Fears grow student Covid infections will spread into local areas in England and Wales

Infection rates at universities up to seven times higher than those in surrounding areas

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Covid-19 infection rates at universities in England and Wales are up to seven times higher than those in the general population locally, Guardian analysis has found, amid concern that growing student outbreaks risk spilling over into the wider community.

Sheffield University reported 588 student infections in the week ending 8 October, an infection rate of 2,028 per 100,000 population. This rate was about seven times higher than that for the city council area as a whole.