THE number of Covid-19 patients in hospital in Bradford has risen to its highest number in two months – but is still below numbers seen during the summer.

The rising patient numbers follow the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of Covid-19 across the UK which has sent infection rates spiralling to record numbers.

As of Tuesday, January 4, there were 56 patients with Covid-19 in hospital at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

This was a slight fall from 57 on New Year’s Day, but is still the highest number Bradford Teaching Hospitals has seen since November 3, 2021, when 65 patients were being cared for.

Patient numbers have been trending upwards since the end of November, but are still below the figures seen during August and the first half of September, when the average number of patients in hospital with Covid was around 65.

Thankfully, there are currently no patients on mechanical ventilation in Bradford in the latest figures.

The number of patients in hospital is half the 114 in hospital this time in last year, showing the impact the Covid-19 vaccine has had on reducing serious illness and death; most people in hospital now with Covid-19 have not been vaccinated.

At Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, there are nine patients in hospital with Covid-19 as of January 4, the highest number since February 2021; none are on ventilators.

At Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, following a small spike in mid-December patient numbers fell in the lead up to Christmas, but since December 25 patient numbers rose daily to 43 on January 2, falling to 41 as of January 4, the latest available data.

The current patient number is the highest Airedale has seen since mid-February 2021.

There were 4 patients on ventilators on Christmas Day but that number has now fallen to one.

Since the arrival of the New Year, there has been on Covid-19 death at Bradford Teaching Hospitals, and one at Airedale, taking the total number of Covid deaths in the district’s hospitals since the pandemic began to 1,081.

Across the UK, there were 18,454 patients in hospital with Covid-19 on January 6, the highest number since late February 2021, with 868 on ventilators – this number has actually been falling since the beginning of November.