Summer wave of Covid may not be a bad thing, says public health expert

Covid has become less of a worry than it ever has been, according to a public health expert.

Dr Christine Tait-Burkard, a virologist at the University of Edinburgh, said as many as one in 10 people may have had Covid in Scotland in the last week.

She told STV News at Six it “may not necessarily be a bad thing”.

Dr Tait-Burkard said: “It’s living with Covid as we live with other respiratory illnesses like the flu, we’re still learning to live with Covid, obviously.

“Actually, having a summer wave is not necessarily a bad thing, because we don’t have any of the other winter colds.

“So we can actually see what the consequences of Covid on its own are in preparation for winter as well.”

Figures showed 948 people had been admitted to hospital with Covid in Scotland as of June 19 – an increase of 27% from the previous week.

Dr Tait-Burkard estimated that it was those who had not previously contracted the virus who were now contracting it.

There are now concerns that hospitals will see a surge in flu cases going into winter.