LONDON (UK) – Although the prevalence of the pandemic in England is much higher than it was at the end of August, there are indications that the growth in infection rate is slowing, said an Imperial College study on Thursday.
This comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged Britons to adhere to rules imposed to stem the spread of the second wave of infections as more than 7,000 new cases have been reported daily over the past two days.
According to the study, 1 in 200 people was infected and the reproduction R rate dropped from 1.7 to 1.1. It means on average, 10 infected people will go on to infect another 11 rather than 17 people.
The slump in the R number indicates that the growth of the epidemic might be decelerating.
“While our latest findings show some early evidence that the growth of new cases may have slowed, suggesting efforts to control the infection are working, the prevalence of infection is the highest that we have recorded to date,” said Professor Paul Elliott of Imperial College.
The study, which is the largest of its kind in the country, tested as many as 84,610 volunteers between Sept. 18 and 26.
As many as 363 tested positive, which is 55 people per 10,000 – and an increase on the 13 per 10,000 people found to be infected in the previous study between Aug. 24 and Sept. 7.