Skip to main content

Covid-19 in London

The Covid-19 situation in London is now very serious, with the number of Covid-19 cases doubling in the past to week to around 50,000. Infection rates are highest in the North-East of London, with increases seen all across the city. 

The number of hospital patients with Covid-19 has increased to around 3,000 compared with around 1,600 one month ago. The number of patients requiring ventilators has increased by 100 over the last week to around 360. There are also pressures on other parts of the NHS, such as GP, mental health, and community services.

The new strain of SARS-CoV-2 is now becoming the most commonly identified strain in London and the South-East of England. It appears to be more infectious than other strains, and this will drive up the number of cases, people requiring hospital treatment and deaths.

The latest statistics show how rapidly the situation can change. From a period around one month ago, when case numbers were falling and NHS pressures were sustainable, we are now on a trajectory of rapidly increasing cases, hospital admissions and deaths in London. 

Urgent action is needed to control the Covid-19 pandemic on London, protect its population and reduce pressure on the NHS. This requires everyone to strictly follow the local Tier 4 rules. In particular, mixing indoors with people from other households should be avoided.

Most transmission of infection occurs indoors and it is stopping mixing of people from different households in indoor settings that is the key to breaking chains of infection. Other measures, such as wearing face masks in public spaces and good hygiene, are also essential.

We do now have one vaccine for Covid-19 licensed for use in the UK. We urgently need other vaccines to be approved for use; along with a massive increase in supply of vaccines and mobilisation of the NHS to deliver vaccines to the population on a speed and scale not previously seen in the UK.

Table: London boroughs by highest number of COVID-19 positives per 100k population.7–day rolling rate by specimen date - ending Dec 17. The table is from @UKCovid19Stats. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Example ADHD Referral Letter

Dear Dr, I am writing to refer a 28-year-old male patient of mine, Mr [Patient's Name], for assessment for the diagnosis and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). After a thorough clinical assessment, I believe that Mr. [Patient's Name] meets the criteria for adult ADHD as outlined in NHS guidance for primary care teams in SE London. Mr [Patient's Name] has been under my care for XX years and, during this time, he reports several symptoms (greater than five symptoms in total) consistent with ADHD in adults that have been present for more than six months. These symptoms include difficulties in focusing, following through on tasks, hyperactivity, forgetfulness, impulsiveness, restlessness, and irritability. Mr [Patient's Name] also reports being easily distracted, struggling with time management, organisation, and completing tasks efficiently. Many of Mr [Patient's Name]'s symptoms have been present since he was under 12 years old; and have
Post a Comment
Read more

Dr Curran and Partners – Clinical Update 10 August 2023

1. Measles The UKHSA has warned that unless MMR vaccination rates improve, London could experience a large measles outbreak. Measles is potentially a very serious illness with important complications - but is preventable though vaccination.  Please ensure patients and their families are up to date with their vaccinations. Please also check the vaccine status of new patients - particular migrants - and enter details onto the medical record of any vaccines given elsewhere. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/london-at-risk-of-measles-outbreaks-with-modelling-estimating-tens-of-thousands-of-cases 2. Shingles vaccination The shingles vaccine programme is being expanded. From September, GP practices will offer: - Those aged 70-79, 1 dose of Zostavax or 2 doses of Shingrix - People aged 50+ with a weak immune system, 2 doses of Shingrix - Those turning 65 & 70, two doses of Shingrix vaccine. For further details, see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/shingles-vacc
Post a Comment
Read more

Why we need to put an end to the GANFYD culture in the UK

One of the causes of increased workload in general practice are the many requests that doctors get for letters, reports and forms from patients or from external organisations. It’s now so common that doctors have coined a term for it: GANFYD – Get A Note From Your Doctor.  It’s seems that large sections of society can’t function without these “letters from doctors”. Instead of using common sense or employing their own clinical advisers, external organisations make repeated requests to NHS doctors for letters which are often not at all needed. Often the worst offenders come from the public sector – e.g. universities who seem to look upon NHS general practice as a source of free occupational health advice for their students. Universities never – of course - offer to pay for this advice they get from NHS GPs. Instead, university requests will come with a mealy-mouthed statement that any fee is the responsibility of the student. Like doctors are going to impose heavy fees on impoverished s
Post a Comment
Read more