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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Joanna Taylor

Oximeters may give ‘misleading results to Black people’, experts warn as cases stall

Photograph: Getty Images
UK Covid-19 vaccinations: Latest figures

Devices that measure blood oxygen levels could be giving “seriously misleading” results for Black and minority ethnic people, possibly contributing to increased Covid-19 mortality, experts have warned.

Meanwhile, Covid-19 infections are no longer falling in England, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said.

Around 1 in 340 people in England had the virus in the week ending on 20 March, the same estimate as the week before.

It is the first time the prevalence of community infections has not declined since lockdown measures were introduced in late January.

Meanwhile, Britain’s R rate has increased to 0.7 to 0.9 this week, up slightly from 0.6 to 0.9. The R number represents the average number of people a person with Covid-19 will go on to infect.

ONS modelling suggests that Covid-19 rates are increasing in school-aged children between years 7 and 11. Rates are falling between older teenagers and young adults.

NHS England has reported 43 Covid-related deaths in hospitals in England between 29 January and 25 March. Those who died were aged between 47 and 94.

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