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Infections
The percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 continued to decrease in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Estimated percentage of the population testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) on nose and throat swabs, UK, 1 May 2021 to 7 May 2022
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The percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 continued to decrease in England (2.21%), Wales (2.91%), Scotland (3.01%) and Northern Ireland (1.84%) in the latest week (week ending 7 May 2022).
Last updated: 13/05/2022
Read more about this in Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey
Reinfections were around 10 times higher in the Omicron variant period than in the Delta variant period
The risk of re-infection was around 10 times higher in the period when the Omicron variant was most common (20 December 2021 onwards), compared with the period when the Delta variant was most common (17 May to 19 December 2021).
Between 2 July 2020 and 25 April 2022, people were more likely to be re-infected if they:
were unvaccinated
had a "milder" primary infection with a lower viral load
did not report symptoms with their first infection
were younger
lived in more deprived areas
Last updated: 11/05/2022
At least half of all people in each UK country have had COVID-19 since the survey began
Estimated cumulative percentage of the population who have tested positive for COVID-19 during the survey period by country, UK, 27 April 2020 to 11 February 2022
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Since the start of the Coronavirus Infection Survey, the percentage of each UK country's population that has had COVID-19 was:
70.7% in England (27 April 2020 to 11 February 2022)
56.0% in Wales (30 June 2020 to 11 February 2022)
72.2% in Northern Ireland (27 July 2020 to 11 February 2022)
51.5% in Scotland (22 September 2020 to 11 February 2022)
Across all four UK countries, the percentage of the population that has had COVID-19 since the start of the survey increased at varying rates up to February 2022.
Last updated: 22/04/2022
Infections by age
The percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 decreased in most age groups in England
Modelled daily percentage of the population testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) on nose and throat swabs, by age group, England, 27 March to 7 May 2022
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The positivity rate continued to decrease in all age groups in England in the latest week (ending 7 May 2022), except for those in School Years 7 to 11, for whom the trend was uncertain.
The positivity rate was highest in those aged 50 to 69 years (2.61%) and lowest in those in School Years 7 to 11 (1.11%). Those in School Years 7 to 11 have had the lowest infection rates for the past ten weeks.
Last updated: 13/05/2022
Read more about this in Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey
The percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 by single year of age over time for each UK country
Modelled daily percentage of the population testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) on nose and throat swabs, by single year of age, UK, 27 March to 7 May 2022
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This chart shows the percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 by single year of age from 27 March to 7 May 2022 for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The method used to generate these data differs slightly from positivity estimates for age groups, so they are not comparable.
Last updated: 13/05/2022
Read more about this in Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey
Infections by region
The positivity rate decreased across all English regions
Modelled daily percentage of the population testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) on nose and throat swabs by region, England, 27 March to 7 May 2022
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The percentage of people testing positive decreased in all English regions in the latest week (ending 7 May 2022). The positivity rate was highest in the East Midlands (2.70%) and lowest in London (1.93%).
Last updated: 13/05/2022
Read more about this in Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey
The percentage testing positive varied across UK sub-regions
Modelled percentage of the population testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) on nose and throat swabs, by sub-regional geography, UK, 1 May to 7 May 2022
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The percentage testing positive for COVID-19 varied across sub-regions of the UK. To see local infection rates, select an area on the interactive map.
Last updated: 13/05/2022
Read more about this in Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey
Infections by characteristic
Those who travelled abroad continued to be more likely to test positive for COVID-19
People were more likely to test positive for COVID-19 in the two weeks up to 23 April 2022 if they:
had not previously been infected with COVID-19
travelled abroad in the last 28 days
reported being of White ethnicity
had been living in a multiple occupancy household
were male
had not had contact with hospitals
lived in less deprived areas
used lateral flow tests regularly
had not been living with a child aged 16 years or under
spent more time socialising outside their home
You can read about the impact of vaccination on the likelihood of testing positive on our Vaccines page.
Last updated: 11/05/2022
COVID-19 case rates were higher for people born outside of the UK in the second wave, but higher for those born in the UK in the third
Weekly age-standardised COVID-19 case rates per 100,000 people by country of birth, 1 September 2020 to 10 December 2021, England
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Age-standardised COVID-19 case rates in the second wave of the pandemic (1 September 2020 to 22 May 2021) were higher for non-UK residents, but were higher for those born in the UK since the start of the third wave (23 May 2021).
In the second wave of the pandemic, case rates were higher in households from lower socio-economic groups than more affluent ones. However, in the third wave there was little difference between socio-economic groups other than those who had never worked or were long-term unemployed, where case rates were the lowest .
