2 people on the Isle of Wight have died in care homes, and 1 at home, as a result of COVID-19, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal.
Data has only been collated up to 17th April and is updated per week — so the most recent figures are not known and could be higher.
Daily data releases from the government contain information about the number of people who have died in hospital in England and have tested positive for COVID-19, but does not include figures from care homes, hospices or homes — something people have found frustrating as it does not show the true impact of the virus.
Latest ONS figures show in England and Wales, for the week ending 17th April, over 2,000 COVID-19 deaths were recorded in care homes. Overall, figures show a third of COVID-19 deaths are now happening in care homes.
The 2 local deaths happened before the 17th April but 1 was not registered until during the week ending 25th April.
On the Island, as of 28th April, 22 people have died at St Mary’s who had tested positive for COVID-19. Figures from the ONS now take the Island’s total death toll to 25.
so sad
So hard to get our heads around the idea now that where once care homes and hospitals were places of refuge, now thanks to this awful virus, they are places to fear and avoid as with so many care workers tending the vulnerable, and whilst being as careful as they can be, still the risk is higher than being in you own, less sterile own home.
Feel sorry for the families of those lost to this virus, but also for the staff who do their best and still can’t always protect those they so clearly care for. Glad they keep going, and they must think of all those they help daily not the few they lose.
A hard time for many people and these awful days will be talked about Centuries from now as we do the Black death etc. such is the magnitude of this.
So true
lessons to be learnt
My 89 year old father is in a care home and is battling the infection. How much support did the care homes have from Public Health England to prepare for this? What training were the staff given in infection control? What PPE were they supplied with? Many of these deaths will be in residential homes not nursing homes so you can’t expect the staff to be medically trained. The care home staff have been sent into this battle on there own. They are real heroes.
I have a brother in a residential home for adults with learning disabilities .I fear many such homes were not fully supported at the beginning of this outbreak in the UK and as you rightly point out the staff are not nursing staff.Also now testing in care homes is now albeit somewhat late to be carried out who will do the swabbing on residents? How do you do such invasive throat swabs on people with learning disabilities ordementia ? Throat swabs are awful to have when you understand what is happening .Also many homes cannot isolate residents or lock them in their rooms and have soft furnishings that cannot be easily disinfected What will be the true cost in lives that seem to be so easily discounted as having no value