COVID cases are rising and there’s a new strain – what if I catch it at Christmas?

Published

2 years ago

December 18, 2023

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The festive season may bring back memories of Christmas COVID waves gone by.

While restrictions were in place in 2020 and 2021, many were forced to spend Christmas Day alone or isolated from loved ones.

In the latter part of this year, virus levels decreased month-on-month, but positivity rates have crept up again with increased social mixing in the run-up to 25 December.

And a sub-lineage of the so-called “Pirola” variant – JN.1 – has been spreading, with the UK Health Security Agency sub-categorising it on 4 December due to its spike protein mutation and “increasing prevalence within the UK and international data”.

In the absence of restrictions, with COVID circulating again, Sky News looks at current virus levels and what the guidance is for those who catch it over the Christmas break.

COVID rates rising

The latest data, which covers the week ending 9 December, shows COVID cases increasing by 39% on the previous week.

COVID positivity rates increased to 7.5% in England for the week ending 14 December, from 6.4% the previous week. Flu positivity also increased significantly from 2.4% to 5.6% that week.

The reversal of previously low virus trends is the inevitable result of more indoor gatherings during the festive period, scientists tell Sky News.

Professor of innate immunity at the University of Cambridge, Clare Bryant, says people have become “complacent” about COVID – despite “lots of people having it at the moment”.

“There are lots of other germs around as well – flu is circulating and other colds,” she says.

Professor Nicolas Locker, a virologist at the Pirbright Institute, adds: “We’re going to see a fairly large rise in cases this winter.

“Not because the newer JN.1 sub-lineage is more problematic or severe, but because we’re losing our defences – protections afforded by our last set of boosters, and our immunity is waning.”

What should you do if you get COVID at Christmas?

Symptoms of COVID, flu, and other respiratory infections are “very similar”, according to the NHS.

They include: a continuous cough; high temperature, loss or change in sense of taste or smell; shortness of breath; unexplained tiredness; muscle aches; loss of appetite; headache; sore throat; runny or stuffy nose; and diarrhoea or vomiting.

If you have several symptoms but cannot access a COVID test, the NHS advises you to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until you feel better or no longer have a high temperature if you have one.

It is particularly important to avoid close contact with anyone high-risk – the elderly, clinically vulnerable and their carers, and pregnant women.

If you do have to leave home, the guidance suggests you “wear a well-fitting face covering made with multiple layers – or a surgical mask”, avoid crowded or poorly-ventilated spaces, cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough, wash your hands regularly, and avoid touching your face.

If you do a COVID test and the result is positive – official guidance recommends avoiding contact with others for five days after the day of your test for adults and three days for children.

You should also avoid meeting any clinically vulnerable people for 10 days after you take your test.

Over the Christmas period, this would mean isolating in a different room to elderly or vulnerable visitors – or asking them to stay at home instead.

What is JN.1 and how widespread is it in the UK?

JN.1 is a sub-lineage of the BA.2.86 Omicron variant.

It was first detected in Luxembourg in August, before spreading to the US, UK, France and other countries.

Its parent was first detected in Denmark in July, with the first BA.2.86 cases appearing in the UK in August. It is sometimes referred to as the “Pirola” variant – but the World Health Organisation hasn’t given it an official name, as it is still a type of Omicron.

JN.1 has one mutation in its spike protein (which dictates how easily it can infect our cells) compared to BA.2.86. But there are several other mutations elsewhere.

The latest genomic sequencing data, up until 21 November, shows it as the fastest-growing variant in the UK – with a weekly growth advantage of 84%, followed by its parent BA.2.86 at 23% and JD.1.1 (a sub-lineage of the XBB variant) at 22%.

JN.1 mutations will ‘probably make it more infectious’

Prof Bryant describes the various mutations in JN.1 as “interesting”, including some unseen since the Alpha and Beta variants in 2020 and 2021.

She says the changes are likely to mean JN.1 evades our immune systems more easily – and replicates faster.

“The change in the spike protein will probably correlate to it being more infectious,” she adds.

“And that’s what’s caused us the most problems so far – because you can’t control something that’s that infectious.”

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Professor Sheena Cruickshank, immunologist at the University of Manchester, agrees and adds that it could take longer to recover from – or cause more severe disease.

“One of the mutations JN.1 seems to have has the potential to help it better latch on to cells, making it better at infecting us,” she tells Sky News.

“That coupled with immune evasion mechanisms mean it may be tricky for our immune systems to get rid of.”

Professor Locker says, however, that so far there has been no indication of increased disease severity.

“I think we’re just seeing the natural evolution of COVID and I don’t think there’s anything right now we should be overly worried about,” he says.

