Covid-positive hospital admissions are among the fastest rising in the North East, latest figures have revealed.
Latest hospital data revealed that almost 1,600 Covid-positive patients were admitted to hospital up to March 13, with figures showing a continuous rise in cases. The number of patients testing positive for Covid-19 was 50% higher than two weeks earlier, and figures in the North East and South West are rising faster than elsewhere in the UK.
Professor Christina Pagel, a member of the independent sage group, shared the latest data on Twitter, along with her thoughts and analysis on the current Covid situation.
Read More: Covid-19 rates rise up to 50% in North East as UK hospitalisations also increase
Prof Pagel said: "Going by [previous] Omicron (BA.1), about half might be "incidental" admissions - but [figures] are clearly showing increase in community transmission. But boosters are waning - [especially] older adults who are almost 6 months out.
"So it's possible that more might become "primary" Covid admissions but hopefully boosters will hold. We'll see what happens to NHS diagnosis data over the next few weeks. Either way, more Covid in hospitals makes care harder and affects staff absence too. NHS still *exhausted*."
Latest Government data shows that Covid case rates per 100,000 people increased across the North East in the seven days to March 10. The North East recorded the highest rise in case rates in Newcastle, where recorded cases increased by 53.2%.
This was closely followed by County Durham where cases increased by 53.1% in the seven days to March 10. Case rates in Northumberland increased by 48.9%, and Gateshead increased by 44.4%. While figures increased by 34.1% in Sunderland, 26.9% in South Tyneside and 25% in North Tyneside.
It comes as ministers face criticism for plans to scrap nationwide Covid surveillance programmes, with free testing due to end on April 1. Funding is also being withdrawn from the Zoe Covid symptom study, as well as the Siren and Vivaldi studies which monitor infections in health workers and care homes.
And scientists announced last week that the 'React' study will be scrapped at the end of March, with no further data will be collected beyond that point. The study randomly tests around 150,000 people across England every month to see how many are infected with Covid.
Prof Pagel added: "And don't even get me started on the danger of dropping so much surveillance. It's plain dangerous."
