Infection levels see big falls but rates still high
CHIEF NURSE SAYS MORE DIALOGUE IS NEEDED TO DISPEL LONG-STANDING MISTRUST ISSUES
AMBER Valley and Derby have seen the largest drops in Covid-19 infections in Derbyshire from their January peaks, falling more than 70 per cent.
But Covid-19 infections in the county and city still remain extremely high.
The county is still seeing more than six times as many cases per week as it did in September, with schools set to reopen in two weeks. All areas, except the Derbyshire Dales, still have infection levels above the national average.
Parts of the county have seen their infection levels drop much further than in others.
Amber Valley has seen the largest reduction in infection levels – tracked by cases per 100,000 people in a week – with a 78 per cent fall from its peak.
This has seen its infection rate plummet from an all-time high of 560 cases per 100,000 people in a week, to 121 in six-and-a-half weeks.
Derby has seen the second-largest reduction from its case rate peak, falling by 74 per cent from 674 cases per 100,000 people to 178 over the past five-and-a-half weeks.
Through Government data which provides case rates and case numbers by hyper-local areas, containing around 7,500 people each, we can dig deeper into Amber Valley and Derby to see the places where cases remain higher and where recorded Covid cases have almost dropped off entirely.
Within Amber Valley, the local area which has the highest number of cases in the most recent week (to February 17) is Ripley East, Riddings and Ironville with 29 cases.
This is followed by Shipley with 17 and the Heanor East and Langley Mill area with 16 cases.
By contrast, there is a “suppressed” level of Covid-19 cases – fewer than three – in the Crich, Holloway and Wingfield area.
This is followed by three cases in Ambergate, Heage and Idridgehay, and six cases in Heanor South and Shipley Park – putting two neighbouring Heanor areas at opposite ends of the scale.
A month ago, in the week to January 15, the Amber Valley area of Swanwick and Leabrooks was one of the areas in Derbyshire with the highest number of weekly cases, with 56.
Meanwhile, in Derby, Boulton and Chaddesden both have the highest number of cases by local area within the city in the past week, with 29 each. They are followed by Sinfin with 25 cases and Chaddesden Park with 23 cases.
The area in the city with the lowest number of cases in a week is Allestree North with three cases.
It is followed by Allestree South, Darley Abbey and New Zealand, each of which respectively have recorded five cases in the most recent week.
A month ago, more than 10 areas in the city were recording in excess of 50 cases per week and two areas, New Normanton and Rose Hill & Castleward, were clocking more than 100 – with 141 cases and 106 cases respectively in the week to January 15.
Despite infection rates having fallen from the January peak across the county, there remain problem areas. Erewash, including Long Eaton, Ilkeston and Sandiacre, is one of 43 areas in the country where infection rates are currently on the rise.
Here is the amount infection levels have dropped in each area of Derbyshire, from their respective January peaks to the week ending February 18:
Amber Valley – 78 per cent Bolsover – 67 per cent Chesterfield – 60 per cent Derbyshire Dales – 65 per cent Derby – 74 per cent
Erewash – 58 per cent
High Peak – 66 per cent
North East Derbyshire – 62 per cent South Derbyshire – 65 per cent
A CRIPPLING level of disinformation and historic mistrust is causing Derbyshire residents in black, Asian and other ethnic minority communities to not take up the Covid vaccines.
Figures released by central Government last week confirmed what local officials in Derbyshire suspected would happen, lower proportions of residents in BAME communities are taking up the vaccines.
The data showed BAME residents made up 5.7% of all Derbyshire jabs, despite making up 14.45% of the county, including Derby, as of the 2011 census.
Health and social care officials in the county – working together through a joint organisation called Joined Up Care Derbyshire – have been stepping up efforts to urge BAME residents to take up the Covid vaccine when offered it. They are also reassuring BAME residents, who are disproportionately affected by Covid19, to ignore disinformation and myths about the safety of the vaccines and to inform themselves with trusted and evidenced research.
Michelle Bateman, who is black Caribbean, is chief nurse for Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, which is leading the county and city’s Covid vaccine roll-out.
