The number of recorded Covid-19 contaminations and hospital admissions is rising sharply, according to the latest figures from the public health institute Sciensano updated Tuesday morning.
The autumn wave, which according to virologist Steven Van Gucht began last week, therefore continues to strengthen.
An average of 2,823 coronavirus infections was thus recorded daily between September 24 and 30, an increase of 26% compared to the previous seven days. Some 12,700 tests were carried out per day on average. Of these, 23% were positive.
The overwhelming majority of cases (92.3%) of Covid-19 remain due to the Omicron BA.5 subvariant.
A new symptom
According to British experts, the most common symptoms of the disease have changed. If previously fever, cough or loss of smell were signs of a coronavirus infection, sore throat is now the most common symptom for Covid-19.
“Right now, Covid starts in two-thirds of people with sore throats. Fever and loss of smell are really rare now. So many older people may not think they have Covid. They would say it’s a cold and wouldn’t be tested,” Professor Tim Spector, co-founder of the Covid app ZOE, told the Independent.