Prognosis

Virus Spreading Exponentially in U.K. for First Time Since March

  • Surge in Covid cases driven by infections in young people
  • New restrictions imposed on U.K.’s second biggest city
Commuters walk along a platform at Bank station in London, on Sept. 11.Photographer: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg
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Coronavirus is now spreading rapidly again across the U.K. for the first time since March, prompting new restrictions in Birmingham, the country’s second biggest city.

Government figures put the so-called “R” rate -- the reproduction number that shows how fast the virus multiplies -- between 1.0 and 1.2, driven by a surge in cases among younger people. The virus is spreading exponentially when R is above 1.