UK set to have one million Omicron infections by end of December

The prediction came as the UK recorded 448 new Omicron cases on Friday

The UK will have more than one million Omicron cases by the end of this month if current trends continue unchanged, the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Friday. The prediction came as the UK recorded 448 cases of the new Covid variant in the latest 24-hour period - taking the total across the country to 1,265. https://twitter.com/UKHSA/status/1469337059139760131 The UKHSA said in a statement: "It is projected that if current trends continue unchanged, the UK will exceed one million infections by the end of this month." The agency said that the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNtech jabs provided "much lower levels of protection against symptomatic infection compared to the protection that they provide against Delta", but added that preliminary data showed "effectiveness against the new variant appears to increase considerably in the early period after a booster dose". UKHSA said booster should provide around 70-75 per cent protection against symptomatic infection. Related links:

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"Due to the early nature of the findings, all estimates are subject to significant uncertainty and are subject to change." Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UKHSA, said: "These early estimates should be treated with caution but they indicate that a few months after the second jab, there is a greater risk of catching the Omicron variant compared to Delta strain." She added that the data suggest the risk is "significantly reduced" following a booster vaccine, "so I urge everyone to take up their booster when eligible". Dr Ramsay said the UKHSA expects the vaccines to show higher protection against the "serious complications "of Covid, "so if you haven't yet had your first two doses please book an appointment straight away". She encouraged people to work from home, where possible, wash their hands; consistently wear masks in crowded or enclosed spaces and isolate and get tested "if you feel unwell".