Shillong, October 17: UK experts are indicating that SARS-CoV-2 may be on its way to becoming just another respiratory virus, joining the ranks of flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinovirus, and adenovirus.
As per IANS, while the UK currently reports 2,257 daily Covid-19 cases, there is a fresh rise in infections, and related hospitalizations have reached a five-month high with 3,366 patients, as per the UK Health Security Agency (HSA) report.
However, these figures still remain notably below the pandemic levels. Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious-diseases expert at the University of East Anglia, stated that Covid is on the path to becoming a seasonal virus. He suggested that flu will likely cause more deaths going forward, and eventually, Covid will become “just another cause of the common cold,” much like the other circulating coronaviruses.
During the winter of 2022, there were more flu deaths than Covid-related deaths in England, with over 14,000 flu deaths compared to 10,000 Covid deaths, according to the UK HSA.
The significant immunity to severe illness, achieved through vaccination and previous infection, has brought the death rate per Covid infection well below that of flu, noted Professor Hunter.
While there are signs of seasonality, Professor Adam Kucharski, who advised the government during the pandemic, remains cautious and pointed out that there is more data available on Covid compared to other respiratory viruses.
The UKHSA has cautioned people to prepare for another wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections during the upcoming winter, anticipating an increase in cases as the season progresses, alongside other winter respiratory viruses like flu.
Professor Mike Tildesley, a modeller in infectious diseases at the University of Warwick, suggested that Covid could still cause more deaths than flu in the upcoming winter, noting that there was a resurgence of flu last year due to lower immunity after several years of reduced flu circulation.