What the Eye Doesn't See?

It's claimed that, in the UK, circa 5 million people currently have a Covid19 infection. Although this has been labelled an 'all time high', some statisticians believe infection numbers are generally roughly double these 'official' figures. Either way, the highly tranmissible BA2 subvariant of Omicron is certainly getting around! Concomitantly, the UK is scrapping free testing for the virus. Virologists are speculating on what this combination might mean. This is especially pertinent as the Easter holiday period is being entered (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/02/covid-cases-at-an-all-time-high-free-testing-scrapped-so-what-will-happen-now). It has been claimed, the UK actually only diagnoses 1 in 7 to 1 in 8 Covid19 infections. Clearly, the testing reductions will make it virtually impossible to know whether infection numbers peaked earlier/are peaking now/will peak at some future date. It's also going to be hard to establish whether, in the UK, Covid19 is seasonal (like influenza) or with us around the year (like the Common cold). Everyone seems to be expecting a decline in infection rates, as the warmer Summer months, result in more outside activity. This may not, however, be the case. Perhaps, this relies too much on the concept of 'beneficial' seasonal weather changes? The influence of weather on human behaviour is becoming much less predictable. Heatwaves or smoke from burning vegetation, for example, could drive more people (especially the elderly) indoors, for extended periods. They would then become highly vulnerable to the BA2 subvariant. Consequently, it seems premature to largely limit testing to those who are prepared to pay for it.