Covid hospital admissions fall, but cases in hospital up

But despite this, the number of cases caught in hospital has risen in Gwent to its highest level in more than a year, Public Health Wales has confirmed.

Of the 3,532 cases recorded in Gwent in the week ending January 30, 41 of these were found to have definitely originated in hospital - referred to as 'hospital onset' cases. Eight more were classed as probable hospital onset cases.

This means the number of cases which either definitely or probably originated in hospital rose from 27 in the previous week to 49.

This is now the highest number since the week ending December 13, 2020, when 69 probable or definite hospital onset cases were recorded.

The number of probable and definite hospital onset cases of coronavirus for Wales and Gwent. Source: Public Health Wales.

A further 19 cases in Gwent were found to have indeterminate origin in the latest Public Health Wales figures.

Across Wales, 16,867 cases were recorded last week, of which 198 were found to have definitely originated in hospital.

A further 60 were found to have been probable hospital onset cases, while another 60 were of indeterminate origin.

The 258 definite or probable hospital onset cases is also a rise, from 219 in the previous week.

The number of definite or probable hospital onset cases in Wales for the week ending January 23 had previously been reported as 220, but Public Health Wales has since clarified the figure as 219.

“Due to ongoing data cleaning to improve data quality and linkage, some previously reported numbers are subject to change,” said a Public Health Wales spokesperson.

On a more positive note, the number of people being admitted to hospital with Covid has fallen.

The number of patients who tested positive on or before admission to hospital in Wales and Gwent. Source: Public Health Wales.

In total, 5,952 people were admitted to hospital wards across Wales in the week ending January 30.

Of these, 330 (six per cent) tested positive for Covid prior to admission, and another 115 (two per cent) tested positive on admission.

This means the number of positive cases either prior to or on admission has fallen from 529 the previous week to 445.

In Gwent, the figures follow a similar trend.

Overall, 1,279 people were admitted to hospital, of which 94 (seven per cent) were known to have tested positive, while 19 (one per cent) tested positive on admission.

This means the number of positive cases either prior to or on admission has fallen from 154 the week before to 113 last week.

Out of 1,103 critical care bed admissions across Wales last week, 12 people tested positive prior to (10) or on (2) admission – one fewer than the week before.