35 Sheffield students tested positive for coronavirus last week
And the city’s infection rate is falling
There were 35 new coronavirus cases amongst students at both Sheffield universities in the week beginning 8 February, with 18 cases at the Uni of Sheffield and 17 at Sheffield Hallam.
This marks a huge drop from early October when 109 cases were recorded at the Uni of Sheffield in just one day.
It comes after a health expert said the coronavirus infection rate in Sheffield could fall below 100 within the next week.
Louise Brewins, head of public health performance and intelligence at Sheffield City Council, said there is evidence the rate of decline “is picking up a little pace”.
She told The Star: “The reason the rate isn’t currently coming down faster than this is because of the new Kent variant, which we know is more transmissible.”
Infections per 100,000 people reached a high of 500 in October but have since dropped to 124 as of Tuesday. In June, infections were as low as 21 per 100,000 in the city.
Brewins continued: “The reason the rate isn’t currently coming down faster than this is because of the new Kent variant, which we know is more transmissible.
“This is the dominant variant in Sheffield now and it means that it is taking longer for us to reach a case rate below 100 per 100,000 although, if the current trajectory holds, then we should achieve that within the next seven to 14 days.”
If you’re struggling, you can contact the University of Sheffield’s mental health services here and Sheffield Hallam’s mental health services here.