The cumulative Covid death rate in Scotland remains the same as 7 days ago at 226 per 100 000 but the rate in England continues to climb from 302 per 100 000 (34% higher) to 305 per 100 000.

The gap, which has been widening since April 2022, has now grown to 35%.

The explanations will be complex but given Scotland’s lower life expectancy level and problems with alcohol and drugs, must be attributed, at least in part, to more effective health care, government.

The BMJ offered this explanation in March 2022:

Researchers believe one of the main factors behind the rising cases and admissions is BA.2, a sublineage of the omicron variant.

Colin Angus, senior research fellow at the University of Sheffield’s school of health, also identifies BA.2 as the key factor. He told The BMJ, “The recent rise in covid-19 infections, which is being driven by the emergence of the more transmissible BA.2 variant of omicron, has led to increases in the number of people in hospitals in England with covid-19 in all age groups and across all regions of the country.”

Angus highlighted two factors that he thinks will determine whether the rise in cases and admissions is a “small bump in the road or a full blown second omicron wave.” The first is how much people have relaxed their behaviour since covid restrictions were removed in the UK at the end of February. The second is the extent to which BA.1 infection provides protection against BA.2.

https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o738

Interesting but not answering the question of differences between England and Scotland other than, perhaps, less relaxation of behaviour here?