Rates of Covid-19 are “high and rising” in England, the nation’s chief medical officer has said, as he warned of increases in hospital admissions over the next fortnight. Professor Sir Chris Whitty said the virus was causing pressure in the NHS but that high rates of transmission were fortunately not translating into intensive care (ICU) cases and deaths.
Meanwhile, he said people should not expect an “end point” to Covid-19. Prof Whitty said the virus will steadily become “less dominant” and likely become a seasonal disease.
He said people should expect significant problems in “all parts of the world for the rest of our lives”. Prof Whitty also said school closures due to the pandemic were likely to have caused “substantial” issues for some children.
