European countries are experiencing a surge in Covid-19 hospitalisations driven by sub-variants of the highly infectious Omicron strain, threatening a fresh global wave of the disease as immunity levels wane and pandemic restrictions are lifted.
Admissions have risen in several countries including France and England, according to data analysed by the Financial Times. The BA.5 sub-variant of Omicron now accounts for more than 80 per cent of new infections in Portugal. And in Germany, where admissions have been rising for over a week, the share of Covid-19 infections ascribed to BA.5 doubled at the end of last month.
Experts warn that the widespread scaling-back of testing and surveillance may be compromising the ability of countries to spot new mutations and react quickly. They fear this could lead to waves later in the year that will put pressure on health systems and potentially prove harder to contain.