Covid: Fewer London hospital patients require ventilation
Fewer hospitalised Covid-19 patients in London are requiring ventilation compared to previous waves, according to data reported in The Telegraph.
The number of Covid-19 patients in London hospital has increased from around 1,000 at the end of November to nearly 3,000 by New Year’s Eve, but patients requiring mechanical ventilation beds only increased from 175 to around 225.
This means the share of hospital patients requiring ventilators in the capital has dropped from around 20 per cent throughout the summer and autumn to less than eight per cent now.
The latest findings support recent reports from Edinburgh University and Imperial College London that the Omicron variant is milder than previous strains, and that it leads to less severe disease.
It will be a sign of good news for the government, which has opted not to bring in further restrictions in line with the rest of the UK.
Meanwhile, Covid admissions to hospitals in London have not increased as fast as cases, when factoring in a week delay between infection and hospitalisation.
If the capital’s admissions had grown at the same pace as cases since omicron was first detected in the UK at the end of November, they would now be five times higher.
Instead, London’s hospitals are seeing three and half times the number of daily admissions, at a week lag since November 27.
Cases also appear to have hit a peak in London, with the city’s daily rolling average decreasing since December 21.
While admission rates are increasing among all ages in London, they are still far off last winter’s peak, with rates among the age groups most likely to have a booster vaccine furthest away.
The UK reported 162,572 cases yesterday and 154 deaths yesterday, growing concerns that 25 per cent of NHS staff could be off-work later this month.
On New Year’s Day, 12,395 people were in hospital with both incidental and non-incidental cases of Covid-19.
Nevertheless, Steve Barclay MP and Cabinet Office minister told Sky News that he does not expect any imminent announcements for more restrictions in England – instead expectin
He said: “The widespread use of testing is an illustration of the fact that the British public is taking sensible steps to keep themselves safe to keep their friends and family safe. That’s why there has been such a demand for testing in recent weeks. So that, combined with the booster programme, is the key way that as a country, we will avoid the need for further measures.”