New Covid variant fears as UK deaths double in a week and cases surge around world - Daily Star

New Covid variant fears as UK deaths double in a week and cases surge around worldHealth authorities in Asia are monitoring reports of rising Covid-19 cases in Singapore and Hong Kong, with

fresh concerns in India and a sharp rise in the number of UK deathsCommentsNewsAshley Pemberton20:05, 20 May 2025Updated 20:05, 20 May 2025A fresh wave of Covid is linked to the

fast-spreading JN.1 variant(Image: AFP via Getty Images) The number of Covid deaths in the UK more than doubled in the space of a week — amid a surge in cases of a new variant around the

world.

The latest UK Government data shows 101 people died with Covid-19 on their death certificate in the week up to May 2, a rise of 65% from the previous week.

‌ It is the highest number of weekly Covid deaths the UK recorded since the end of January, when 111 people died with the disease in one seven-day period.

‌ And while it is down from a peak of 273 weekly deaths last November, it comes as fears grow over a new wave of the killer disease which emerged in parts of Asia.

A sharp spike of cases has been reported in Hong Kong(Image: Getty Images) Alarms have been raised globally in recent weeks over the spread of new Omicron subvariant known as JN.1, which has

become the dominant global strain.

Article continues below India has recorded its highest number of active cases in a year and two people — aged 14 and 54 — died after testing positive for Covid, but they had underlying

health conditions, officials said.

And while most current infections are described as 'mild', authorities have set aside dedicated beds and rooms for Covid-19 patients in Mumbai’s hospitals and stepped up its surveillance of

the disease.

The Thai government has urged its citizens to get booster jabs(Image: AFP via Getty Images)‌ An official told local media: "As per the preliminary information available, the cases are mostly

mild, not associated with unusual severity or mortality."

And the fast-spreading strain has seen a fresh wave of the virus rip through other Asian countries, such as Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong.

In Singapore, a sharp surge in cases were attributed to the JN.1 subvariant and weekly infections ending on 3 May went up to 14,200 from 11,100 a week earlier. The average daily

hospitalisation rose from 102 to 133, reported the Indian Express.

‌Covid cases are rising in parts of Asia(Image: Getty Images) Thai authorities urged its citizens to get 'booster vaccinations' after the number of cases doubled from 16,000 to over 33,000

in the week ending May 17.

And Hong Kong reported 1,042 cases in the week ending May 10, a spike from the previous week when the number of cases was 972.

Article continues below Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection said: "According to the surveillance data after the resumption of normalcy, there were two relatively active periods of

Covid-19 in Hong Kong, which lasted for about 15 weeks from April to July 2023 and for about seven weeks from February to March last year. Covid-19 became more active in mid-April of this.”

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