People going home for Christmas have been warned of the dangers of Covid on vulnerable family members as more than 10,000 people in England could be in hospital with Covid by the end of the year.
It comes as the latest NHS England figures showed there was a 22 per cent increase in the number of people in hospital with Covid in a week.
There were 6,720 people in hospital with the virus on 14 December, up from 5,501 on 7 December, according to data released by NHS England.
NHS Covid doctor Dr Daniel Goyal said the rise in hospitalisations is “very concerning” and warned that rising cases is exacerbating the “worst healthcare crisis that any of us have ever experienced.”
“Part of the greater concern is the number of patients who are contracting Covid in the hospital settings,” Dr Goyal told The Independent.
“What we’re seeing is people picking up Covid in hospital then being delayed from going home adding more pressure to the service.
“It brings the question as to why we haven’t done anything significant to try and reduce transmission.”
Dr Goyal said in the run-up to Christmas there should be stronger public health messaging about the benefits of wearing a face mask in communal spaces and crowded spaces.
He added that the public should consider wearing face masks in Christmas gatherings where vulnerable family members are present.
Hospital beds are already at a premium and Covid increases the pressure for space, doctors warn
(PA)
Meanwhile, flu admissions in hospitals in England overtook those for people with Covid-19 for the first time since the pandemic began, figures show.
The rate of flu admissions stood at 6.8 per 100,000 people in the week to 11 December, compared with 6.6 per 100,000 for Covid-19.
Both levels are currently rising, but the rate of flu admissions has jumped sharply week-on-week – nearly doubling from 3.9 per 100,000 – while Covid-19 admissions are climbing more slowly.
The figures are the latest sign that flu is becoming steadily more prevalent among the population.
Hospital admissions of people with flu are now running at a higher rate than in any week during the previous four winters, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
Admissions are highest among those aged 85 and over, at 23.1 per 100,000 people, up week-on-week from 10.7.
There has been a similarly large jump in the rate among children aged four and under, from 8.4 to 20.7.
Coronavirus cases in England are estimated to have climbed above one million for the first time since the end of October, while Scotland and Wales have both seen an increase.
Doctors are also calling for stronger encouragement of mask use
(Getty Images)
Research actuary Adele Groyer forecasted that if Covid hospital admissions continued at their current trajectory (28 per cent rise), more than 9,000 people could be in hospital with the virus by Christmas and more than 11,000 by the end of the year.
Ms Groyer added that while a 28 per cent sustained increase is unlikely, it is possible, In that scenario, NHS beds in England would potentially run out by 31 December, forcing the NHS to cancel non-urgent procedures to free up space.
Stuart McDonald, partner at LCP Health Analytics and founder of Covid-19 Actuaries Response Group also forecasted Covid hospitalisations could rise above 10,000 before the end of year, spelling more disaster for an “already creaking NHS.”
“At the moment, there are very few hospital beds in the NHS, the system is creaking: the waiting time for ambulances and A&E admissions show there is a huge lodger in the system,” Mr McDonald told The Independent.
“In the context of an NHS which is already really struggling with bed availability, every extra bed taken up by a Covid patient is a problem.”
Mr McDonald also pointed to the proportion of patients contracting coronavirus in the hospital, which researchers have said is around one third of total coronavirus cases.
Professor Majeed Azeem, head of public health at Imperial College said that the UK currently faced a double threat of Covid and flu, encouraging the public to get vaccinated against both viruses.
He added that while it’s unlikely people will scale back their festive plans amid rising hospital admissions, people should consider getting tested before visiting elderly family members for Christmas gatherings.
The total number of people in private households in the UK testing positive for coronavirus stood at an estimated 1.3 million in the week to 5 December, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, UKHSA consultant epidemiologist for immunisation, said: “We’re seeing rises in flu, Covid and other winter viruses as people mix more indoors.
“Covid hospitalisations are highest in the oldest age groups, so it is particularly important that everyone who is eligible continues to come forward to accept their booster jab.
“While Covid-19 and flu can be mild infections for many, we must not forget that they can cause severe illness or even death for those most vulnerable in our communities.”
Kaynak: briturkish.com
