were now at the forefront of this particular crisis, as the store of self-test kits has run dry shortly before the biggest social night of the year – New Year’s Eve.

She explained: “When pharmacists order, it doesn’t arrive or just one box arrives.

Some days, they go completely without. It’s just not sufficient, it’s very sporadic.”

Hannbeck said, despite the government’s claims that distribution and supply chain was still functioning, “none of it is working well”.

Nearly three quarters of pharmacies in London ran out of LFTs on Wednesday, according to the Evening Standard.

“They should have put proper plans in,” Hannbeck continued.

“A lot of stress put on our routine to manage this. We’ve been put at the forefront of this without any support.

“We raised it, we raised a few weeks ago – we were seeing people come in through the doors and we were seeing issues with supply and that it wasn’t enough.

“The government needs to manage supply and demand. It cannot continue for weeks to come.”

The gov.uk website shows that it’s not possible to order LFTs online either.

The gov.uk website is still advising people to pick up rapid lateral flow tests from a pharmacy
The gov.uk website is still advising people to pick up rapid lateral flow tests from a pharmacy

test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/

She predicted it was not going to get any easier in the weeks to come either, due to both the Christmas period and the change in government guidelines.

Daily testing is now in place for anyone who has been in close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid, while the self-isolation period for positive cases has been shorted to seven days as long as the individual tests negative – on lateral flow tests – twice in a row.

Everyone has been encouraged to test themselves before socialising, too.

“People want to be responsible and follow the government guidelines – but there are no tests available,” Hannbeck pointed out.

She said it was “logical” that the demand would go up because of the government’s guidelines, but nothing was happening “in terms of managing supply”.

“You can imagine a kit with seven tests in it for a family of five – it will go immediately.

“We can’t continue with it – something’s got to be done.”

Hannbeck also claimed that the shortages are only going to continue as the general population continues to use LFTs for before they go to work, for normal livelihoods, returning from holidays, going back to school.

Hannbeck did tweet the UK’s Health Security Agency shortly before Christmas, claiming: “Your poor handling of the supply of lateral flow tests to pharmacies and the bureaucratic process around it has created a lot of stress for pharmacy teams and for patients during the busy Christmas period. You need to urgently resolve this.”

She also raised the same issue on December 16, tweeting: “Why on earth are pharmacies only allowed restricted supply of lateral flow tests (one box per day) when there is huge public demand?

“How are we supposed to manage when we don’t get the supply to ensure public can access? The government needs to sort this out ASAP.”

Health secretary Sajid Javid has admitted that the supply of lateral flow test kits will be “constrained” in the next two weeks.

In a letter sent to MPs on Wednesday, he said: “In light of the huge demand for LFTs seen over the last three weeks, we expect to need to constrain the system of certain points over the next two weeks to manage supply over the course of each day, with new tranches of supply released regularly throughout the day.”

He suggested MPs should encourage constituents towards their local pharmacists and then see if “their local authority is distributing tests” or find them at local community facilities.

Labour has accused the government of a “shambles”, with shadow health secretary Wes Streeting calling for all NHS workers to get priority access to tests.

It is important to note that the government has promised to deliver eight million tests before New Year’s Eve.

A spokesman from UKHSA said: ”The UK’s testing programme is the biggest in Europe with almost 400 million tests carried out since the start of the pandemic.

“We are delivering record numbers of lateral flow tests to pharmacies across the country, with almost eight million test kits being made available to pharmacies between today and New Year’s Eve.

“We have made 100,000 more PCR booking slots available per day since mid-December and we are continuing to rapidly expand capacity – with over half a million tests carried out on December 23 alone and delivery capacity doubled to 900,000 PCR and LFD test kits a day.

“If you have not been able to get the test you need from gov.uk, please keep checking every few hours as more PCR and LFD tests become available every day.”

There has also been a worldwide shortage of LFTs and PCR tests in recent weeks.

The department for health and social care has been approached for comment.

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People Are Pointing Out The 2 Obvious Problems With The New Nightingale Surge Hubs

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NHS England will be setting up Nightingale surge hubs to cope with high numbers of Covid hospitalisations – but people have spotted a particular problem with this new strategy.

These “surge hubs” will be set up in eight hospitals across England in preparation for the expected rise in Omicron admissions in the coming months.

Each temporary unit will house around 100 patients and construction is set to begin this week.

Additional sites for 4,000 more beds may also be on the cards as hospitalisations in England have risen above 10,000 for the first time since March this year.

NHS medical director Professor Stephen Powis said the new hubs are part of the health service’s response to Omicron and that the UK is now on a “war footing”, while health secretary Sajid Javid said the hubs might not need to be used but it’s good to prepare.

The hubs will be placed at the Royal Preston hospital in Lancashire, in St James’ University Hospital in Leeds, in Stevenage’s Lister Hospital, Tooting’s St George’s Hospital, North Bristol Hospital, Solihull Hospital, William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, and University Hospitals Leicester.

But there are two clear flaws with this new strategy.