“These are very small changes in comparison to the ones between Omicron and the previous set of variants. And we haven’t seen a change in symptoms or severity.”

Vaccines still likely to be effective against it

Prof Locker says that another reason not to be too concerned about JN.1 is vaccine protection.

Vaccines given as part of the current booster rollout have been updated to protect against the XBB.1.5 Omicron variant, which has also been proven to work against JN.1’s parent BA.2.86.

Prof Cruickshank adds that “by inference” this should also mean current vaccines work well against JN.1.

But all three scientists point to low vaccination levels as a more general cause of concern.

Now only the over 65s, care home residents, carers, health and social care workers, and the clinically vulnerable can get booster jabs on the NHS.

And of those groups, only around 50% are taking up the offer, meaning vaccine protection is relatively low.

UK

MasterChef presenter John Torode sacked

Published

5 hours ago

July 15, 2025

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MasterChef presenter John Torode will no longer work on the show after an allegation he used an “extremely offensive racist term” was upheld, the BBC has said.

His co-host Gregg Wallace was also sacked last week after claims of inappropriate behaviour.

On Monday, Torode said an allegation he used racist language was upheld in a report into the behaviour of Wallace. The report found more than half of 83 allegations against Wallace were substantiated.

Torode, 59, insisted he had “absolutely no recollection” of the alleged incident involving him and he “did not believe that it happened,” adding “racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment”.

In a statement on Tuesday, a BBC spokesperson said the allegation “involves an extremely offensive racist term being used in the workplace”.

The claim was “investigated and substantiated by the independent investigation led by the law firm Lewis Silkin”, they added.

“The BBC takes this upheld finding extremely seriously,” the spokesperson said.

“We will not tolerate racist language of any kind… we told Banijay UK, the makers of MasterChef, that action must be taken.

“John Torode’s contract on MasterChef will not be renewed.”

Australian-born Torode started presenting MasterChef alongside Wallace, 60, in 2005.

A statement from Banijay UK said it “takes this matter incredibly seriously” and Lewis Silkin “substantiated an accusation of highly offensive racist language against John Torode which occurred in 2018”.

“This matter has been formally discussed with John Torode by Banijay UK, and whilst we note that John says he does not recall the incident, Lewis Silkin have upheld the very serious complaint,” the TV production company added.

“Banijay UK and the BBC are agreed that we will not renew his contract on MasterChef.”

Earlier, as the BBC released its annual report, its director-general Tim Davie addressed MasterChef’s future, saying it can survive as it is “much bigger than individuals”.

Speaking to BBC News after Torode was sacked, Mr Davie said a decision is yet to be taken over whether an unseen MasterChef series – filmed with both Wallace and Torode last year – will be aired.

“It’s a difficult one because… those amateur chefs gave a lot to take part – it means a lot, it can be an enormous break if you come through the show,” he added.

“I want to just reflect on that with the team and make a decision, and we’ll communicate that in due course.”

Mr Davie refused to say what the “seriously racist term” Torode was alleged to have used but said: “I certainly think we’ve drawn a line in the sand.”

In 2022, Torode was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, for services to food and charity.

UK

David Fuller: Offences committed by hospital worker who sexually abused dozens of corpses ‘could happen again’

Published

11 hours ago

July 15, 2025

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David Fuller: Offences committed by hospital worker who sexually abused dozens of corpses 'could happen again'

An inquiry into the case of a hospital worker who sexually abused dozens of corpses has concluded that “offences such as those committed by David Fuller could happen again”.

It found that “current arrangements in England for the regulation and oversight of the care of people after death are partial, ineffective and, in significant areas, completely lacking”.

The first phase of the inquiry found Fuller, 70, was able to offend for 15 years in mortuaries without being suspected or caught due to “serious failings” at the hospitals where he worked.

Phase 2 of the inquiry has examined the broader national picture and considered if procedures and practices in other hospital and non-hospital settings, where deceased people are kept, safeguard their security and dignity.

What were Fuller’s crimes?

Fuller was given a whole-life prison term in December 2021 for the murders of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in 1987.

During his time as a maintenance worker, he also abused the corpses of at least 101 women and girls at Kent and Sussex Hospital and the Tunbridge Wells Hospital before his arrest in December 2020.

His victims ranged in age from nine to 100.

Phase 1 of the inquiry found he entered one mortuary 444 times in the space of one year “unnoticed and unchecked” and that deceased people were also left out of fridges and overnight during working hours.

‘Inadequate management, governance and processes’

Presenting the findings on Tuesday, Sir Jonathan Michael, chair of the inquiry, said: “This is the first time that the security and dignity of people after death has been reviewed so comprehensively.

“Inadequate management, governance and processes helped create the environment in which David Fuller was able to offend for so long.”

