Covid tracking app shows cases in capital have rocketed by nearly a quarter in just two weeks

Tracking app shows covid infection levels have rocketed by nearly a quarter in the capital in past fortnight, as rates across country reach all-time high.

Data from tracking app Zoe has reported 24,810 cases in Edinburgh in the past seven days which shot up by 4680 from 20,130 two weeks ago – more than a twenty three per cent rise.

The app, which tracks covid by users inputting symptoms and experts analysing the data, showed that cases in the capital have increased by 2,600 on the previous week.

Scotland is among one of the worst-hit areas in the UK, according to Zoe which reported on Friday that new daily symptomatic cases of COVID in the UK on average increased by 47 per cent from the previous week.

Data from Zoe shows cases in capital have rocketed

It comes after latest official Government figures for Scotland show some 2,050 people are now in hospital with Covid, just three below the all-time high of 2,053 recorded in January 2021.

And one in 14 people had the virus in the week to March 12 – the highest infection level since the survey began in Autumn 2020.

Devi Sridhar, Professor of Global Public Health at Edinburgh University, called the latest figures "eye-watering high".

Earlier this month scientists from Zoe app, which provides up-to-date predictions about the spread of pandemic, warned that the UK Government was “drastically underestimating” prevalence.

With 4.7 million users the app is part of one of the largest studies of its kind in the world and led to 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers based on the findings.

But it’s future is uncertain as government funding will not be renewed it was announced this month, a decision founders have branded a “really bad mistake.”

Professor Tim Spector, lead scientist on the ZOE COVID Study app said: “COVID cases are now at the highest levels the ZOE COVID Study has ever recorded. Even more

concerning is the rise in new cases in people aged over 75. This vulnerable group have had low case numbers for months. We will need to wait a few weeks to see the full impact

on increased hospitalisation but numbers have already started to rise. The data shows this pandemic is definitely not over yet and is more unpredictable than ever, despite

government messages to the contrary and a lack of public health advice."

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