UK COVID Cases Surge Coinciding with Euro 2024 Football Tournament

Experts suggest that the surge in UK COVID cases may be linked to the Euro 2024 football tournament, with concerns growing over a potential summer wave. An uptick in cases, potentially driven by a variant known as KP.3, has been observed alongside the ongoing championship. Prof Mark Woolhouse, a renowned infectious disease epidemiologist from the University of Edinburgh, highlighted the challenges in tracking infection waves and variant severity due to reduced surveillance.

The increase in COVID cases has coincided with England’s participation in prime time Euro 2024 matches, attracting large gatherings. Hospitalisations due to COVID rose to 3.31 per 100,000 in the week ending June 16, with a particular spike among the elderly population, reaching 34.70 per 100,000 among individuals over 85 years old. Testing primarily in healthcare settings contributed to a 29% rise in positive cases by June 22.

Dr. Jamie Lopez Bernal, a consultant epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), noted an overall COVID-19 increase across various metrics, including hospitalisations. Concerns exist regarding the effectiveness of current vaccines against newer variants like KP.3 and KP.2, which deviate from the original strains. These “Flirt” variants are believed to enhance virus transmission capabilities.

Prof Woolhouse emphasized that the wave is sustained by novel variants and declining immunity to prior infections. He envisioned a future where most individuals encounter COVID at a young age, potentially leading to improved immunity in later years. Continued vaccine strategies for vulnerable groups may persist, ultimately reducing COVID-19 to a common cold status over time.