Preston Hospital has seen a surge in Covid, with many catching it after admission

The number of Covid patients in Central Lancashire hospitals has risen to its highest level in almost four months, and it is estimated that about one-third have been infected after admission.

According to data from the Trust that runs the Royal Preston and Chorley and South Ribble Hospital, included in a staff memo confirmed by LancsLive, 61 Covid-positive patients were being cared for by the organization on June 17. This is the highest aggregate since February 25, but still far below the mid-December pandemic peak of 193.

Nonetheless, the total number of Covid patients at the Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (LTH) more than tripled last week alone, up from just four at the beginning of the month. Almost all individuals currently being treated are infected with the more contagious delta mutants that originated in India.

As of last Thursday, a total of 10 had critical care, but only two weeks a week ago, but three were “high care of the respiratory tract” such as high flow oxygen and non-invasive ventilation. Was needed. As of June 15, Covid’s patent was not using a ventilator, according to the latest published statistics.

More: Lancashire’s exact Covid hotspot with very high rates

Increased hospitalizations in Central Lancashire occur approximately three weeks after the onset of a sustained and significant increase in Covid case rates in Preston, Chorley, and South Rible. Only in the South Rible so far there are signs of a reversal. Preston has 326 Covid cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the week leading up to June 15, the highest record rate in the city since February 8.

LTH staff notes indicate that when there were 57 Covid patients across the site on June 16, 18 of them were suspected of being infected with the virus after admission. This represents 31% of the total number of Covid inpatients per day in the trust, marking the latest highlighted as a “significant daily increase” in nosocomial infections.

Workers were urged to read a special explanation on this issue and “continue to stick to infection, prevention, and control measures to reduce the risk of nosocomial infections. [hospital-contracted] infection”.

Staff were also encouraged to sign up for a saliva-based testing system known as LAMP. It will gradually replace the immunochromatography program introduced at LTH at the end of last year as part of its nationwide expansion. The latter involves a wide range of staff, but so far it is understood that few people have switched to the new system.

“It is important that as many staff members as possible sign up for the LAMP test program to prevent asymptomatic colleagues from unknowingly spreading the virus to our hospital,” the message said.

In another communication with staff on June 15, asymptomatological patients and staff were warned that they “at the greatest risk of spreading the infection.”

The email also included 31% of those described in the trust as “recent” Covid cases, which had not yet been vaccinated, 27% had been vaccinated once, and 42% had been tested. He also revealed that he had been given both jabs before becoming positive. ..

It was not stated whether the two weeks required for the double-vaccinated patients to be vaccinated for the vaccine to be most effective had passed, and details were not available from the trust. The age of the hospitalized person was also not mentioned in the memo to the staff.

Last week, the UK Public Health Service published a study suggesting that a single dose of the vaccine reduced the risk of hospitalization by 75% as a result of the delta mutation and 94% after two jabs.

Last Wednesday, LTH stopped visiting most adult inpatients in response to a site-wide increase in Covid cases, including outbreaks in the Royal Preston ward.

A message to staff on June 15 announced that measures were being taken to address the worsening situation. This includes “detailed tracking” of patients who are Covid’s contacts and communication with the Matron team to “carefully consider patient placement to prevent the spread of the infection.”

At the LTH board meeting on June 3, when nosocomial infection Covid was reported in the trust, CEO Karen Partington issued a visionary warning about the difficulty of avoiding it. Did.

“Given the magnitude of our trust, our [specialist] Center status and numerous Covid infections in the local community during the pandemic are associated with the age of our property, making social distance and ventilation very difficult. In the future, we will cover it in league tables and press articles on nosocomial infections. “

Meanwhile, in a video message posted on the Trust website last week after cases began to increase, medical director Dr. Gerry Skyless said: Risk of spreading the virus.

“But the best way to protect people is to limit the number of hospitals, so that only those who really need them are on our site,” she said. The Royal Preston and Choree Hospital emphasized that it was still ready. We provide “care that only hospitals can provide”.

Dr. Skyles added: “Another way to keep people safe is to get them home or discharged to the next care location as soon as they are medically fit to leave us. We are working with our healthcare providers to do everything we can to speed up this process.

“I would like to encourage everyone to receive the Covid-19 vaccination as the best way to protect your health and the health of those you love.

“It is possible to get Covid after being vaccinated, but if you get both vaccinations, you are less likely to get a serious illness.”

Like trusts across the UK, LTH is currently experiencing high demand for emergency and emergency services. On June 7, we experienced the largest daily attendance record ever recorded at the A & E and Emergency Care Centers at Preston and Chorley Hospitals (total of 604 patients).

LTH was asked to comment further on the issues raised in the memo sent to the staff.

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