Spike in cases of Covid caught at Welsh hospitals
TWO areas of Wales – Swansea and Cwm Taf – have seen a significant increase in hospital-acquired Covid infections in recent weeks.
Back in August, there were several weeks when there were no cases of coronavirus caught in hospitals in Wales.
In the early days of the pandemic, Welsh hospitals were full of Covid-19 thanks to spiralling cases, shortages of tests and a lack of PPE.
Yet it was hoped that processes had improved significantly and that patients in hospitals would be better protected in a second wave.
However, there have now been significant spikes in both Cwm Taf and Swansea Bay health boards.
Last week, Cwm Taf likely had 26 cases of hospital transmission, with 20 of these definitely hospital onset and another six probable. The week before that, Swansea Bay had 25, the most in a single week since February.
We approached both health boards to ask the following questions:
Where is the current outbreak? Is it a general rise across the health board or is it a specific outbreak in a particular hospital/ward?
What has caused this outbreak? Is it simply greater community transmission or is it one super-spreader?
How has this affected the delivery of services? Has it resulted in cancelled procedures? Have mitigation measures been put in place?
A spokesman for Swansea Bay confirmed that Morriston had seen recent hospital transmission.
He said: “Coronavirus is a highly-transmissible virus, especially in closed settings such as hospitals.
“Throughout the past 18 months, we have implemented and adhered to the very strict government Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures, and where further guidance and support has been needed we have acted swiftly to put it in place.
“Updated guidance has occurred as more has been learned about the virus and how it spreads, including about how people can spread the virus without showing any symptoms.
“However, just like many other hospitals across the UK, a number of people have acquired Covid-19 while admitted to our hospitals, including Morriston, despite these stringent measures.
“We continue to provide services for patients with Covid-19 as well as those needing to access other essential services. We have separate areas in hospitals to help protect patients and staff, and to ensure the environment is as safe as possible.”
On action taken, the spokesman said: “As well as infection-control measures, we have limited visiting to exceptional circumstances only, as we try to balance the wellbeing and emotional needs of our patients to see loved ones, with the risk of visitors unwittingly bringing the infection on to a ward.
“However, high levels of community infections in the Swansea Bay area means it is a constant challenge to keep this highly-transmissible virus out of our busy hospitals.”
In a statement the health board said that the mitigating actions had included:
Fully implementing Welsh Government guidance;
Social distancing, washing hands and good respiratory hygiene (using and disposing of tissues), cleaning surfaces and keeping indoor spaces wellventilated;
All healthcare workers obligated to wear personal protective equipment during patient contact;
Routine screening for Covid-19 and other respiratory viruses of all patients on admission to hospital and at regular intervals throughout their admission;
Creating physically separated wards for patients with or without Covid-19;
Managing outbreaks of Covid-19, including working closely with Public Health Wales;
The health board’s infection prevention control team working alongside other teams to support local action to minimise in-hospital infections.
Cwm Taf confirmed that the outbreaks in that area were also down to increased community transmission.