Rising Covid hospitalisations prompt mask mandate return in some UK hospitals

Several UK hospitals have reinstated mask mandates this week as Covid cases continue to surge. The Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital in Stafford have reintroduced the requirement for patients, visitors and staff to wear masks in clinical areas.

The BBC has reported that Worcestershire's Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has also brought back the measure "to protect patients, their loved ones and hospital staff."

At present, the trust is caring for 65 Covid-19 patients, marking the highest number since December 2023. It seems that patients are suffering from more severe illnesses as their hospital stays are becoming longer.

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In Staffordshire, 108 patients are fighting the virus, with two wards at Royal Stoke Hospital filled to capacity with Covid patients.

The rise in cases is being attributed to new variants named JN1, KP1, KP2 and KP3. Recent data from the UK Health Security Agency showed that hospitalisations due to Covid have risen to 3.31 per 100,000 from 2.67 per 100,000 in the previous week, according to the Liverpool Echo, reports the Mirror.

Professor Danny Altmann of Imperial College London expressed his concern to The Guardian, saying: "There seems to be consensus that we are in a period of rising breakthrough infections and hospitalisations. This is certainly a subject of ongoing concern and need for vigilance."

Prof Paul Hunter, a notable figure from the University of East Anglia, has expressed concern over possible decrease in immunity from previous vaccinations and infections, especially in the elderly population. He points towards a potential immunity gap as the spring booster has reached only 65% of over-75s.

Similarly, Dr Jamie Lopez Bernal, a health guru at the UKHSA, has offered advice on how to handle the present situation: "If you are showing symptoms of Covid-19 or flu, help protect others by staying at home and avoiding contact with other people, especially those who are more vulnerable. If you do need to leave home, consider wearing a mask."