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- Coronavirus infections in England are doubling every seven days, according to a study commissioned by the UK government.
- Scientists at Imperial College London estimated that the so-called “R” infection rate is now 1.7.
- Anything greater than one runs the risk of causing an exponential increase in infections.
- They said the spike in infections may have been caused by people returning to work and increasing social interactions.
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this week a ban on social gatherings of more than 6 people.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
The number of coronavirus infections is now doubling every week in England according to a study commissioned by the UK government, which found that the so-called ‘R’ infection rate has now risen to 1.7.
Scientists at Imperial College London examined 150,000 people between August 22 and September 7 and found that the infection rate had gradually increased from its lowest point in June.
They found that the number of coronavirus cases in England now doubles every 7.7 days with the highest rate of infection among young adults aged 18-25.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been encouraging the British to return to their offices in recent weeks.
However, the scientists reported that the rise in infections may have been caused by “vacation travel, return to work, or a more general increase in the number and transmission potential of social interactions.”
Overall, the total number of estimated infections remains low, with only 0.13% of those tested randomly and positive. Of these, 65% showed no symptoms of COVID-19 either at the time of the test or in the previous week.
Separate figures from official national tests this week have found a similar rise in infections, with hospitalizations also on the rise.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics estimate that there are currently around 3,200 new cases of coronavirus every day in England, outside hospitals and residences.
—Office of National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) September 11, 2020
The findings come after Johnson announced a ban on social gatherings of more than 6 people, aside from a limited number of exceptions.
Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon also announced a ban on gatherings of more than 6 people, but excluded children under the age of 12.
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