She said: “In the black population in particular, there is a view that in years gone by, historically, black people have been put in the line of experiments which makes them reticent about coming forward.
“A lot of what people are saying as well is that they are concerned about the speed at which the vaccine was developed. There is mistrust in the process. There are concerns about the vaccine components as well and concerns about taking the vaccine during Ramadan.”
Ramadan is the annual Muslim celebration during which celebrants do not eat or drink during daytime for a month. This year, Ramadan stretches from April 12 until May 12.
Ms Bateman said: “We need to understand the route of people’s concerns rather than thinking we know their issues.
“Faith leaders, particularly in the Muslim community, told us there were concerns about what was in the vaccine, and the British Muslim Council has confirmed the vaccine would not invalidate their fasting.
“People also talk about the lack of
BAME representation in the clinical trials so therefore people aren’t sure if the Covid vaccine is for them. It is about giving people an informed choice and not just listening to what you hear in the community.
“The main thing I hear from colleagues is how quickly the vaccination was made, so we are reassuring the reason it was produced this quickly is because it was a global effort, but it did not mean any corners were cut in terms of the safety of the vaccination.
“In the black community, in particular, it is often about mistrust in the health service overall and why we are trying to push the vaccine on that community, that’s how people perceive it, so there is concern and hesitancy. Each community has a perspective and it will be about using trusted community leaders to understand the issues and address them in an appropriate manner.”
The poor vaccine uptake in BAME communities, those most at risk, has been highlighted as a symptom of longreaching and historic mistrust and health inequality issues – simply brought further into the limelight by the pandemic. Ms Bateman, whose parents are from Jamaica, said: “We have got a real opportunity to understand where these communities are coming from (with their concerns).
“We can start tackling this by working with trusted community leaders. Health doesn’t have the answers on its own. Covid-19 starts to open the door for the conversation but we shouldn’t think that once this is over that we close the door, it is just the beginning of tackling some of the health inequalities that have been going on for a long, long time.
“There are people in the BAME community who will not need much cajoling to get the vaccine but there are some who will dig their heels in who you will need to try and convince using different methods.
“We are in this for the long haul. Covid-19 blew open the box on health inequalities, blew open the box on how people think about health and the NHS in this country and I am hoping one of the positives that comes out of this appalling situation is that we have started the dialogue.
“We can’t stop that once we have done the vaccinations. We then need to talk about starting to address some of the health inequalities we have known about for a long, long time but never really managed to get to the crux of and try and influence and change.”
Ms Bateman’s message is this: “If you have concerns about the vaccine, talk to your local GP or a health professional who you might know to have these conversations.
“The number of people that have died is horrendous and I know we feel we are coming to the end of this and can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we are still a long way off and the vaccine is one important part of the jigsaw. If we don’t get as many people getting the vaccinations as possible it is going to affect how we get out of this.”
Delisha-Joy Ruskin, who is British Caribbean, is a community dietician for the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust.
Mrs Ruskin, who lives in Chesterfield, said: “I’ve had the vaccine and it is completely safe. It has been through all the rigorous checks a vaccine would normally have to go through. I think it is the quickest and safest way for us to get back to a normal life, to be honest. There’s been a lot of disinformation out there, but it is just disinformation and I would tell people to get the vaccine.
“Because I belong to the BAME community, it is particularly saddening when you hear there has been a low uptake amongst people of the BAME community.
“We need to look at the facts, that it (the virus) is particularly harmful to the BAME community and the vaccine is one of the best ways to protect yourself, and your family as well.
“There are certain parts of the community who are quite hesitant because we have never been in a global pandemic, there is hesitancy when we have not known about the virus until a short while ago.
“We need to put people’s fears to bed. I do think if people see people who look like them who have had the vaccine then that will go a long way to helping them feel more confident about taking the vaccine.
“Don’t just listen to a video on social media because it says ‘Doctor’ before someone’s name, always stick to NHS and Government-endorsed websites.”
The reason it was produced this quickly is because it was a global effort, but it did not mean any corners were cut. Michelle Bateman