The number of patients being admitted to ICU for Covid in the U.K. (excluding Scotland) fell to as little as two in one day last month, according to data from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC). MailOnline has more.
Although the figures may be slightly higher after being revised for a time lag, [ICNARC]’s Head Statistician said towards the end of January, admissions would still be “in the region of 20-30 per day”.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, Sir David Spiegelhalter, said: “The Omicron wave saw a huge rise in cases, and a moderate rise in hospitalisations.
“Since more than half of ICU admissions have not been vaccinated, this suggests an intrinsically milder virus rather than just increased protection from vaccination.'”
In contrast to January last year, when more than 400 patients were admitted into ICU for Covid in one day at a peak of the new wave, recent figures seem to suggest that Omicron, in most cases, is a milder strain.
The new report from ICNARC also found that the “percentage of patients admitted to critical care with confirmed COVID-19 that were unvaccinated decreased from 75% in May 2021 to 47% in October 2021” but increased to 61% in December.
According to the latest ONS data, the risk of death involving coronavirus, when age-adjusted, is consistently lower for those who have had at least three vaccine doses compared with unvaccinated people.
On February 3rd there were 478 patients in mechanically ventilated beds; this figure was above 4,000 in January last year.
One mystery is why Israel’s Omicron wave is proving a rougher ride in terms of ICU admissions and deaths compared to ours.
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