Firstly, many have noticed that introducing Nightingale surge hubs to cope with increasing infections and hospital admissions seems at odds at the government’s refusal to introduce new restrictions before Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Restrictions are likely to be introduced in January when the government has access to more data about how severe Omicron symptoms can be, but the festive season is expected to have accelerated the variant’s transmission across the country.

The other major pressing is the shortage of employees to look after Covid patients.

NHS staff absences in London increased by 150% week-on-week in the seven days leading up to December 19, according to the health service’s data.

Critics have asked why the government is focusing on providing hospital beds rather than prioritising the NHS staff shortages.

Pat Cullen, the Royal College of Nursing general secretary, also asked how these units would work with so many members of staff self-isolating.

She told Sky News this week: “You can set up all the hubs that you wish to set up but if you don’t have the nursing staff to actually care for the patients that are going to be placed in those hubs, that places more challenges on the nursing workforce.”

The NHS was already being squeezed after the health secretary made Covid vaccinations mandatory for all staff.

A shortage of rapid lateral flow tests is causing further concern as it means people will be unable to test themselves before socialising.

However, the government has promised to make eight million Covid tests available before Friday, December 31, which could help stop some transmission on New Year’s Eve.

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Should We Really Consider Cutting Covid Isolation To Just Five Days?

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Boris Johnson is still resisting calls to reduce the isolation period for positive Covid cases from seven days down to just five.

The pressure is growing after the US made a dramatic change to its rules this week, having previously ordered those infected with Covid to isolate for 10 days.

Now asymptomatic Americans who tested positive can walk away after five days of isolation, but must continue to mask up for a further five days if they have not received their booster jab.

They do not have to test negative before leaving isolation.

At the moment, vaccinated and unvaccinated people in the UK can leave isolation only if they receive a negative result on a lateral flow test on both day six and day seven of their self-isolation, while unvaccinated people do still have isolate for 10 days if they have been a close contact of a positive case in the UK.

So why do people want to change the rules again?

Why are some pushing for five-day isolation?

  • It would enable more NHS staff to work, strengthening the UK’s frontline against the virus.

  • Approximately 40% of London’s NHS workers are currently in isolation, according to doctors.

  • Up to 800,000 people are thought to be in isolation across the country at the moment, according to The Times.

  • All public services, including bin collections and rail services, have been hit by staff shortages, so reducing the isolation period would benefit a range of industries.

  • Omicron is highly transmissible, but appears to trigger less severe symptoms.

  • The US centres for Disease Control and Prevention said its new measures will “ensure people can safely continue their daily lives”. It also claims that most people’s viral load drops off significantly after five days, making them less likely to be infectious.

  • Professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, Paul Hunter, told the BBC that Covid needs to become “effectively just another cause of the common cold” and so the isolation period needs to be reduced further. He wants five-day isolation periods where people could be released when they tested negative on a lateral flow test.

  • Theresa Villiers, a former cabinet secretary, is also pushing to reduce the isolation period. She told The Daily Mail: “With encouraging data on Omicron…we need some pragmatism to ensure there isn’t another pingdemic.”

  • Professor Tim Spector from King’s College London’s Zoe Covid app also backed reducing the isolation period to just five days to “protect the economy”.

Why others don’t support reducing self-isolation

  • Johnson already reduced the isolation period from 10 days to seven last week, and the effects remain to be seen.

  • The minister for disabled people Chloe Smith also told Times Radio that Downing Street is waiting to see how this goes, and that “we don’t have current plans to change from seven days”.

  • The UK Health Security Agency advised the government to cut the isolation period to just seven days, but it is has not yet recommended any further reductions.

  • Virologist at Warwick Medical School, Professor Lawrence Young, endorsed Britain’s current strategy and told The Guardian: “The approach adopted in the UK is sensible based on seven days and two consecutive negative lateral flow tests. These tests are a great way to determine if you are infectious.”

  • Professor of respiratory sciences, Dr Julian Tang from the University of Leicester, also said the US decision to make positive cases wear masks for five days after their isolation ends would only be effective if masks were worn conscientiously.

  • The government is already struggling to supply the country with enough lateral flow tests and PCR tests. Reducing the isolation period could therefore cause further problems.

  • Elsewhere in Europe, the self-isolation period remains much longer. In Germany, it is a full 14 days unless a PCR test comes back negative, or a local health office permits release. In France, positive cases have to isolate for 10 days.

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Boris Johnson’s Strange Explanation About Where He Spent Christmas Is Raising Suspicion

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When asked about his whereabouts for the last 10 days, Boris Johnson appeared to stutter before arriving at the bizarre answer that he had “been in this country” – immediately prompting speculation among his critics.

Speaking to a BBC News journalist on Wednesday during a tour of a vaccine centre, the prime minister was asked: “Where have you been for the last 10 days?”

Johnson replied: “I’ve been in…I’ve been…in this country.”

He appears to laugh slightly, before adding: “Where do you think?”

Before the reporter could reply, the prime minister said, “thank you”, and starts to walk away from the camera crew.

So it is not very surprising that people weren’t exactly impressed with Johnson’s latest hesitant answers on Twitter.

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