BIG RISE IN NUMBERS CHECKING SYMPTOMS ONLINE

Searches for Covid-19 symptoms doubles across Stoke-on-trent and Staffordshire

THE number of people searching for whether they have coronavirus symptoms has more than doubled across Stoke-on-trent and Staffordshire.

Latest data released by NHS England shows twice as many people searched for their symptoms using the online 111 service in the week ending September 13. There were a total of 3,367 checks last week – up from 1,351 the week before.

The number has dropped massively from the height of the coronavirus pandemic when there were 6,950 checks in the week ending March 29.

The rise may mean more people are now having symptoms they suspect could be Covid-19 than in previous weeks – which would fit with the rising number of cases recorded in recent days.

It may also be that, with infections back in the news, people are more likely to log on to use the online assessment or dialling 111 when they do have potential symptoms.

North Staffordshire Healthwatch campaigner Ian Syme said: “The testing system has been a debacle and if people think they are getting symptoms, or a cold or cough, they want to know what it is.

“It isn’t a surprise to see the searches go up and people have seen the issues with getting a coronavirus test. But the worst kind of diagnosis can be a self-diagnosis.

“We’ll be reaching autumn and winter now so more people will be getting worried.”

Dr Paul Scott, chairman of the North Staffs Medical Committee, above, says the increase could be down to the children going back to school.

He said: “I think this is down to a couple of things, the schools have reopened, people will be coming back from holiday and wanting to escape quarantine, and there has been a systematic drive to get a test.

“Children go back every September and get viral symptoms and the current climate will conflate that. But then there’s no tests for them to get.

“People will then go around the system and end back at 111 or 119.”

Across England, people contacted the NHS with possible Covid-19 symptoms, 135,894 times in the week ending September 13.

That was more than double the 56,096 contacts in the week ending September 6.

The figures don’t show how many people in an area have the virus, only the number of times people who think they might have sought NHS advice.

For example, individuals may have filled in the online symptom checker several times over several days. Nationally, use of online and phone checks for symptoms has dropped from 866,757 times in the week ending March 29.

However, last week’s total was the highest number since 154,765 contacts in the week ending May 3.

Contacts from men and women are both up in the past week – up 161 per cent for men and 130 per cent for women.

Women were more likely to check symptoms, with 77,187 contacts compared to 58,674 for men.

Contacts about children with symptoms have seen the biggest rise – more than quadrupling in a week – possibly as a result of this age group heading back to school.

There were 61,782 checks relating to symptoms in those aged 18 and under in the week ending September 13, up from 14,056 a week before.

Among adults aged 19 to 69, contacts have almost doubled from 38,933 to 70,562, while there was only a small rise among those aged 70 and over from 3,093 to 3,496.