THE positive effect of the Coronavirus vaccine appears to be working in the North West.
Hospital admissions for Covid-19 are low despite a high number of cases.
Figures released by the Department of Health yesterday for Monday showed there were 20 new cases of COVID-19 in the Derry City and Strabane District council area, a quarter of the 83 new cases announced for the North of Ireland.
That puts the council’s total since the pandemic erupted last year at 12,305.
Over the past week there had been 155 new cases and the infection rate is now at 102.9 per 100,000, the highest of any council in the North of Ireland.
Currently there are 11 people in Altnagelvin hospital being treated for the virus — two of whom are in the Intensive Care Unit, said the Wester Trusts’ Chief Executive Anne Kilgallen.
The high number of cases in the district compared to other areas in the North of Ireland is understood to be directly connected to its proximity to Co Donegal which is experiencing a coronavirus infection rate of 300 per 100,000 — almost double that of the rest of the Republic.
Ms Kilgallen said that although the number of cases in Derry and Strabane has been the highest of all council areas in the North for some time, she believes the reason the number of hospital admissions hasn’t increased in line with positive tests is down to the vaccine uptake.
Currently, the number of Covid patients being admitted to the Trust’s hospitals is “one every two or three days”.
Ms Kilgallen said: “It is true to say that one of the successes of the vaccine programme — one of the attributes — is it does prevent people from becoming seriously unwell and it reduces the number of ICU admissions.”
Latest figures from the Trust show that 132,000 vaccines have now been administered — around a tenth of all jabs in the North of Ireland.
Appointments at all of the Trust’s three vaccination centres are booked out, although more will be available from May 9.
The high uptake of the vaccine in care homes across the Western Trust at over 90% has resulted in no Covid outbreaks at any facility across the area covered by the Trust.
With the situation in hospitals across Northern Ireland improving, the Department of Health yesterday announced new guidance to facilitate increased visiting in health and social care settings from Friday.
It applies across all care settings, including hospitals (including maternity), hospices and care homes.
Visits to patients in hospital wards have also been amended to allow one visit per day for one hour across most wards, including ICU but excluding cancer wards.
However, in the North West, the good news has been tempered by the revelation that not everything returning to normal is welcome.
Attendance levels at the Accident and Emergency Department at Altnagelvin Hospital are back to the high rate seen before the start of the pandemic.
Director of Acute Services, Geraldine McKay, said: “Unscheduled attendance to our Emergency Departments have returned to pre-Covid numbers.
“We have experienced severe and sustained pressure in Altnagelvin with in excess of 200 patients attending on a daily basis.”
Last night the Trust said Altnagelvin hospital was “extremely busy” with 75 people in the Emergency Department with 13 patients waiting on beds.
Tags: