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New strain of virus threatens to overwhelm UK hospitals

2020-12-28T19:13:54.667Z


The occupied beds touch the figures of the peak of the first wave. Johnson's government orders the release of all possible resources for covid patients and plans to tighten restrictions


The heads of the British National Health Service (NHS, in its acronym in English) have begun to send warning signals.

The new strain of the virus, detected in the south of England, is causing saturation levels in the country's hospitals very similar to those recorded during the peak of the first wave, in mid-April.

The UK Government has recorded 41,385 new infections in the past 24 hours, the highest cumulative figure in a single day since the pandemic began.

357 people have died from covid-19 in the same period.

“The data show that the contagion rates in the geographic areas where this particular strain of the coronavirus has begun to circulate have increased much faster than expected, and the models managed show that this variant has a higher transmission rate than that of others. mutations of the virus, "he says in a public statement

Public Health England

, the managing body for public health in England.

On December 22, the last day the data was updated, 21,286 people across the UK were occupying a hospital bed due to covid-19.

On April 12, just before the numbers began to decline, the total number of admitted was 21,683.

“With the current increase in the number of covid-19 patients in practically the entire country, and the new risk posed by the new strain of the virus, they must continue planning on the basis that we will remain at Maximum Alert level 4 at least until the end of the financial year [March 31, 2021] ”, the heads of the NHS have warned all the hospitals and associated health centers in the country.

In practice, the warning implies the order to release all possible beds to care for those affected by the virus, and the forecast of an increase in the number of deaths during the month of January.

“I am confident that we will be able to withstand this new peak, but it will come at a cost.

The cost will be not being able to achieve the objective that we had set ourselves, which was to maintain the rest of the care not related to COVID-19 as normal, ″ Dr. Katherine Henderson, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, has warned the BBC.

On December 26, the London Ambulance Service (LAS) received as many calls as during the worst days of the first wave.

A total of 7,918 emergency notices, which is 2,500 more than the average recorded on the same day in any other year.

"Ambulance services are under extraordinary pressure, as are local health centers and mental health services," said Saffron Cordery, vice president of

NHS Providers,

the organization.

represents

to

the centers

suppliers

health care in a public system with a high decentralization of management.

"At the moment we are seeing the real pressure in London and in the south [of England], and the cause is a combination of the increase in demand and the absence due to illness on the part of health personnel," Cordery said.

As the number of admissions for covid-19 increases, the infected health personnel is also greater, as it happened during the first wave.

The wings or plants that receive patients with pathologies derived from the virus must be emptied from other admitted to avoid contagion.

"Our ICUs are now completely saturated with covid-19 patients," one of those responsible for the Southampton general hospital told

The Guardian

newspaper

.

“We have increased the intensive care unit by 10 beds, to receive patients from Portsmouth and Kent.

At the moment, the situation is under control, but it is beginning to be very uncomfortable and to cause fear ”, he added.

Johnson's government plans to review territorial alert levels across the country next Wednesday, and the first signals from Downing Street suggest that the Maximum Alert level 4 imposed in mid-December on London and other areas in the south and southeast from England will spread to many other areas of the country.

Below that level, restaurants, bars and

pubs

are completely closed

,

except for home delivery

,

as are shops that do not distribute essential goods, or theaters, cinemas, museums and art galleries.

Only a maximum of two people from different households can meet, and always outdoors.

Staggered return to schools

The British Executive continues with its plans to delay in a phased way the return to schools.

Primary school students will rejoin on January 3, along with those of

Years 11 and 13

(equivalent to 4th of ESO and 2nd of Bachillerato, in Spain), because they are the ones who must prepare the compulsory academic qualification exams and university.

The rest of the students delay their incorporation until January 11.

The teachers' unions, however, insist on demanding from the Government a greater cushion of prudence - of up to 15 days - because the new variant of the virus has been transmitted especially quickly among minors.

“As a country, we have decided - and I think it is the right thing to do - that priority should be given to returning to the classroom.

But it is true that we are facing the emergence of a new strain of the virus, and that, although in a limited way, Christmas has led to an increase in social contacts, so we will remain vigilant, ”Michael Gove told the BBC, the Chief of Staff (with ministerial rank) of Boris Johnson.

Although the highest numbers of transmission of the virus have been registered in England, cases have also increased in other territories of the United Kingdom.

The Scottish Government has already decreed Level 4 since last Saturday, at least for three weeks, like that of Wales.

Extreme lockdown has been established in Northern Ireland, with a curfew operating from eight in the afternoon to six in the morning.

The British medical community anxiously awaits the approval later this week by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (MHRA) of the vaccine developed by Oxford / Astrazeneca.

The government has commissioned 100 million doses of the drug, much cheaper than Pfizer / BioNTech and easy to maintain and transport at normal refrigeration temperatures.

The NHS has recruited 10,000 extra doctors and volunteers with the intention of increasing the rate of vaccinations to one million people each week.

Information about the coronavirus

- Here you can follow the last hour on the evolution of the pandemic

- Restrictions search engine: What can I do in my municipality?

- This is how the coronavirus curve evolves in the world

- Download the tracking application for Spain

- Guide to action against the disease

Source: elparis

All life articles on 2020-12-28

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