Is a Covid summer surge underway?

Stock image. iStock.com/ ljubaphoto

By Ellie Philpotts

Doctors are reporting a rise in respiratory infections - is this a sign of a ‘summer wave’ of Covid, what part are new variants playing, and could other viruses have a role in this emerging pattern?

The country appears to be experiencing a new wave of Covid - confirmed cases have been steadily rising this summer, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).