Hospital Admissions
I discussed COVID-19 case numbers and hospital admissions in the UK in this live interview on BBC News on 22 December. The interview took place just minutes after the data was released.
The new data showed that the UK reported more than 100,000 cases for the first time. However, I explained that analysis of the date that tests were actually taken shows that milestone was actually passed one week earlier.
I indicated that admissions to hospital with COVID-19 are rising rapidly. This is particularly true in London, where Omicron is more prevalent. Admissions in London have increased by 46% in a week.
The wide-ranging interview also covered the situation in South Africa and what was known about Omicron severity at the time. There were a flurry of updates on Omicron around the time of the interview. I allude to these but had not had time to review them.