British infections drop by about 60% during vaccinations, lockdown

LONDON (AP) – According to the latest results from an ongoing study of the pandemic in England, the UK’s COVID-19 vaccination program is beginning to break the link between infection and serious illness or death.



A member of the field staff mows the grass strewn with social distance markers in the parade ring for the start of the Liverpool NHS day of the Grand National Festival 2021 at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England, Thursday, April 8, 2021. The Aintree Grand National 2021 is the three-day horse racing festival first held in 1839. (Tim Goode / PA via AP)


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A member of the field staff mows the grass strewn with social distance markers in the parade ring for the start of the Liverpool NHS day of the Grand National Festival 2021 at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England, Thursday, April 8, 2021. The Aintree Grand National 2021 is the three-day horse racing festival first held in 1839. (Tim Goode / PA via AP)



British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will watch an exhibition of cakes and desserts while visiting Lemon Street Market in Truro, England, Wednesday, April 7, 2021, to see how they prepare to reopen ahead of step 2 of the roadmap on Monday.  Johnson has confirmed that businesses, from hairdressers to bookstores, will be allowed to reopen next week and that Britain's slow but steady march remains on track after a three-month lockdown.  (Justin Tallis / Polar photo via AP)


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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will watch an exhibition of cakes and desserts while visiting Lemon Street Market in Truro, England, Wednesday, April 7, 2021, to see how they prepare to reopen ahead of step 2 of the roadmap on Monday. Johnson has confirmed that businesses, from hairdressers to bookstores, may reopen next week and that Britain’s slow but steady march out of a three-month lockdown remains on track. (Justin Tallis / Polar photo via AP)

Researchers at Imperial College London found that COVID-19 infections dropped by about 60% in March as national lockdown measures slowed the spread of the virus. People aged 65 and older were the least likely to be infected, as they benefited most from the vaccination program, which initially targeted the elderly.



British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Lemonheads Barber Shop on a visit to Lemon Street Market in Truro, England, Wednesday April 7, 2021 to see how they prepare to reopen ahead of step 2 of the roadmap on Monday.  Johnson has confirmed that businesses, from hairdressers to bookstores, will be allowed to reopen next week and that Britain's slow but steady march remains on track after a three-month lockdown.  (Justin Tallis / Polar photo via AP)


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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Lemonheads Barber Shop on a visit to Lemon Street Market in Truro, England, Wednesday April 7, 2021 to see how they prepare to reopen ahead of step 2 of the roadmap on Monday. Johnson has confirmed that businesses, from hairdressers to bookstores, will be allowed to reopen next week and that Britain’s slow but steady march remains on track after a three-month lockdown. (Justin Tallis / Polar photo via AP)

The study also found that the relationship between infections and deaths “suggests that infections may have resulted in fewer hospitalizations and deaths since the widespread vaccination began.”

The positive news came amid a re-examination of vaccinations that followed the UK government’s revised guidelines on Wednesday that it will provide people under 30 with an alternative vaccination to the AstraZeneca injection whenever possible. The change followed studies that the injection may be related to very rare blood clots.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News that the public needs to be reassured by the abundance of caution from authorities to ensure the vaccine’s introduction is as safe as possible.

“What we have learned over the past 24 hours is that the rollout of the vaccine is working, we have seen the safety system working, because the regulators can recognize even this extremely rare event – four in a million – and are taking necessary steps to make it happen. make sure the rollout is as safe as possible, “he said.” And we see the vaccine working. It breaks the link between cases and deaths. “



British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Lemonheads Barber Shop on a visit to Lemon Street Market in Truro, England, Wednesday, April 7, 2021 to see how they prepare to reopen ahead of step 2 of the roadmap on Monday.  Johnson has confirmed that businesses, from hairdressers to bookstores, will be allowed to reopen next week and that Britain's slow but steady march remains on track after a three-month lockdown.  (Justin Tallis / Pool Photo via AP): Virus outbreak in Britain


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Virus outbreak in Great Britain

About 31.7 million people had received a first dose on Tuesday, or just over 60% of the country’s adult population.

But imperial researchers also urged caution, saying infection rates leveled off at the end of the study period as the government began to ease national exclusion and return children to school. Future rounds of the study will assess the impact that further relaxation of restrictions has on infection rates.

The next step in lifting England’s third national lockdown is set for April 12, when non-essential shops will be allowed to reopen, as well as hairdressing salons, gyms and field service in pubs and restaurants.

The findings are based on data collected by the 10th round of Imperial College’s Real-Time Assessment of Community Transmission study, which conducts smear tests on a random sample of people across England every month. The latest round tested more than 140,000 people from March 11 to March 30.

Although Britain has one of the fastest vaccinations in the world, the death toll from the pandemic is the highest in Europe at more than 127,000.

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