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It comes as data shows the risk of dying from the virus has plummeted, thanks to vaccines, natural immunity and the milder Omicron variant.

The risk of death for over-70s has decreased by tenfold compared to a year ago, it was found.

‘It’s like a Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious disease at the University of East Anglia, said: “There is no doubt the illness we are seeing now is less severe than at the start .

“We are seeing a big shift towards Covid becoming the common cold, due to a range of factors including prior infection and vaccines.

“There is a point where we have to ask why are we testing and isolating people who just have a common cold.

“We could bring down our isolation requirements to five days from a positive test – after five days there is no real advantage in isolating people .

“Unless things turn out worse than expected, by Easter we could end mass testing and do tests only in hospitals.

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“We also need to stop mass testing healthy children without symptoms. The harm to education from having to isolate healthy children if they test positive now outweighs any benefit to those children and we cannot continue.”

Professor Anthony Brookes, an expert in health data at the University of Leicester, helped compile the research based on Office for National Statistics, Government and NHS report s.

He said Covid no longer poses a significant threat to “the vast majority of people”.

Prof Brookes added: “We will not be in anything like the same place in January 2022 as we were in January 2021. Infected individuals are at less risk of becoming seriously ill or dying.”

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