LONDON (Reuters) – The incidence of COVID-19 infections in England dropped sharply in March, a close survey said on Thursday, but in a warning it also shows that the decline in infections has slowed.
The REACT study, conducted by Imperial College London, found that infections had dropped by about 60% since the last study in February, with only 1 in every 500 people infected.
However, the study found that the rate of decline began to flatten in mid-March. Schools reopened on March 8, and restrictions on COVID-19 will be further weakened next week, with the reopening of all shops and hospitality centers outside.
“We have seen a gratifying decline in infections since our last survey in February … It is very encouraging and shows that we are heading in the right direction,” said Paul Elliott, director of the REACT program.
‘In our latest data, however, there was a flattening of the infection rate with an R (reproduction) number that is now about one. This shows that we must continue to approach the situation with caution and abide by the rules. ”
Overall, the national prevalence in England fell from 0.49% in February to 0.20% in March.
The REACT study is one of the largest COVID-19 surveys of its kind in England, with more than 140,000 volunteers tested in England in the latest round between 11 March and 30 March.
The study found that the link between infections and deaths was diverse, possibly an effect of Britain’s vaccination program COVID-19, which resulted in more than 31 million people receiving the first dose of COVID-19.
“These findings are promising and illustrate the significant impact that exclusion, coupled with our phenomenal vaccination program, has on the prevalence of this horrific virus,” said Health Minister Matt Hancock.
Reporting by Alistair Smout; edited by Jonathan Oatis