'We will all catch Covid again' warns expert as UKHSA issues 'stay at home' plea

A professor has warned that we're all set to catch Covid multiple times as the UK braces for what some believe is a fresh wave of infections.

Hospital admissions due to Covid are on the rise, with recent figures showing an increase from 2.67 people per 100,000 to 3.31 per 100,000. And the latest data reveals that around one in every 25,000 people was infected with Covid as of 26 June.

Prof Paul Hunter, an expert in epidemiology at the University of East Anglia, told the BBC: "We are all of us going to get repeated Covid infections from birth through to death. Generally what we've seen is that over the last three years, four years, the severity of illness associated with Covid has gone down a lot.

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Ultimately, it's going to become another cause of the common cold and, for many people, that's what it is now." He added: "To be honest, you can't really avoid it because it's so common."

A rise in infections and hospitalisations has coincided with the rise of new variants - known as KP2, KP3 and J1. The UKHSA has said it is monitoring the new strains.

The latest Government advice is that anyone who tests positive for Covid should stay home for five days, and avoid meeting people who are more likely to fall seriously ill if they were to catch Covid, such as elderly people or those with weakened immune systems.

UKHSA epidemiologist Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal said: "If you are showing symptoms of Covid-19 or flu, help protect others by staying at home and avoiding contact with other people, especially those who are more vulnerable."