I have not had much time recently to update this blog. A combination of personal issues and workload has caused other things to be more important. I am also just about to go on a short break to one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, but before leaving, a very quick update on Covid:
Unfortunately, the UK is entering a new Covid wave. Fueled by new variants, immunity loss, and children returning to school, it will likely stretch into Autumn, possibly joining the flu (and RSV) season.
Note how cases in Scotland are increasing more rapidly than in England – children are back at school north of the border, whereas English children are still on holiday. And, I suspect the big peak in the 15-24 ages was caused by the Edinburgh Fringe.
It is not only the UK that is facing the return of Covid. Again, a combination of the loss of immunity with an increased contact rate due to return from holidays brings another Covid wave.
As a reminder, Covid is “endemic” which means that it is always present in the population (in Greek, Endēmos is formed of en meaning “in”, and dēmos meaning “the people”). It regularly becomes an “epidemic” as it causes waves like the one we are experiencing now. But, many people saying that it is not longer a “pandemic”.