Last updated: 14/02/2022
Symptoms
Percentage of people testing positive who reported loss of taste or smell remained at low levels
Unweighted percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus with symptoms, including only those who have strong positive tests (Ct less than 30) by month, UK, 1 December 2020 to 24 April 2022
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In the UK the percentage of people who reported a sore throat, cough or fatigue increased in the first few months of 2022 and remained at a high level in April 2022. However, these symptoms also relate to many other infections in circulation at this time.
In April 2022, around two-thirds (67%) of people testing positive reported any symptoms compatible with COVID-19. This was a small decrease from 68% in March 2022. The percentage of people reporting loss of taste or loss of smell remains at a low level in April 2022, after decreasing sharply between December 2021 and January 2022. This change coincided with increasing infections with the Omicron variants of COVID-19.
Last updated: 11/05/2022
Long COVID
1.8 million people in the UK were experiencing self-reported long COVID as of 3 April 2022
Estimated number of people living in private households with self-reported long COVID of any duration, UK: four-week periods ending 2 May 2021 to 3 April 2022
Source: Office for National Statistics - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey (CIS)
Download this chart 1.8 million people in the UK were experiencing self-reported long COVID as of 3 April 2022
Image .csv .xlsAn estimated 1.8 million people in private households (2.8% of the population) were experiencing self-reported long COVID as of 3 April 2022. Of those, almost three-quarters (73%) reported experiencing long COVID symptoms at least 12 weeks after first having (suspected) COVID-19, and almost half (44%) at least one year after their first (suspected) infection.
Fatigue (51%), shortness of breath (33%), loss of sense of smell (26%) and difficulty concentrating (23%) were the most common long COVID symptoms. Symptoms adversely affected the day-to-day activities of around two-thirds (67%) of those with self-reported long COVID.
Self-reported long COVID was more common in those aged 35 to 49 years, females, people living in more deprived areas, those working in social care, teaching and education, or health care, and those with another activity-limiting health condition or disability.
Last updated: 06/05/2022
Self-reported long COVID was almost twice as common after Delta infections than after Omicron BA.1 infections in double-vaccinated people
Adjusted percentage of adults aged 18 years and older with self-reported long COVID four to eight weeks after a first COVID-19 infection, stratified by compatible COVID-19 variant and vaccination status when infected, UK, 17 May 2021 to 16 April 2022
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Among double-vaccinated adults:
- self-reported long COVID was more common four to eight weeks after infections compatible with the Delta variant (15.9%) than after infections compatible with the Omicron BA.1 variant (8.7%)
Among triple-vaccinated adults:
self-reported long COVID was more common after infections compatible with Omicron BA.2 (9.3%) than for Omicron BA.1 (7.8%)
there was no statistical evidence of a difference in the prevalence of long COVID between infections compatible with the Delta variant and either Omicron BA.1 or BA.2
Last updated: 06/05/2022
Read more about this in Self-reported long COVID after infection with the Omicron variant
Around 1 in 100 (1.0%) primary school pupils met all the criteria for long COVID at some point since March 2020
Presence of long COVID in primary school pupils, England, December 2021
Source: Office for National Statistics – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Schools Infection Survey
Download this chart Around 1 in 100 (1.0%) primary school pupils met all the criteria for long COVID at some point since March 2020
Image .csv .xlsAround 1 in 100 (1.0%) primary school pupils met all the criteria for long COVID at some point since March 2020. One in five (20.0%) primary pupils had a positive COVID-19 test of any kind since March 2020.
Nearly half (47.5%) of primary school pupils with a positive test since March 2020 were reported to have experienced at least one recurring symptom. This was 46.6% for those without a positive test. Around a quarter (26.0%) of primary school pupils with a positive test experienced three or more symptoms, compared with 20.7% of those without a positive test.
Of the symptoms which children had displayed for 12 weeks or more, “loss of taste or smell” was the only symptom group that was significantly more commonly reported in those with a positive test (5.2%) than in those without (0.4%).
Last updated: 28/02/2022
Around 1 in 40 (2.7%) secondary school pupils met all the criteria for long COVID at some point since March 2020
Presence of long COVID in secondary school pupils since March 2020, England, December 2021
Source: Office for National Statistics – Coronavirus (COVID-19) Schools Infection Survey
Download this chart Around 1 in 40 (2.7%) secondary school pupils met all the criteria for long COVID at some point since March 2020
Image .csv .xlsAround 1 in 40 (2.7%) secondary school pupils met all the criteria for long COVID at some point since March 2020. This was 2.5% for pupils in school Years 7 to 11 (those aged 11 to 16 years) and 4.4% for pupils in school Years 12 to 13 (those aged 16 to 18 years).
