New data released by the Office for National Statistics shows that infection numbers are dropping
THE ONS reported that in the week of January 10th, more than 121,000 people in Wales tested positive.
The data, based on infections reported in private households, shows that 3.94% of people living in Wales tested positive for COVID-19 last week. Just over 5.16% tested positive in the previous week, a figure of 157,000.
In numbers, this equates to around 36,000 fewer infections. Whilst this data doesn’t include infections in hospitals or care homes, it does provide an insight into how communities are recovering from the pandemic.
The ONS records ‘infections’ as a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 on a swab taken from the nose and throat, regardless of if the individual has symptoms.
This trend is also seen across the rest of the UK.
In England, an estimated 1,461,900 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week – a decrease from the previous week’s figure of 2,189,300. Similarly, in Northern Ireland, 77,300 were positive in comparison to 129,100 the week before. Scotland, too, saw a decrease, with 171,500 testing positive as opposed to 219,600 the previous week.
This is not to say that COVID-19 is no longer a health concern. Of the 3,432 deaths registered in Wales in December 2022, 128 of them were ‘involving COVID-19’, according to the ONS. This figure makes up 3.7% of all registered deaths in Wales in this month.
The leading cause of death in Wales in December 2022 was dementia and Alzheimer’s disease – but COVID-19 remained the eighth most prevalent cause of death for that month in Wales.