Covid cases breach 2million for first time in months – as expert says latest wave has ‘peaked’

MORE than two million Brits tested positive for Covid-19 infections in just one week in October - the highest number since July, figures suggest.

The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that Covid cases jumped by 15 per cent in the week of October 10, compared with the previous week.

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Sarah Crofts, ONS deputy director for the Covid-19 infection survey, said: “Infections have continued to increase across England and Wales, with uncertain trends in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

“Though infections have increased overall in England, it is a mixed picture across regions and age groups.

“It is too early to say from the data whether overall recent rises are starting to slow, but we will continue to monitor the data closely.”

This comes as scientists warned of a so-called 'swarm' of Omicron strains that could threaten this winter.

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However, the infection survey data lags behind the which shows cases coming down already.

According to the tracker, around one in 21 people in the UK have the bug - with numbers now also falling in the youngest age groups.

Experts at ZOE revealed there are currently an estimated 209,243 infections, down from 235,829 last week.

The decrease in cases, the medics say, indicates the current wave has peaked.

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Rates seem to have fallen in all age groups, with infections in those aged 0-17 dropping the most.

Data released by NHS England this week also revealed the rate of hospital admissions is also slowing.

Cases in the latest Covid wave haven't come close to the highs seen in the height of the pandemic.

This is thanks to millions being vaccinated and boosted against the virus.

If you've had the virus before, you might think you'd know exactly what to look out for.

But as strains have evolved and changed over the last two years, so have the symptoms.

The  from the ZOE Symptom Tracker app states that there are 20 symptoms Brits should be on the lookout for.

This data refers to all Brits who have logged their symptoms on the app, regardless of how many jabs they have had.

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1. Sore throat - 63.55 per cent
2. Runny nose - 53.04 per cent
3. Headache - 53.02 per cent
4. Blocked nose - 52.47 per cent
5. Cough no phlegm - 52.06 per cent
6. Sneezing - 47.02 per cent
7. Cough with phlegm - 45.79 per cent
8. Hoarse voice - 43.86 per cent
9. Muscle pain aches - 29.46 per cent
10. Fatigue - 22.97 per cent
11. Dizzy light headed - 21.11 per cent
12. Altered smell - 19.82 per cent
13. Swollen neck glands - 17.72 per cent
14. Eye soreness - 16.41 per cent
15. Chest pain tightness - 16.26 per cent
16. Shortness of breath - 15.9 per cent
17. Loss of smell - 14.45 per cent
18. Earache - 13.96 per cent
19. Chills or shivers - 12.98 per cent
20. Joint pain shoulders - 11.08 per cent

Check out The Sun's interactive Covid hotspots map to see how affected your area is.