There are still concerning levels of Covid infection in Orkney and across Scotland as reported in the latest statistics from Public Health Scotland.

In Orkney the Number of acute COVID-19 admissions to hospital for the week ending 21st July is at 5, the previous week was 2. In Scotland there has been as slight decrease for the week ending 21st July at 378 from 470 the previous week.

Health Board of Treatment7 July 2414 July 2421 July 24
NHS Ayrshire and Arran423032
NHS Borders645
NHS Dumfries and Galloway261521
NHS Fife132116
NHS Forth Valley342616
NHS Grampian312933
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde14915789
NHS Highland131718
NHS Lanarkshire456039
NHS Lothian756363
NHS Orkney225
NHS Shetland111
NHS Tayside393738
NHS Western Isles882
Golden Jubilee National Hospital100
Scotland485470378

Hospital Occupancy in Scotland for the same period has decreased slightly to 549 from 636.

Health Board of Treatment7 July 2414 July 2421 July 24
NHS Ayrshire and Arran424940
NHS Borders71827
NHS Dumfries and Galloway467
NHS Fife192522
NHS Forth Valley454242
NHS Grampian365242
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde194207143
NHS Highland333032
NHS Lanarkshire655453
NHS Lothian9611185
NHS Orkney212
NHS Shetland202
NHS Tayside313241
NHS Western Isles161010
Golden Jubilee National Hospital200
Scotland593636549

Published figures (15th July 24) for fragments of coronavirus’ ribonucleic acid (RNA) in local waste water samples covered by the Kirkwall system show continued high positive levels.

Vaccination has protected many people from the worst effects of Covid, however, the provisional total number of deaths registered in Scotland in week 29 of 2024 (15th July to 19th July) recorded 50 deaths that mentioned COVID-19.

Deaths where Covid has been mentioned on the death certificate have been increasing in Scotland. In June the total number of Covid related deaths was 78. In July there were 49 (1July); 31 (8 July); and 50 (15 July) -there are still 2 periods to go for the month of July but that total so far is, 130.

On the week ending 8th July there was 1 Covid related death in Orkney. Most of the Covid related deaths have taken place in Hospital.

Covid was the main cause of death in 37 deaths (1 July); 23 (8th July); and 36 (15th July) – Total for those 3 periods, 96.

Fiona Grahame

2 responses to “#Covid Related Deaths in Scotland Rise”

  1. berniebell1955 Avatar
    berniebell1955

    Clicking on ‘Like’ doesn’t seem right – but I do like it that you are still providing this information – not that many folk are paying much attention to it!

  2. Yes, it is good that this information is still provided. There are a few left that do pay attention. Unfortunately very few…

    The numbers for rUK don’t look any better, see https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/topics/covid-19

    As with road deaths, one could argue ‘Every death and serious injury on the road is a preventable tragedy and yet, on average, five people die every day on the road in the UK’ (https://www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/uk-road-safety). From the same source: 1,711 road deaths (UK without NI) in 2022. Divide this by 52 weeks and you get a weekly figure of ~ 33 people killed on UK roads.

    The latest reported Covid-related deaths for England and Wales for the week ending 12th July 2024 were 197; add the Scottish deaths (week ending 19th) of 50, and the total (without NI) amounts to 197 + 50 = 247 (give or take because there is a week time gap in reporting).

    But whether 200 or 150 Covid deaths per week… in comparison with road fatalities of 33 on average it becomes absolutely clear that these high numbers cannot be acceptable at all. Were so many people dying on the road each week, roads would be closed, stricter speed limits introduced and so forth. We would not just do nothing.

    Most Covid deaths would also be preventable and so they should be prevented.

    There are several ways to prevent them. Masks in crowded places are just one of the methods. How come, in many Asian countries (and some other regions), masks are still in regular use without their societies and economies suffering? Could it just be stupidity than “western” societies cannot see the benefits, at least in some settings? We’ve been wearing masks since the early days of the pandemic. Properly fitted and pretty comfy FFP3 masks, not the surgical masks that are not comfy, do often not fit and are not as good as higher grade masks. However, they’d be better than nothing.
    How come, in Asia they can wear masks, we can… but everybody around us finds it such a burden?

    Then there are vaccinations. Admittedly now more difficult to target to strains, simple because there are so many different ones around. But why is that? Because we allow the virus to roam freely.
    Vaccinations could prevent many deaths and severe illness. How is it then possible that Scotland alone wasted 100,947 doses during 04 Sep 2023 – 31 Mar 2024?
    Of which excess stock was the highest percentage (58%), followed by expired shelf life (39%) and just 3% for other reasons.

    Many people could have received a booster. Some wanted one, would have even paid for it privately (yep, I was trying to get a booster for a family member with cancer, unsuccessfully), but they didn’t get it. How can it be that the NHS felt it was more appropriate to waste “excess stock” instead of vaccinating people?!

    The very first report of the inquiry already gave a strong indication that there was utter incompetence before and during the earlier stages of the pandemic. In the government, as well as at all other levels including the NHS.

    What has changed?

    Nothing.

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