Young adults shown to be ‘commonest group of people infected’ with Covid-19
Preliminary findings of a surveillance study by Public Health England revealed that young adults aged between 17 and 29 were the most common age group of people infected with Covid-19.
The ongoing study aims to provide more insight into the spread of Covid-19 in England by searching for antibodies in the samples provided to indicate if a person has had the virus.
Public health officials describe the results as ‘unexpected’ as the level of disease in the country is predominantly found in older adults.
Read the full story in the HSJ.
Research reveals ‘bizarre’ long-term effects of COVID-19
A study by King’s College London evaluating the long-term effects of Covid-19 has suggested that around one in 20 Covid patients experience long-term symptoms for at least a month. These can range from strange pains and fevers to debilitating headaches and lethargy and they can impact those who suffer only mildly from the disease initially.
Professor Tim Spector of King’s College headed the research and described Covid-19 as one of the “strangest diseases I’ve ever come across”.
Read the full story in The Telegraph.
Almost a third of Covid-19 deaths are diabetic patients
New NHS England research suggests that almost a third of people who have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in English hospitals had diabetes.
These findings are higher than previously thought, comparing to health service data release last week which suggested that 26% of Covid-19 victims had the condition.
Charity Diabetes UK are calling on the Government to ensure that patients are kept safe at work and can access other support systems such as supermarket delivery slots and emotional support.
Read the full story on ITV News.
Fifth of patients could have caught Covid-19 in hospital
A study by Public Health England, based on computer models of transmission of Covid-19 within hospitals, suggests that a fifth of all Covid-19 patients in hospital may have caught the virus while in hospital for another reason.
This re-iterates previous concerns that asymptomatic healthcare workers may play a role in spreading the virus. But, the study is yet to be peer-reviewed and is also based on a number of assumptions, so officials urge caution against the findings.
Read the full story in The Guardian.
Quote of the week
Following several years of qualitative research, experts at the University of Oxford have developed evidence-based guidance on setting up and conducting remote video consultations. The research highlights that implementing these kind of digital transformations will require introducing and sustaining major changes throughout the system, and this is be even more relevant following Covid-19. Their conclusions were as follows:
‘If remote video consultations are to be adopted at scale, implementation will need to follow a socio-technical approach, continually adjusting the technology and work processes to become better aligned.’
Read the full article in the BMJ Leader.