Graph shows tragic toll Covid-19 has taken on our hospitals

NHS figures have revealed the tragic toll coronavirus has taken in northern Lincolnshire.

Since the outbreak began, 122 deaths have been recorded at hospitals in the region where a patient has tested positive for Covid-19.

The graph above charts the dates of each confirmed death at a Northern Lincolnshire & Goole NHS Foundation Trust hospital and how many sadly passed away after contracting the virus on each of them.

It shows that Covid-19 deaths sharply increased in early April before peaking later in the month.

On two days, April 20 and 22, seven deaths were reported with a number of other days seeing five deaths, including as late as May 25.

A tragic 72 coronavirus deaths were recorded in our local hospitals in April, following on from 9 in March. It fell to 33 in May and 4 in June. Though the pandemic’s impact in our region peaked in the spring, the resurgence of the virus appeared to be confirmed in the last week of September when two deaths were recorded in the wake of a steep rise in cases. Overall there were four Covid deaths at local hospitals throughout last month – the first since June.

It comes as a further 47 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England.

That brings the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 30,096, NHS England said on Friday. Patients were aged between 51 and 97 and all except two, aged 59 and 92, had known underlying health conditions.

The deaths were between September 26 and October 1. Meanwhile, data released on Friday by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) shows the estimate for R for the whole of the UK is between 1.3 and 1.6.

Last week, the R number was between 1.2 and 1.5. However, weekly data from the Office for National Statistics on new cases shows figures have fallen on last week. Yet Sage has cautioned that while there are some early indications that suggest the growth of the epidemic might be slowing, it is too early to draw firm conclusions. The scientific advisers said “it is still highly likely that the epidemic is growing exponentially across the country” and more data is needed to accurately assess recent changes in coronavirus transmission. “Over the next few weeks, it will be important that we understand this in the UK and do not become complacent,” they added.

R represents the average number of people each Covid-19 positive person goes on to infect. When the figure is above 1, an outbreak can grow exponentially.

Earlier this year, before control measures were put in place, R was thought to be just under three.