Latest developments
Covid – Where Now?
Where is the UK now, as at December 2023, in regard to Covid?
Data Presentation Changes
The coronavirus dashboard is now being decommissioned as of Thursday, 14 December 2023. As at 11 December 2023 the government coronavirus.data.gov.uk website stated: “the decommissioning process for the coronavirus (Covid – 19) dashboard has started with the final data update expected to take place on Thursday, 14 December 2023.
Following that and as at 17 December 2023 the government website page here.. informed the public that the final date update of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) dashboard took place on Thursday 14th December 2023 and that from Thursday 21st December the public could use the UKHSA data dashboard (click here to go to the dashboard) for data on respiratory viruses including COVID-19.
So, shortly the United Kingdom health security agency (UKHSA) will shortly be the place to go to for finding out Covid data. However, as at 16 December 2024 a notice on the UKHSA dashboard (click here) stated that as the UKHSA dashboard is still undergoing statistical review the public should not use the dashboard data and instead for reporting and analytical purposes should use the COVID-19 dashboard (click here) and the weekly surveillance report for which click here
This as at weekend beginning 16 December 2023 shows the following data:
- Up to and including 9 December 2023 – 5,975 people tested positive in the last 7 days which was an increase of 1,663 (38.6%) – England
- Deaths with COVID-19 on the death certificate in England up to and including 17 November 2023 = 159 in the last 7 days (down by 91 (-36.4%)
- Patients admitted in England up to and including 8 December 2023 in the last 7 days was 2,622 (up 561 (27.2%))
- The number of virus tests conducted in England up to and including 12 December 2023 in the last 7 days was 44,225 (down 15,124 (-25.5%)
The reasons for the move of data and no longer relying on separate website solely for COVID-19 data is explained in a statement on the coronavirus.data.gov.uk website (click here to see it in full) states that:
“We looked at the relevance, suitability and availability of all metrics on the COVID-19 dashboard. As we are now ‘Living with COVID’, we have selected the most useful metrics to show on the UKHSA data dashboard.”
Previous data showed a summary of data shows up two including 2 December 2023 there were 4146 cases in the last 7 days in England, 245 weekly deaths in England (up to and including 10 November 2023), 2064 patients in England over the last seven days (up to and including 1 December 2023) admitted to hospital, as at 5 December 2023 39,017 virus tests conducted in England.
Latest UK Variant
As at September 2023 the variant BA.2.86 was noted in the SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance and assessment: technical briefing 55 which can be found by clicking on this link
so, as at said 19 September 2023 the BA.2.86 variant is noted as having an apparently slighter higher human ACE two binding affinity than ex-BBC variants tested.
The role of ACE-2 receptors has, during the Covid crisis, bin considered by various scientists. For example in the National Centre for biotechnology information paper “Understanding the role of ACE-2 receptor in pathogenesis of COVID-19 disease: a potential approach for therapeutic intervention Pharmacol Rep. 2021; 73(6): 1539–1550. Published online 2021 Jun 27. doi: 10.1007/s43440-021-00303-6 (Authors Shirbhate Panel, Patel, Kamal Jawaid, Gorain Kesharwani and Rajak) which can be found at this link here
it is described as follows. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and its similar enzyme ACE 2 is an enzyme that is found extensively within the human body and is: “particularly overexpressed on intestinal epithelial cells of the gut, endothelial and smooth cells of the blood vessels, heart… Long… Brain testes and on tubular epithelial cells of kidney. It contains 805 amino acids. It is a type I transmembrane protein. Importantly, as this paper says,: “studies reported that ACE 2 receptors serve as an entrance for the access of coronaviruses… Into human cells”.
This facilitation is essentially because unfortunately the ace receptors have a molecular build that is almost a lock shape for the key shape spikes that are found on coronavirus.
In another paper found on the National library of medicine titled: “COVID-19: angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression and tissue susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection by S Beyerstedt, Casoro and Rangel:
COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is not only an enzyme but also a functional receptor on cell surfaces through which SARS-CoV-2 enters the host cells and is highly expressed in the heart, kidneys, and lungs and shed into the plasma. ACE2 is a key regulator of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS). SARS-CoV-2 causes ACE/ACE2 balance disruption and RAAS activation, which leads ultimately to COVID-19 progression, especially in patients with comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, ACE2 expression may have paradoxical effects, aiding SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity, yet conversely limiting viral infection. This article reviews the existing literature and knowledge of ACE2 in COVID-19 setting and focuses on its pathophysiologic involvement in disease progression, clinical outcomes, and therapeutic potential.