Hospitals and care homes transmission ‘hotbeds’

A Perthshire MSP is calling for routine testing of healthcare staff after fears healthcare workers may be asymptomatic and spreading COVID-19.

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Mark Ruskell has raised concerns“hospitals and care homes are becoming transmission hotbeds.”

And the Scottish Green Party’s calls for routine testing have been welcomed by a leading lung expert from Perth.

Mark Ruskell MSP said:“There are very real worries among health and care workers that hospitals or care homes are becoming transmission hotbeds.

“It’s important to remember that people with no symptoms whatsoever can spread the virus to others. Routine testing of health and care staff is an important tool for reducing the virus spread and will also provide some much needed reassurance to hard-working staff throughout the region. I would urge the health secretary to implement these proposals as a matter of urgency.”

Earlier this month a paper in the US medical journal The Lancet outlined the case for mass testing of symptomatic and asymptomatic healthcare workers.

The paper highlighted how just over half - 328 of 634 - of the positive cases on the Diamond Princess cruise ship were asymptomatic at the time of testing.

Professor James Chalmers, a professor of respiratory research at Dundee University said:“This is something we have been worried about for a while. We have known for several months that some people never develop symptoms but can transmit the virus.”

However, he told the PA“strong scientific evidence”emerged over the weekend which added to those fears.

Prof Chalmers said:“The New England Journal of Medicine published evidence over the weekend of care workers spreading the virus in care homes.”

Prof Chalmers has joined calls from the Scottish Greens to“rapidly” introduce routine testing of healthcare workers.