UK In Early Stages Of Third COVID-19 Wave, Expert Warns

The United Kingdom may be experiencing the early stages of the third wave of COVID-19, a health expert advising the government has suggested.

Prof. Ravi Gupta, from the University of Cambridge, warned that the B.1.617.2 coronavirus variant, first detected in India, is fueling the “exponential growth” of cases in the U.K., which reported more than 3,000 new infections Monday for the sixth consecutive day.

Prof. Gupta also noted that at least three-quarters of cases reported in the country were caused by the Indian variant.

"Of course the numbers of cases are relatively low at the moment - all waves start with low numbers of cases that grumble in the background and then become explosive, so the key here is that what we are seeing here is the signs of an early wave,” he told BBC News. "There may be a false sense of security for some time, and that's our concern."

Britain on Monday recorded 3,383 new infections, with one new death within a month of a COVID-19 diagnosis, according to Reuters.

The U.K. government recently boosted its efforts to vaccinate residents as hospitalizations increased and infection rates went up by 20% in the previous week. The novel coronavirus has particularly hit the younger population who are yet to receive two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

As of Monday, 74% of the country’s total population received their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 47% are fully vaccinated against the virus, according to The Wall Street Journal. The British government has also accelerated vaccination programs in areas most affected by the infections, including Bolton which has received an additional 18,000 vaccine doses in recent days.

The rise in COVID-19 infections may delay the government’s plan to lift social-distancing restrictions in July. “Clearly the vaccines are having a big impact already,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. “The question is: How big? How reliable are the vaccine fortifications?”

Prof. Gupta, who is also a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, warned against ending restrictions and said the government should delay the move to “gather more intelligence.”

Prof. Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, said the government should take key markers in the community into account before lifting the restrictions.

“I think it’s unfortunate that everyone’s got this particular date in their head, because really what we need to do is understand how things are going and adjust accordingly,” he told Good Morning Britain. “This time around, we should be cautious, wait to see what’s happening, and then let everyone free, if you like, once we know for sure that’s safe and that we can do that without having another round of lockdowns and so on,” he added.