This is how many people in Yorkshire and the Humber experts believe had coronavirus by December

Around one in six people in Yorkshire and the Humber had had Covid-19 by December last year, it has emerged, as new figures revealed "substantial variation" between regions in England.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics' Covid-19 Infection Survey estimated one in eight people in England had been infected as of last month, up from one in 14 in October.

Antibody data on infection in private households suggests that one in 10 in Wales had also been infected by December, alongside one in 13 in Northern Ireland and one in 11 in Scotland.

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The statistics, released as part of a partnership with the University of Oxford, University of Manchester, Public Health England and Wellcome Trust, are based on the proportion of the population who are likely to have tested positive for antibodies to Covid-19, based on blood test results from a sample of people aged 16 and over.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics' Covid-19 Infection Survey estimated one in eight people in England had been infected as of last month, up from one in 14 in October. Pic: PAFigures from the Office for National Statistics' Covid-19 Infection Survey estimated one in eight people in England had been infected as of last month, up from one in 14 in October. Pic: PA
Figures from the Office for National Statistics' Covid-19 Infection Survey estimated one in eight people in England had been infected as of last month, up from one in 14 in October. Pic: PA
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In Yorkshire and the Humber, in December 2,068 people were tested for antibodies in December and 260 tested positive. This equates to an estimated 735,000 people testing positive for Covid-19 across the region.

The percentage testing positive for Covid-19 antibodies in each region was as follows:

– Yorkshire and the Humber 16.8%

– London 16.4%

– North West 15.1%

– West Midlands 14.3%

– East Midlands 12.7%

– North East 12.5%

– South East 8.3%

– East of England 8.1%

– South West 4.9%

This means that the South East, East and South West all have rates below the average in England, while others have higher-than-average rates.

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The number of people who test positive for antibodies indicates how many people have previously had the infection.

Experts analysed blood samples from people across the UK to come to the conclusions.

But they warned that the length of time Covid-19 antibodies are detectable in the blood is not known.

The study came as Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed he is self-isolating after receiving an alert through the NHS Covid-19 app.

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In a video posted on Twitter, he said: “Last night I was pinged by the NHS coronavirus app, so that means I’ll be self-isolating at home, not leaving the house at all until Sunday.”

Mr Hancock, who has previously had coronavirus, said self-isolating is important because it is “how we break the chains of transmission”.

Meanwhile, some family doctors continue to express their frustration about the rollout of vaccines across the UK.

With more than half of the over-80s and half of elderly care home residents having received the jab, ministers have now given the go-ahead to begin vaccinating the next priority groups – the over-70s and the clinically extremely vulnerable.

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Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said “there will be an overlap” between those in the first group getting their jab and those in the second as the NHS keeps up the momentum of the vaccine rollout.

Some GPs have taken to social media saying they are “crying out for more vaccines” and that their elderly patients want to be vaccinated in local surgeries rather than having to travel further afield to mass centres.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, family GP Dr David Holwell said it is “disappointing” that the number of vaccines being given in his area has fallen because of a lack of supplies.

The doctor said that in his part of West Sussex they had been doing 2,000 vaccinations a week but only received 300 doses last week.

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Dr Zoe Norris said it was taking a huge amount of time to contact patients directly about being vaccinated.

The GP, from East Yorkshire, told BBC breakfast on Tuesday that some patients will be contacted by phone, people near the large vaccine hubs will receive letters and frontline health and social care staff can go to hospitals to be vaccinated.

She added: “There are several different routes at the moment.

“What we have done is initially we are ringing our patients who are in the first couple of groups so you can imagine it takes a huge amount of time, you’re talking 1,000 patients at least for one batch of vaccine.

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“So ringing those patients, making sure they know where to go, they have got people to bring them down if they are elderly and frail.”

Separately, a senior Yorkshire medic has warned that many NHS hospitals and intensive care units are “already overwhelmed” as the NHS is bracing for a further influx of Covid-19 patients.

Alison Pittard, dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine and a consultant in Leeds, said hospitals are already treating unprecedented numbers of patients. And more are expected over the next seven to 10 days.

Figures from the NHS in England show that a record 34,336 Covid-19 patients were in hospital in England as of 8am on Monday January 18. The figure is up seven per cent on a week ago, and up 94 per cent since Christmas Day.

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When asked about remarks from the Health Secretary that the NHS was at risk of being overwhelmed, but was not yet at that point, Dr Pittard said: “There are many intensive care units and hospitals around the country that are already overwhelmed – seeing unprecedented numbers of cases, large numbers of very, very sick people, many of whom are dying.

“And there are staff who are almost on their knees, having been going through this non-stop for months and months and months.

“So I think healthcare professionals who hear their situation to be described as not being overwhelmed is unfair.”

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