What is the Covid situation in Bradford like now compared to last year?

This time last year, Bradford was in lockdown with tight restrictions on household mixing in place to try and stem the spread of Covid-19.

The first variant of the virus, found in Kent, had exploded across the country in November, plunging England into another national lockdown and the introduction of the tier system.

The vaccine rollout had only just begun, with the first vaccines given on December 8, meaning only a tiny fraction of the population had the protection of vaccines at this point.

Now, almost three-quarters of people in Bradford have had at least one jab and a third of people have had their third booster jab.

The vaccine has proven very effective at reducing the severity of illness when contracting Covid and also helps to reduce the spread.

However, the new Omicron variant is more easily transmissible even with two jabs, meaning people need the booster vaccine for maximum protection.

But what is the situation like in Bradford now compared to 12 months ago?

All data taken from the Government’s Coronavirus Hub.

Cases

Daily cases in Bradford from December 2020 to present day

Across the UK there’s been a huge spike in Covid cases in the past six weeks as Omicron has spread like wildfire.

However in Bradford, this impact is yet to be witnessed. After a spike in cases during October, cases have fallen and remained at a fairly consistent level since the beginning of November.

The seven day average right now for Bradford is 222 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 per day, however it does seem to be creeping up in recent days.

This time last year, thanks to lockdown, the seven day average was 138 new cases per day, so this shows that the number of cases is higher than in 2020.

Hospitalisations

Patient numbers at Bradford Royal Infirmary since December 2020

Nationally, the number of patients in hospitals with Covid-19 has remained fairly constant in the past three months, but there are still more than 7,400 people in hospital with the virus, and more than 800 people admitted each day with Covid-19.

At Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, there are currently 31 people in hospital with Covid-19, a drop from in November and lower than during the summer holidays.

It is also a lot lower than in December 2020, when there were more than 100 people in hospital with Covid-19.

There are also currently no patients on mechanical ventilators, compared with more than 10 a day in December 2020.

This shows the power of Covid-19 vaccines in reducing the severity of illness and the need for hospitalisation; the majority of people in hospital are unvaccinated.

Patient numbers at Airedale from December 2020 to present

At Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, there are 25 people in hospital with Covid-19, also much lower than the figure in December 2020.

They have four patients on ventilators, the same number there was on average this time last year.

However, there are fears that if the Omicron variant begins to spread rapidly in Bradford, it could result in more people – especially those who remain unvaccinated or unboosted – requiring hospital treatment, putting added strain on health services in the district.

Deaths

Weekly death numbers in Bradford from December 2020 to present

In England, there were 125 more Covid-19 deaths recorded yesterday, taking the total number of Covid deaths to 147,173.

In Bradford, there were an additional three Covid deaths recorded yesterday, taking the total death toll in the district to 1,293.

The number of deaths in recent weeks has remained fairly level in the past few months, between three and 15 each week.

Compared with 2020, this is much lower. In December there were around 40 deaths each week from the virus.

This again shows how key the Covid-19 vaccines have been in preventing death and serious illness form the virus, as deaths tailed off massively from March 2021 onwards as more and more people got their Covid-19 jabs.

Conclusion?

It’s blindingly obvious that getting vaccinated against Covid-19 is the best possible way to protect yourself against death or serious illness from Covid.

The remaining 27 per cent of people in Bradford who are still completely unvaccinated are being urged to get their jabs as soon as possible, as are the seven per cent of single-jabbed people who are yet to get their second dose.

Those who have had both doses are being urged to get their booster jab as soon as possible to give them the best possible protection against the Omicron variant.

Following public health advice to wear face masks, limit unnecessary social contact and to continue washing hands thoroughly and regularly, is also recommended to try and avoid catching Covid.

People can get their vaccine at walk in centres in Bradford city centre and at Airedale Hospital, or can book their jab by visiting the NHS website.