Just a quick update this week. The infection rate has been falling in Telford, though provisional data show a small increase in recent days. In Shropshire, the infection rate looks to be increasing, though again the data on this is provisional. Across England, the recent fall in infection rates has halted. Locally in Ludlow, infection rates have flattened out and may be rising. There are currently 45 patients with Covid in the county’s three main hospitals.
There has been a welcome fall in cases across England, and in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Ludlow. Rates however remain high. As always, we should view the trend with caution. Over the last few months, we have seen rates fall only to shoot up again very quickly. The latest data for Ludlow shows 31 cases in the week to 31 October, down from 97 two weeks earlier. It is disturbing to see that the number of hospital beds occupied by patients with Covid has shot up in Shropshire, with 60 patients now in the county’s three main hospitals. There were just 22 unoccupied adult general and acute beds in the county on 2 November. The vaccination rollout continues apace in Ludlow. If you qualify for a third jab, you’ll be called as soon as practical. Flu vaccine supplies seem to be slower coming through but, again, patients will be called as soon as practical.
The infection rate in Ludlow halved during the week to 24 October. But, with 456 infections per 100,000 people, the rate remained high. Looking further afield, Shropshire had a infection rate last Friday of 325; Telford & Wrekin 470; and England 360. These rates are down on the previous week during which Telford & Wrekin reached its highest infection rate to date. There could have been some distortion in the data due a rush for testing before the half term holiday and a reduction of testing during the holiday itself. The recent falls in rates could be affected by this. However, the decrease in infection rates in Ludlow and south west Shropshire is looking optimistic.
Ludlow Community Hospital has been under various degrees of threat over the last decade. Despite local protests, the maternity unit was closed. Births are now only supported at the main hospitals or at home. Or community hospital provides pre- and post-natal care in the more modern buildings, some of which are not used. That has left the long neglected former infirmary building empty – that’s the red brick building ahead as you enter the top car park. The building has been in poor repair for many years and needs substantial investment to make it fit for any purpose. The former infirmary building at the community hospital is now to be sold by the NHS, with half the proceeds invested in the local NHS estate. That’s fine as far as it goes but we should be cautious about reducing the size of the health estate in Ludlow until we have agreed plans for community health provision in the town.
The infection rate, the number of cases per 100,000 people over seven days, reached 885 in Ludlow in the week to 17 October. That was more double the infection rate for England (388) and Shropshire (485) and considerably higher than for Telford & Wrekin (593). Although rates are now beginning to fall, they still remain at an all time high for our town. It may be that Shropshire and Ludlow are playing catch up. The unitary area and our town had lower infection rates than much of the country during 2020. That could have led to a lower community immunity. With schools having been back and social mixing restrictions all but abandoned, infection has been growing in our community. Most clinically vulnerable people will by now have had two doses of vaccine and many have received their third dose. Most children tend to shake off Covid-19. But they can be very poorly. They can spread infection among their friends and family and a small number can suffer long term health damage. There is significant concern that flu will be more severe this winter. We have been living in relative isolation in our local and national islands during lockdowns, restrictions on…