Yahoo Movies COVID infections drop to level last seen in June 2020, according to study of millions
COVID infection rates have fallen to levels last seen in June 2020, months after the first lockdown was implemented, according to a study of millions of people.
The COVID Symptom Study app lets users share if they have been tested for infection and report symptoms they may have, as well as their location.
With more than 4 million contributors around the world, it can predict who has the virus and help understanding about the different symptoms infection causes.
Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London and co-founder of Zoe, the firm behind the app, said the level of infection seen in the study meant he was "now optimistic for most of the UK" and relaxed about the return of schools from 8 March.
The ZOE app back on track again -showing rates still decreasing but slower than last week as expected. Rates now the same as in early June 2020. Hospital cases also dropping 3 fold and now only 8-20% full across country. I am now optimistic for most of the UK + relaxed re schools pic.twitter.com/dmWBufmiFY
— Tim Spector (@timspector) February 24, 2021
Daily reported coronavirus cases have fallen from highs of 68,000 in early January to 8,400 on 23 February amid the latest round of restrictions.
Meanwhile, the encouraging pace of vaccinations – seen as key to lifting restrictions as part of the government's lockdown road map, which was unveiled earlier in the week – has seen just short of 18 million people given a first dose and more than 600,000 receive a second.
Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the number of COVID infections in the UK has dropped to less than half the level seen at the start of 2021.
Watch: How England will leave lockdown
It estimated that 552,900 people had coronavirus in the week ending 12 February, compared with 1,256,600 thought to have it in the first week of January.
However, restrictions remain as the government pursues a phased reopening in the hope it will not need to reverse the easing of social distancing measures, as it has done previously.
The government plans to bring back schools and limited outdoor visits from March, with a view to removing all legal limits to social contacts from 21 June at the earliest.
A five-week gap between stages will allow ministers and experts to review the last phase's effects.
Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England's chief medical officer, rejected calls to speed up loosening the lockdown despite the rate of vaccinations and encouraging infection data, saying it would be wrong to "blow it now".
“I would rather do this once and get it right and not have to make any U-turns," he said.
Watch: What is long COVID?
