The number of acute Covid Hospital admissions has gone up in the week published by Public Health Scotland on 5th October 2023 to 257 (1st Oct) from 220 the previous week.
The number of people in Hospital with Covid has also increased to 329 from 301.
The testing for fragments of coronavirus’ ribonucleic acid (RNA) in local waste water samples is one of the few tools left to monitor Covid in communities because so little testing is being done.
The 21st of September 2023 is the last published data for the area covered by Kirkwall Waste Water system. It shows a positive and increasing result.
During the current Winter 2023 vaccination programme a total of 449,999 Influenza (Adult 18+), 82,946 Influenza (Children 6 months to 17 years) and 274,128 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to the Scottish population since 04 September 2023.
National Records of Scotland also published weekly deaths registered on 5th October 2023.
The provisional total number of deaths registered in Scotland in week 39 of 2023 (25th September to 1st October) was 1,101 (43 or 4% below the 5-year average). There were 33 deaths mentioning COVID-19.
Those figures in more detail.
Deaths involving Covid
- Age 45 – 64: 2 deaths, 1 female, 1 male
- Age 65 – 74: 6 deaths, 2 female, 4 male
- Age 75 – 84: 8 deaths, 5 female, 3 male
- Age 85+ : 17 deaths, 3 female, 14 male
Of the 33 deaths involving Covid, Covid was the main cause in 22 of them.
There were 2 deaths in Care Homes, 3 at Home/Non- Institutional Setting, and 28 in Hospital.
There were 1,101 deaths due to all causes, 43 fewer than the 5 year average. However, there were 19 excess deaths in Cancer.
Fiona Grahame
Categories: Uncategorized
I went to the Balfour yesterday and was pleased to see that there is still a ‘station’ by the door providing masks and hand sanitizer.
The nurse asked would I prefer if she wore a mask – I said yes – so she did.
The world appears to have decided that Covid has gone away – it hasn’t – and it’s good to see that NHS Orkney are still aware of that fact.
I agree, it is good to see that at least in hospital they still “offer” masks. It is better than nothing.
Still, the limited efficacy of surgical masks is known… and their efficacy is even more reduced (often to almost nil) when not worn consistently and correctly.
Protection for patients is only high if the patients wear correctly fitted high grade masks whilst in healthcare settings to shield them from in the air suspended particles exhaled by others (patients and staff) at times when those do not wear masks.
The (UK) government is due to respond to the petition about the re-introduction of (proper) masks in healthcare settings since it has now reached over 10,000 signatures: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/636380
It will be interesting to see what excuses the government will find to avoid this mask mandate… and I say “excuses” because the science against such a mask mandate simply isn’t there.
So… will the government say “oh sorry, we have wasted so much money elsewhere that we cannot afford proper masks”? Or will they say, “who cares if we just put the elderly and vulnerable at risk”, well knowing that this argument does not hold water, and is also highly discriminatory?
Or will they admit that the efficacy of masks is only limited because the government failed in the earlier stages of the pandemic to train people how to wear masks correctly? Instead they focussed on making everybody an expert in hand hygiene…