Increase in Covid patients in hospitals as more cases of Delta variant identified
Hospital trusts across the Black Country and Staffordshire were caring for a total of 47 Covid patients – as the numbers increased from the previous week and more cases of the Delta variant were reported.
NHS England data shows the number of people being treated in hospitals in the region for Covid-19 by 8am on Tuesday, June 22, was up from 40 on the same day the previous week.
It includes 25 patients at the Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust; seven at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust; five at the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust; five at the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust; and five at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust.
It comes after hundreds of cases of the Delta variant of coronavirus have been recorded in the region. The UK Health Security Agency said vaccines are breaking the link between cases and hospital admissions nationally – but urged people to continue to be cautious.
Public Health England figures show 237 cases of the Delta variant – first identified in India – had been recorded in Wolverhampton by June 23, an increase of 56 on the previous week.
In Sandwell there were 375 cases identified by June 23 – an increase of 87 from the previous week; 325 in Walsall – an increase of 46; 320 in Dudley – an increase of 74; 73 in Cannock Chase – an increase of 23; 69 in South Staffordshire – an increase of 32; and 65 in Stafford – an increase of 30.
Those identified in the latest week were among at least 7,210 cases of the variant recorded across the West Midlands – the fifth-worst affected of England's nine regions.
Meanwhile, health chiefs in Wolverhampton say Covid rates in the city are now the highest they have been in nearly four months – with more than 260 people testing positive. Latest figures show there were 100.2 new cases of Covid per 100,000 people in Wolverhampton over the seven days to June 25.
John Denley, Wolverhampton's director of public health, said: "The Wolverhampton Covid rate has risen above the 100 cases per 100,000 residents mark, for the first time since the end of February.
"This is alarming, but we are not unique – cases are rising in almost every part of the country.
“Reassuringly, at this point, few people with Covid-19 are ending up in our hospitals and this is in a very great part thanks to the impact of the vaccine.
"We know how effective the vaccine is proving to be against coronavirus, including the new more transmissible Delta variant, and that is being demonstrated in the data – people who contract Covid-19 are, thankfully, not becoming so ill."
But while the Delta variant now accounts for around 95 per cent of new cases sequenced in the UK, PHE said vaccines continue to have a “crucial effect on hospital admission and death”.
Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: “Through the success of our vaccination programme, data suggest we have begun to break the link between cases and hospitalisations. This is hugely encouraging news, but we cannot become complacent.
“Two doses of vaccine are far more effective against Covid-19 than a single dose, so please make sure that you come forward to get your second dose as soon as you are invited."
