FOI ref: FOI/2022/4296
You asked
As an FOI Request I would like to know how you have determined that 2.7 million have Covid in the U.K. (8:7:2022) when most testing has stopped? Is this figure estimated?
We said
Thank you for your request.
The figure you refer to comes from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) COVID-19 Infection Survey (CIS). This is a household survey that estimates the number of people testing positive for infection and for antibodies in the UK.
In our survey, people tested are from randomly selected private residential households and may or may not have any COVID-19 symptoms. We test swab samples collected from participants for presence of the virus and use statistical modelling to produce COVID-19 positivity estimates that are representative of the population.
We publish our results in a weekly Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey, UK bulletin. You can find more information about how we collect and analyse our data in our Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection Survey: methods and further information article.
Our survey is independent of NHS testing and is therefore not influenced by changes to the number of cases reported to or by the NHS. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA, previously Public Health England) UKHSA are responsible for NHS Test and Trace, the testing programme that underpins the official number of people testing positive on the Government's coronavirus (COVID-19) dashboard.
Further information and an overview of data about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and other sources can be found in our Coronavirus (COVID-19) latest insights tool.