Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights

Latest COVID-19 headlines

• Women still do more housework but men are closing the gap
• Deaths involving COVID-19 continued to increase in the UK
• Around 1.8 million people in the UK report having long COVID

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Deaths involving COVID-19 continued to increase in the UK

9 August 2022

There were 921 deaths involving COVID-19) registered in the UK in the week ending 29 July 2022, an increase from 864 in the previous week. This accounted for 7.3% of all deaths in the latest week, an increase from 6.9% in the previous week.  

  In England, the number of deaths involving COVID-19 increased from 697 in the previous week to 745 in the latest week (ending 29 July 2022).   

The number of deaths involving COVID-19 in England increased in groups aged 65 years and over, decreased in groups aged 45 to 64 years and remained similar in those aged under 25 years (in the week ending 29 July 2022). Deaths involving COVID-19 increased in most English regions, except the North West, South West and London, where they decreased.

Our data are based on deaths registered in the UK and include all deaths where “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)” was mentioned on the death certificate. More information for England and Wales is available in our weekly Death registrations and occurrences by local authority and health board dataset

• Explore the latest insights on COVID-19 and deaths 

• Read the latest bulletin on deaths registered in England and Wales 

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Women still do more housework but men are closing the gap

9 August 2022

Women continue to do more unpaid work than men (which includes household work and childcare). As of March 2022, women spent on average, 51 minutes more than men doing unpaid work per day. However, the difference is smaller than in 2014 to 2015, when women did 98 minutes more unpaid work.

Other behavioural changes that have persisted since the ending of coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions include people aged 60 years or over providing less unpaid childcare. In March 2022, people in this age group spent on average, 8 minutes per day providing childcare, compared with 17 minutes per day in 2014 to 2015. This continues a trend initially caused by the first coronavirus lockdown.

In March 2021, people spent on average, 30 minutes per day keeping fit, the most time spent on these activities over the last seven years. In March 2022, this had slightly decreased to 25 minutes, but was still significantly higher than 2014 to 2015, when people spent 19 minutes per day keeping fit.

• Read the latest insights in COVID-19 and lifestyle
• For more information see our release How people spend their time now coronavirus restrictions have been lifted, UK: March 2022

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Infections continued to decrease in England, Wales and Scotland

5 August 2022

The percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) continued to decrease in England, Wales, and Scotland in the latest week (ending 26 July 2022). In Northern Ireland, the trend remained uncertain in the latest week.

The estimated percentage of the population living in private households (those not in care homes or other communal establishments) that had COVID-19 in the latest week was:

• 3.86% in England (1 in 25 people) 

• 3.58% in Wales (1 in 30 people) 

• 5.98% in Northern Ireland (1 in 17 people) 

• 4.95% in Scotland (1 in 20 people)

Infections decreased in all English regions and across all age groups in the latest week.

COVID-19 infections continued to decrease in England, Wales and Scotland

Estimated percentage of the population testing positive for COVID-19 on nose and throat swabs, UK countries, 31 July 2021 to 26 July 2022

Download data on COVID-19 infections across the UK (XLSX, 44 KB)

• Read the latest insights in COVID-19 and infections

• Read our full Coronavirus Infection Survey bulletin

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Around 1.8 million people in the UK report having long COVID

4 August 2022

An estimated 1.8 million people in private households (2.8% of the population) had reported experiencing long COVID symptoms as of 2 July 2022. Of those, 81% reported experiencing long COVID symptoms at least 12 weeks after first having (suspected) coronavirus (COVID-19 ) and 43% at least one year after.

Symptoms adversely affected the day-to-day activities of 1.3 million people (72%) of those with self-reported long COVID. The most common long COVID symptoms were fatigue (54%), shortness of breath (31%), loss of smell (23%) and muscle ache (22%).

Self-reported long COVID was more common in:

• those aged 35 to 69 years

• females

• people living in more deprived areas

• those working in social care

• those over who were not students or retired and were not in or looking for paid work

• those with another activity-limiting health condition or disability 

• Read the latest insights in COVID-19 and infections

• Read more about this in our Prevalence of ongoing symptoms following coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in the UK bulletin

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• Deaths due to COVID-19, registered in England and Wales: 2021

• COVID-19 death rates higher for many ethnic minorities during Omicron

• COVID-19 caused a larger impact on spending than the 2008 recession

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We continue to respond to data requests from the public, media and government during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Responses are published in our list of user requested data.

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