COVID is making a comeback yet again, proving it’s far from being old news.

While some might think the pandemic is just a bad memory, fresh data shows infections have more than doubled since January—clear proof that COVID isn’t going anywhere. Cases have been creeping up this year as vaccine protection wears off and new variants pop up.

The latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) figures reveal the “positivity rate” rose from 4.2% to 4.5% in the week ending Sunday, April 6, leading to a 7% jump in COVID-positive hospital patients across England. Back in early January, when infections hit a two-year low, only 2.2% of tests came back positive—roughly 1 in 330 people.

Even though current numbers are just a quarter of last summer’s peak, Brits are being told not to let their guard down.

While a repeat of a “pandemic-level crisis like in 2020” is unlikely, Dr. Wylie warns that those who haven’t recently received a booster shot or had a COVID-19 infection remain the most vulnerable to new variants.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency, collected during the 2024 spring vaccination program, shows that within two months of vaccination, people had over a 40% lower risk of being hospitalized with COVID-19 compared to those who weren’t vaccinated.