Overall, 374 deaths were reported in laboratory-confirmed Covid patients last winter.

But although the deaths show the threat from the virus remains, the number is down 57 percent from the previous winter, when 870 deaths were reported.

The Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC) said the highest number of Covid deaths were recorded in the weeks before, during last Christmas and at the beginning of the new year.

The watchdog said the virus was circulating widely last winter, largely due to the BA.2.86 lineage and its JN.1 sublineage.

But the severity in terms of reported cases, people hospitalized and patients in intensive care, deaths and outbreaks was lower than in previous winters.

A total of 15,063 Covid infections were reported last winter; There was a 67.9 percent decrease from the previous year, but this was largely due to changes in testing policy.

Last winter’s wave of infections was highest from November to the end of January and peaked in the first week of the year.

After January, the number of Covid cases reported dropped to levels seen last summer.

A total of 6,904 hospitalizations were recorded where patients tested positive for the virus, and 60 were admitted to intensive care.

Last winter, there was a 59.9 percent decrease in the number of people admitted to hospital due to Covid compared to the previous winter.

A total of 983 Covid outbreaks were reported in health and care settings such as nursing homes and hospitals, a 67.9 per cent decrease compared to the previous winter.

The average age of people with lab-confirmed Covid last winter was 69

Whatever the impact of new variants, the spread of Covid always increases during the winter months, the watchdog said.

He also pointed out that changes in testing policies over time should also be taken into account when comparing Covid figures with figures from previous years.

While the average age of people with laboratory-confirmed Covid last winter was 69, 66.6 percent of cases were in people 55 and older.

By comparison, figures from the previous winter showed the average age was 52, with almost one in two people aged 55 or older.

The peak in hospitalizations last winter occurred in the first week of January; This occurred two weeks after the previous winter’s peak.

ICU admissions peaked at the end of December and ranged from zero to five cases in all other weeks.

Last summer’s wave started in mid-May and was likely caused by reduced immunity of the population and the spread of FLiRT variants.

The wave peaked at the end of July with 1,087 confirmed cases and then began to decline.

According to the latest figures, Covid infections fell to 250 cases in the last week of October.

However, cases of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are increasing.

Ninety-three cases of influenza were confirmed; 33 were hospitalized, were not admitted to intensive care, and there were no deaths.