Large fall in hospital Covid cases
THE number of people being treated for coronavirus in Wales’ hospitals has fallen drastically this month.
In the seven days to March 17 just 21 new admissions were made for people with coronavirus.
The new data from Public Health Wales (PHW), published yesterday, reveals there are fewer people seeking treatment for coronavirus now than there were in January, showing Wales has passed the winter peak where the virus circulated.
In the same time period two people were admitted to critical care with the virus.
This is compared to a peak of 113 hospital admissions in the week leading up to December 31, 2023.
The most recent data available relating to Covid-19 deaths is from the week leading up to March 1 where there were 11 deaths involving coronavirus.
There is currently no testing programme for people with suspected coronavirus in Wales but people who are admitted to hospital with symptoms of the virus that need treatment are given a test.
PHW publishes weekly data relating to the number of coronavirus cases in Welsh hospitals – and the latest figures show where people have acquired coronavirus, in the week up to March 17, resulting in hospitalisation, as follows:
■■Community-acquired: 14 ■■Hospital-acquired: 28 ■■Unknown acquisition: 6
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Betsi Cadwaladr UHB each had five admissions for coronavirus in the week leading up to March 17, the highest in Wales.
The health board with the lowest number of cases was Aneurin Bevan UHB where there were none.
MARTIN PADFIELD lost his leg 24 years ago following a crash.
When his son started playing football he feared he would never be able to join in. But the 49-year-old amputee can now get more involved in his son’s football team thanks to a specialist microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee funded by the Welsh Government.
Martin, from Ebbw Vale, has been coaching his son’s under-13s football team for the past seven years and also works as an engineering manager in a busy food manufacturing industry. He leads an active life both in work and outside.
In August, 2000, Martin lost his leg below the knee. A year later, he had to have another amputation above the knee due to further complications and this meant he couldn’t work for almost three years.
Martin had always dreamed of being fitted with a specialist microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee (MPK). They provide a more sophisticated method of control for amputees.
In 2021, Martin met with a team of medics in Swansea and was told he would be able to get one of these special knees.
Martin said: “Ever since I lost my leg, I’ve been constantly researching what’s available for me. I read about how life-changing these things had been for people who lived a similar active lifestyle to me.
“Before 2021, MPKS were only available to veterans. So I looked into buying the best one myself and even thought about remortgaging my house at one point, but it never came to that. So when I was told that I had been chosen to receive an MPK, I can’t tell you how overjoyed I was. From the first day of having the MPK, I can’t put into words how much of a huge difference it has made to every part of my life. Everything I can do with it has completely changed my life. It’s been revolutionary.”
Martin’s new prosthetic means he can now get more involved in his son’s football team. He added: “I’ve been coaching my boys for seven years. I used to play football before my accident and coaching the team was a way for me to get back into playing football again.
“But having the MPK means I can join in a lot more, and I can do more than just stand on the sidelines and talk. Before having the MPK, stumbles weren’t common, but they happened often. I would have to concentrate and think more when I was walking on uneven ground or on a slope. Now, I have 100% confidence in my leg – sometimes I forget it’s there. I just go on with my daily tasks with so much more ease and confidence.
“I’m so grateful that I was lucky enough to be chosen to have an MPK. It’s made a massive difference to my quality of life and I’m sure it would be for anyone else. I was a lucky boy. It could’ve been a much darker picture. Life is good now; I’ve got no complaints at all.”
Martin thanked and expressed his gratitude to the Swansea ALAC team for their commitment to ensuring that he had the best care and support throughout.
Martin is one of 32 people across Wales who have had their lives changed by these special knees since a £700,000 fund to pay for them was launched two years ago.
Martin Padfield, 49, had his leg amputated in 2000 following a road accident. Now he has a state-ofthe-art prosthetic