Around 6 in 10 (57.6%) pupils in school Year 7 to 11 with a positive COVID-19 test were reported as having experienced at least one recurring symptom for 12 weeks or more since March 2020. Half (49.5%) of those without a positive test experienced at least one recurring symptom.
Of the symptoms which children had displayed for 12 weeks or more, "loss of taste or smell” was the only symptom group that was significantly more commonly reported in those with a positive test (16.6%) than in those without (0.4%).
Last updated: 28/02/2022
Two vaccine doses were associated with decreased likelihood of self-reported long COVID
Adjusted odds ratios for self-reported long COVID (any severity and activity-limiting) at least 12 weeks after infection, comparing study participants who were double-vaccinated with a matched control group who were unvaccinated (reference group), UK, 26 April 2020 to 30 November 2021
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Two vaccine doses received at least two weeks before COVID-19 infection decreased the odds of self-reported long COVID by 41.1% in adults aged 18 to 69 years (UK, 26 April 2020 to 30 November 2021).
Long COVID symptoms of any severity were reported by 9.5% of double-vaccinated study participants, compared with 14.6% of those who were unvaccinated when infected. Long COVID symptoms severe enough to limit day-to-day activities were reported by 5.5% of double-vaccinated compared with 8.7% of unvaccinated participants.
There was no statistical evidence that these associations were different depending on type of vaccine received - either adenovirus vector (Oxford/AstraZeneca) or mRNA (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna) vaccines.
Last updated: 26/01/2022
Infections in school pupils
More secondary school pupils reported a positive COVID-19 test than primary school pupils
Percentage of pupils aged 4 to 15 years in state-funded schools reporting a positive coronavirus test, by age and term, England, up to 22 December 2021
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Secondary school pupils were much more likely to have reported a positive test (either polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or lateral flow device (LFD)) in the Autumn 2020 term, compared with primary school pupils. Around 1 in 10 secondary school pupils (10.5%) reported a positive test, compared with 1.5% of primary school pupils. In the Autumn 2021 term, there was a smaller difference between primary and secondary school pupils.
Students were less likely to report symptoms with a positive test in the Autumn 2021 term than in the Autumn 2020 term. Around half of pupils who tested positive had symptoms in the Autumn 2021 term, compared with around 7 in 10 in the Autumn 2020 term. This may be explained by the introduction of LFD testing and more cases without symptoms being identified.
Last updated: 24/03/2022
White British pupils were most likely to report positive COVID-19 tests in the Autumn 2021 term
Percentage of secondary-aged pupils in state-funded schools reporting positive coronavirus tests by ethnicity and term, England, up to 22 December 2021
Source: ONS Linked English Schools Census (DfE), NHS Test and Trace (T&T) and National Immunisation Management System (NIMS) dataset
Download this chart White British pupils were most likely to report positive COVID-19 tests in the Autumn 2021 term
Image .csv .xlsThere were large variations in the percentage of primary and secondary pupils reporting positive COVID-19 tests by ethnicity in Autumn 2021. White British primary and secondary pupils were most likely to report a positive test (16.6% and 24.9%, respectively). Some ethnic groups (for example, White British, White Irish and Chinese) saw more than double the proportion reporting a positive test compared with the same period in 2020.
In the Autumn 2020 term, there was less variation between ethnic groups. Indian pupils (11.3%) were most likely to report a positive test among secondary age pupils and Pakistani pupils (2.5%) were most likely to report a positive test among primary age pupils.
Last updated: 24/03/2022
Unvaccinated pupils were more likely to become infected with COVID-19 in the Autumn 2021 term
Compared with unvaccinated pupils, those aged 12 to 15 years who had received one vaccine dose more than 14 days ago:
were 38% less likely to report a positive test in the first half of the Autumn 2021 term (20 September to 3 November 2021)
were 23% less likely to report a positive test in the second half of the Autumn 2021 term (4 November to 17 December 2021)
The lower estimates in the second half of the Autumn term may reflect waning protection and reduced vaccine effectiveness against the Omicron variant, which became more common towards the end of the term.
This analysis controlled for differences in the characteristics between vaccinated and unvaccinated pupils.
Last updated: 24/03/2022
Further information
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey (CIS) and REACT study both track COVID-19 infections in the community, excluding people in hospitals, care homes and other institutional settings. They test randomly selected individuals that might or might not be experiencing symptoms. Their positivity rates are modelled estimates adjusted to represent the population. NHS Test and Trace data refer to people tested because of specific reasons. These might include people experiencing symptoms, being in contact with a known case or employer referral. NHS Test and Trace data includes new cases in the community, hospitals and care homes.
To find out more about infections data from different sources visit our more information page.