Covid Glasgow: 54% of Covid hospital patients admitted because of virus

The proportion of Covid hospital patients who are admitted because of the disease may have fallen in Scotland, limited new figures suggest.
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In the first days of January some 60 per cent of patients recorded as in hospital “with” Covid were admitted “because of” the virus, according to estimates from Public Health Scotland.

This is a drop on the most recent estimate of 68 per cent, recorded in August.

Public Health Scotland has released new data. Public Health Scotland has released new data.
Public Health Scotland has released new data.
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But Public Health Scotland advised caution in interpreting the figures as they are based on limited data from two health boards, and the methodology has been changed.

The report comes after opposition politicians called on the Scottish Government to publish data on Covid-related hospitalisations, after Deputy First Minister John Swinney said it would be released on Wednesday.

There are disproportionately more older people admitted because of Covid, compared to with it.

People aged 65 and older account for 42 per cent of all admissions because of the virus, but just 26 per cent of those with it.

What about in Glasgow?

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Analysis in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde on January 1 and 2 shows that of 69 patients admitted to hospital within 14 days of a positive Covid test, 37 (54 per cent) were definite admissions because of the virus, and two (3 per cent) were probable.

Some 30 patients were admitted for other reasons, with an incidental diagnosis of Covid.

In NHS Grampian in the first six days of this year, there were 57 admissions within 14 days of a positive test.

Of these, 23 (40 per cent) were definite admissions because of Covid, and 13 (23 per cent) were probable.

This article first appeared in our sister title, The Scotsman.

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