Up to one in 40 may have Covid-19 in parts of Northern Ireland, scientist warns

Chief scientific adviser Professor Ian Young has warned that as many as one in 40 people may have coronavirus in some parts of Northern Ireland (Niall Carson/PA)

As many as one in 40 people may have coronavirus in some parts of Northern Ireland, the region’s chief scientific adviser has warned.

Professor Ian Young said one in 100 had a Covid-19 diagnosis in the last week, but that is likely to be an under-representation of the true number of cases because many people are asymptomatic and are not diagnosed.