Covid rates Leeds: Number of patients testing positive quadruples with warnings of 'outbreaks on the rise'

Nearly 200 patients with confirmed coronavirus diagnoses were recorded at Leeds Teaching Hospitals as of 8am on Wednesday (October 12).

The figure of 197 is nearly four times the number of Covid patients recorded four weeks ago on September 14, when 53 beds were being occupied by patients who tested positive for the virus.

Covid rates in hospitals have been steadily rising over the last month in Leeds and across the UK, according to the NHS data.

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

And the number of patients on ventilators is also climbing. On October 11, there were 224 patients on ventilators in England, the highest figure since August 9.

Dr Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said last week that 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.

“If you are unwell, it is particularly important to avoid contact with elderly people or those who are more likely to have severe disease because of their ongoing health conditions.

“If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, wearing a face covering will also help stop infections spreading.”

The Omicron subvariant BA.5 is still the dominant variant of Covid in the UK, UKHSA data shows.

However, three other subvariants, known as BQ.X, BA.2.75.2, and BF.7, appear to be gaining ground, according to statistics.

And an estimated one in 50 people in England and Wales have Covid-19, according to the latest modelling released on Friday, October 7, by the Office for National Statistics.

The figure is even higher in Scotland, at one in 45, and Northern Ireland, where an estimated one in 40 have the virus.