London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Covid: Omicron now dominant in England - health experts

Covid: Omicron now dominant in England - health experts

Omicron has now replaced Delta to become the dominant variant of Covid in England, new analysis suggests.

The UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA) said just over 54% of new cases tested earlier this week had something called the S-gene dropout - which is a clue that a case is Omicron.

But there is still a big variation across different regions.

In London, four out of five cases tested were Omicron, while in the North East it is 27%.

Omicron - the heavily-mutated variant that spreads faster than Delta - is also thought to be dominant in Scotland.

Health officials tested a sample of new Covid cases over two days earlier this week, to see how many cases had what is known as an S-gene dropout, or no S gene.

Delta does not have an S-gene dropout, so that gives a clue that it could be the new variant. But not all S-gene dropouts will necessarily be Omicron and full genomic sequencing is needed to be sure.

The UKHSA said 54.2% of cases tested had the S-gene dropout suggesting it was Omicron. Across the regions the figure was:

* East Midlands: 51%

* East of England: 62%

* London: 80.8%

* North East: 26.5%

* North West: 52.6%

* South East: 55.9%

* South West: 48.2%

* West Midlands: 45.7%

* Yorkshire and Humber: 46%

However all figures are only based on samples tested at four of the UK Lighthouse laboratories - Alderley Park, Glasgow, Milton Keynes and Newcastle - which means there are likely to be parts of the country where the prevalence of Omicron is under-reported.


On Friday the UK saw another record number of daily Covid cases for the third day in a row, with more than 93,000 infections announced.

But Prof Chris Whitty, the UK government's chief medical adviser, has already said there will be a lot of new highs over the next few weeks as Omicron continues to spread.

It comes as new research shows boosters could provide around 85% protection against severe illness from Omicron.

The protection is a bit less than vaccines gave against earlier versions of Covid - but it means the top-up dose should still keep many people out of hospital.

On Friday, the leaders of Wales and Scotland used news conferences to warn about the spread of Omicron.

Wales has announced nightclubs must close after Boxing Day and has not ruled out more measures, and in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said they are starting to see a "tsunami" of cases, with Omicron now replacing Delta as the dominant variant.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×