Covid in Falkirk: Number of patients in hospital falls slightly

It comes as the number of Covid patients in hospital has reached its highest level in months across Britain, new figures show.

Latest statistics show that last week there were 88 patients in Forth Valley hospitals who had tested positive for the virus – this was down one on the previous week.

At the end of September there had been 96 inpatients and on September 18 the highest number over the period of 99.

In Scottish hospitals, the number of patients in hospital stood at 869 on October 9 - the highest level since mid-August.

But the number in Scottish intensive care units remains low, at just five patients as of the same date, the Public Health Scotland figures show.

Across Scotland the current highest number of Covid inpatients is in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, although in Fife the 88 inpatients shows almost a 200 per cent increase in four weeks.

Others with larger numbers are in the Lothians and Lanarkshire at 137 and 105 respectfully.

The total number of Covid patients in English hospitals has climbed to 10,608 as of October 12, the highest figure since July, while in Wales the figure has doubled.

Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said Covid-19 cases and hospitalisation rates were “at their highest level in months”.

She said: “Outbreaks in hospitals and care homes are also on the rise.

“Make sure you have any Covid-19 vaccinations you are eligible for and avoid contact with others if you feel unwell or have symptoms of a respiratory infection.”

The Omicron subvariant BA.5 is still the dominant variant of Covid in the UK, according to the UKHSA, but three other subvariants, BQ.X, BA.2.75.2, and BF.7, seem to be gaining ground.

Professor Martin Michaelis, professor of molecular medicine at the University of Kent, that these three subvariants also seem to be “better at bypassing pre-existing immunity from vaccination and previous infections than BA.5”.

He said: “It is likely that they already contribute to the increase in Covid-19 cases that we are detecting at the moment.”