Covid in Scotland: 60% of hospital cases admitted due to virus
- Published
Up to 60% of Covid patients recently admitted to hospital in two Scottish health boards were there because of the virus, according to a study.
The remainder were found to be positive after being admitted for other reasons.
The study examined a total of 126 patients who were admitted in Greater Glasgow and Clyde on 1 and 2 January, and Grampian between 30 December and 4 January.
Sixty were in hospital because of the virus and 15 were "probable".
The remaining 51 patients with Covid - 40% of the total - had been admitted to hospital for another reason.
The data was published by Public Health Scotland, external, which said that knowing the information can help signal whether population-level changes in public health measures, such as tightening or easing of restrictions, may be warranted.
There have been questions over the relative severity of the Omicron variant - which now makes up more than 90% of cases in Scotland - compared to the previously-dominant Delta strain.
Wider analysis undertaken using data from six health boards between March and August of last year suggested that 68% of Covid patients had been admitted to hospital because of the virus.
The largest age cohort in hospital because of Covid-19 in Grampian between 30 December and 4 January and in Glasgow on 1 and 2 January were those aged between 45 and 64, the analysis showed.
This group made up 32% of the admissions definitely or probably because of the virus, followed by 65-79 (23%), 19-44 (21%), 80 and older (19%) and under the age of 18 (5%).
For those in hospital with Covid-19 but for other reasons, the 19-44 age group was the highest (38%), followed by 45-64 (26%), 65-79 and older than 80 were both on 13%, and under-18s made up 11% of the total.
Age was unknown for six of the admissions with the virus.
'Extremely challenging'
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: "This analysis suggests that Covid-19 continues to increase the pressure on the NHS in Scotland - with the majority of Covid-19 patients admitted to hospital because of the infection and admissions continuing to affect a disproportionately greater number of older people.
"The next few weeks are going to be extremely challenging for the NHS on a number of fronts.
"We have the pandemic backlog that has built up, together with high levels of staff absences, again much of that because of Omicron and its higher transmissibility. And we are treating over 1,300 people who are in hospital with Covid".
National Clinical Director Professor Jason Leitch said: "Covid-19 remains a very serious infection, whether it is the primary reason for admission or often also if you are in hospital because of another chronic condition worsened by your Covid infection.
"A failing transplant is much harder to manage if a patient has a positive Covid test for example.
"Patients with positive Covid tests also need special infection and prevention control measures making their care more complex, regardless of the primary cause of their admission."
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: "The publication of this data is welcome as it allows us to understand how the Omicron variant is affecting the people of Scotland and the NHS.
"But the data remains incomplete for the whole of Scotland and only a wider study will provide the conclusive findings that we need."
