Infection rates and hospital cases fall

THE NUMBER of Covid-19 patients in hospital in Wales and the level of infection in the community are falling rapidly, the latest data shows.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show there were an estimated 1.5 million people in private households with the virus in the week to May 7, down from two million the previous week. It is the lowest level since Christmas.

In Wales, infections have fallen for a fourth week in a row, with 88,300 people estimated to have coronavirus, or one in 35 (2.91%), down from 131,600, or one in 25, and the lowest since the week to December 16. The rate of positive cases appears to be highest in the region covering Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan, while the region covering Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Powys has lower rates of positivity.

In England, infections have fallen for the fifth week running according to the ONS, with 1.2 million people likely to test positive for Covid-19, the equivalent of about one in 45 people. This is down from 1.6 million, or one in 35, and is also the lowest estimate since the week ending December 16.

In Scotland, Covid-19 infections are now at their lowest since the week ending December 23, with about one in 35 infected. This is down from one in 30 in the previous week. The virus is least prevalent in Northern Ireland, where infections have dropped to their lowest level since early November. One in 55 were infected there, down from one in 40.

Meanwhile, Covid hospital admissions in Wales have dropped to their lowest levels for nine months. Average daily admissions with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 have dropped to 16 in the week to Wednesday – the lowest daily average since midAugust 2021.

On May 12, there were 318 Covidpositive patients in acute hospitals in Wales, but only 54 (17%) were being actively treated for the virus. That’s the lowest number since these figures started being compiled.

And just 13 patients were in invasive ventilated beds with Covid – the most intensive form of treatment – on May 12, six of whom were in Cardiff and Vale UHB, four in Swansea Bay UHB, two in Hywel Dda UHB and one in Aneurin Bevan UHB. There are about 10 times more non-Covid patients in critical care than patients who have the virus.

The latest mortality figures from ONS show 67 deaths involving Covid were registered in the most recent week. This is slightly down on the week before, although registrations have been affected by recent bank holidays.

Although deaths involving Covid are now running higher than at the same point in 2021, the total number of deaths involving Covid so far in 2022 is about a third of the total we had seen by the end of April in 2021.

The Welsh Government added that NHS staff sickness related to Covid-19 has fallen to its lowest figure since February.

A total of 1.1% of staff were absent due to Covid-related sickness in the week to May 9.