Better rates in hospital now with covid

[Orangeblossom78]

The death rate for coronavirus patients in English hospitals has fallen to a quarter of the level at the peak of the outbreak, which may mean that doctors are getting better at treating it.

Researchers said it was also possible that the data had a less optimistic explanation, possibly reflecting changes in those being admitted to hospital.

At the beginning of April, when there were 15,000 people in hospital with Covid-19, about 6 per cent died. Since then, the number in hospital has fallen by 2.4 per cent a day, meaning numbers have halved every 29 days.

At the same time the number of deaths has reduced by 4.3 per cent a day, meaning that it has halved every 16 days. As a consequence, in the latest figures the hospital death rate has fallen to 1.5 per cent.

Statisticians are struggling to explain the findings, which imply that patients are more likely to survive today than they were three months ago.

(goes on to mention possibly earlier admission to hospital, only taking very severe cases at the start due to being overwhelmed)

www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/virus-patients-less-likely-to-die-now-than-at-peak-of-crisis-fdhlpc68g

It's blatantly obvious that the initial strategy of denying treatment to anyone who wasn't already at death's door, and sometimes denying treatment even then, has led to avoidable deaths.

Not obvious though is whether early treatment would have lowered deaths overall, considering concerns about hospital capacity and virus spread.

I remember something about this and discussion on here at the time. Something about London ambulance teams, over time, basically having different criteria to take people in earlier.

But for a while it seemed people were being kept at home too long.

There was also a low death rate in Germany where there was more testing and earlier admission and treatment (as I understood)

Well hopefully it seems things could be better now, here. More understanding. More treatments too. This was also recent and positive

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/22/why-doctors-say-uk-better-prepared-for-second-wave-coronavirus

I think as well as improvements in treatment, it must be partly related to the demographic of those currently infected. Much more likely now to be younger people/children and those of working age who are mixing more but generally less likely to suffer from severe symptoms if they catch it. Those who are 60+ still being very cautious (and less likely to mix with the infectious) and outbreaks in care homes getting under control.

Whatever it is hopefully they will learn form it and things could be better now - which is why I posted it. I guess just having less patients overall may help as more attention on each.

Brilliant news. I believe a similar pattern has been observed in Italy and New York.

I agree early treatment seems to have a positive impact.
I wonder if the virus has mutated to a less deadly strain...no idea if that’s the case, just a thought.

It said they didn't think it had in the articles