Number of Covid patients in our hospitals down 90pc on January peak
GRANDPARENT UNHAPPY AT LACK OF PPE WORN OFF SITE TOLD IT’S NOT COMPULSORY
THE number of Covid-19 inpatients in our hospitals is continuing to fall down 90 per cent from its January peak.
There are currently 69 Covid-19 patients in hospital in Derby, Chesterfield and Burton, as of March 15, which is the lowest figure since the start of October, more than five months ago. This comes after hospital inpatient levels hit a record pandemic high of more than 700, seven weeks ago - more than double the height of the first wave.
Hospital leaders are urging residents to continue to follow Covid-19 guidance, particularly ahead of plans to ease lockdown from the end of this month and through the summer.
There are currently 20 Covid-19 patients at Royal Derby Hospital, down nearly half from 36 last week and an all-time high of 388 in mid-January - a reduction of 94 per cent. Meanwhile, there are eight Covid-19 patients in Royal Derby’s intensive care unit, down from nine last week and a high of nearly 30 early in the pandemic.
Gavin Boyle, chief executive of the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, points out that the number of Covid-19 patients in ICU represents a high proportion of all Covid patients at the trust.
Levels in ICU have remained far lower than during the first peak, unlike Covid patient numbers overall, which doubled the first peak in January. This has been helped by improved understanding of the virus and a range of new and effective treatment options.
There are 32 Covid-19 patients in Queen’s Hospital in Burton, slightly up from 28 last week, but down from 151 six weeks ago - a reduction of 78 per cent.
Queen’s Hospital staff are treating four Covid patients in ICU, down from seven last week and a high of 12 - a large number particularly for a site the size of Queen’s.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital staff are currently treating 17 Covid patients, down 40 per cent from 29 last week and 196 seven weeks ago a reduction of 91 per cent.
Meanwhile, there are five Covid patients in Chesterfield Royal’s ICU, down from seven last week and a high of 17 in early April last year.
A spokesperson for Chesterfield Royal Hospital said: “The number of positive cases of Covid-19 has continued to fall at the trust which is a very pleasing trend and reflects the national picture. However, we are still at the very start of national efforts to gradually exit lockdown and we still have a number of people in our care who are critically ill with Covid-19.”
A DERBY school head teacher has said she would not expect pupils to be wearing masks as they leave school each day as there is no Government requirement to do so.
But Gemma Penny, head of Woodlands School in Allestree, said they were being worn in school and the leaving times of pupils were staggered to avoid pupils massing outside the school without them.
Mrs Penny defended her school’s policy on masks and safety after criticism by a grandparent, who did not wish to be named, who drove past the school in Blenheim Drive at about 3.10pm when pupils were leaving.
The grandparent said: “I watched in horror as hundreds of children were walking along the street, barely one foot apart from each other. The majority did not wear a mask.
“I do not understand why they have to wear a mask in school or have bubbles, when as soon as they come out of school, hundreds of children are massed together, which seems an ideal breeding ground for coronavirus.
“If they are staggering the leaving times, then the ones I saw are all of different ages. I am just glad I was driving past and not trying to walk along the pavement.
“It is also chaotic in the mornings as pupils wait on the pavement for the gates to be unlocked.
“I think they should be asked to wear their masks until they are away from the crowds.”
Ms Penny said: “There is no Government requirement on anyone, at school or in the wider community, to wear a face covering outside and we do not expect our students to do so. “We do stagger the release of students at the end of the day and we encourage those who can, to move away from the front gates as soon as possible but some have siblings so they need to wait, of course.
“As students leave the site, they will look like groups but that is mainly because they are travelling in the same direction to go home.” Mrs Penny said that the first week back at school had been “tremendous”. She said: “We had 93% of families agreeing that their child could undertake lateral flow (rapid) testing for Covid.
“The implementation of this has been like a military operation and very successful. Our students have been given information about why the wearing of face coverings indoors is beneficial at this time and we have stressed they are doing this for their wider community.
“I am delighted to say they have taken this on board and we have had no issues whatsoever with students wearing the masks in school, when in lessons, in corridors and when sitting in indoor spaces studying and working together.
“We take safety very seriously and have an excellent record of managing Covid risk to date with very low levels of in school transmission.
“Tests kits are being issued to all pupils so they can continue testing for Covid at home. Pupils who have symptoms will be required to isolate.”