He said that these “weaknesses” are not confined to where Fuller operated, adding that he found examples from “across the country”.

“I have asked myself whether there could be a recurrence of the appalling crimes committed by David Fuller. – I have concluded that yes, it is entirely possible that such offences could be repeated, particularly in those sectors that lack any form of statutory regulation.”

Sir Jonathan called for a statutory regulation to “protect the security and dignity of people after death”.

After an initial glance, his interim report already called for urgent regulation to safeguard the “security and dignity of the deceased”.

On publication of his final report he describes regulation and oversight of care as “ineffective, and in significant areas completely lacking”.

David Fuller was an electrician who committed sexual offences against at least 100 deceased women and girls in the mortuaries of the Kent and Sussex Hospital and the Tunbridge Wells Hospital. His victims ranged in age from nine to 100.

This first phase of the inquiry found Fuller entered the mortuary 444 times in a single year, “unnoticed and unchecked”.

It was highly critical of the systems in place that allowed this to happen.

His shocking discovery, looking at the broader industry – be it other NHS Trusts or the 4,500 funeral directors in England – is that it could easily have happened elsewhere.

The conditions described suggest someone like Fuller could get away with it again.

UK

MasterChef is ‘bigger than individuals’ and ‘can survive’, BBC says

Published

11 hours ago

July 15, 2025

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MasterChef is 'bigger than individuals' and 'can survive', BBC says

BBC director-general Tim Davie has said MasterChef can survive its current scandal as it is “much bigger than individuals” – but the corporation must “make sure we’re in the right place in terms of the culture of the show”.

On Monday, it was revealed an independent review into “inappropriate behaviour” by MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace had upheld more than half of the allegations against him.

A few hours later, Wallace’s former MasterChef co-presenter, John Torode, said an allegation he used “racial language” was upheld in the report as part of a review.

After the report was published, Wallace, 60, said he was “deeply sorry” for causing any distress, and never set out to “harm or humiliate”.

Torode, 59, said he had “no recollection of the incident” and said he “did not believe that it happened,” and said he was “shocked and saddened by the allegation”.

Mr Davie said the BBC’s leadership team would not “tolerate behaviour that is not in line with our values,” while BBC chair Samir Shah acknowledged there were still pockets within the broadcaster where “powerful individuals” can still “make life for their colleagues unbearable”.

They said several BBC staff members had been dismissed in the last three months, following an independent review into workplace culture.

Wallace, who was sacked from MasterChef last week, is not included in that count as he was not directly contracted by the corporation, but employed by independent production company Banijay.

The corporation has yet to decide if the unseen MasterChef series – filmed with both Wallace and Torode last year – will be aired or not.

News of the findings in the Gregg Wallace report came just hours before the BBC was deemed to have breached its editorial guidelines by failing to disclose that the child narrator of a Gaza documentary was the son of a Hamas official.

Media watchdog Ofcom subsequently launched its own investigation into the programme.

While the 2024-25 annual report showed a small rise in trust overall for the corporation, Mr Davie acknowledged it had been a year which saw the reputation of the BBC damaged by “serious failings” in the making of the documentary.

The BBC boss acknowledged: “It was important that the BBC took full responsibility for those failings and apologised for them,” and later in response to a question, called the documentary – Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone – “the most challenging editorial issue I’ve had to deal with”.

He went on: “The importance of fair balance reporting, the need for high-quality homegrown programming in the face of massive pressure, I think has never, ever been greater. And I believe my leadership and the team I’ve assembled can really help the BBC thrive in that environment and very competitive environment.”

BBC boss has chair’s ‘full support’

Despite a series of failings in recent months – including livestreaming the controversial Bob Vylan set at Glastonbury last month – Mr Davie insisted he can “lead” the organisation in the right direction.

When asked if he would resign, he replied: “I simply think I’m in a place where I can work to improve dramatically the BBC and lead it in the right way.

“We will make mistakes, but I think as a leadership and myself, I’ve been very clear, and I think we have been decisive.”

He said the organisation was setting a “global standard” for media.

Mr Shah, reiterated his support for Mr Davie.

“Tim Davie and his team, and Tim in particular, has shown very strong leadership throughout all this period and he has my full support.”

The report also revealed its top earners, which saw former Match Of The Day host Gary Lineker top the chart once again.

Meanwhile, Australian children’s cartoon Bluey proved a boon for the broadcaster, and was the most watched show in the US across all genres – with 55 billion minutes viewed.

The top 10 shows watched over Christmas 2024 were also all from the BBC.

Recent annual reviews have been overshadowed by the Huw Edwards scandal and allegations of a toxic environment around flagship show Strictly Come Dancing.

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