Reference:
UK Health Security Agency. (2022). Weekly national influenza and COVID-19 surveillance report: Week 27 report (up to week 26 data). Retrieved from [link]
Summary:
The report provides an overview of COVID-19 and influenza surveillance in England for week 26 of 2022, highlighting an increase in COVID-19 cases, particularly among individuals over 80. Laboratory data indicated stable positivity rates for COVID-19 at 6.3% and a low influenza positivity of 0.5%. Vaccination rates showed that 70.2% had received their first dose and 52.0% had received a third dose by week 26. Severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) incidents increased, especially in care homes, with SARS-CoV-2 identified in most cases. Hospitalisation rates for COVID-19 rose to 14.59 per 100,000, while influenza hospitalisation rates remained low. The report underscores the ongoing monitoring of respiratory infections and the importance of vaccination amidst fluctuating case numbers.