Transmission rates in hospital

[andweallsingalong]

Does anyone know if the transmission rates in hospitals are still high or whether things have improved?

DH was admitted on Thursday night with pneumonia - not covid.

He's doing well and seems pretty much back to normal, but treatment is going slowly. First 24hrs on isolation ward awaiting covid test results (negative) with no treatment other than x-ray. Then moved to "an acute ward".

At 10pm last night he started on IV antibiotics, but the canular came out whilst they were setting the antibiotics bag up so unsuccessful... Then moved to another ward with "more seriously ill patients". Not sure if they've tried again with IV.

He seems much better. Coherant and texting.

I'm worried about Xmas. My Mum (almost 70) is coming and we were planning on minimising our risk by staying in other than essential shopping until then, but now DH is in hospital I'm worried he's at a high risk of catching covid as my Mum's neighbour went in at the start of the pandemic and came out with covid and is very lucky to still be here.

I'm pretty sure we had it early on so would be fine, but I don't know what the risk would be to my mum.

I've heard of it still happening a bit. I guess you just can't know. It's a difficult decision. Could you push back your 'dinner' with her?

The rates are still high but a lot depends on exactly which hospital/health trust you are in.

If minimising risk is important to your mum then it might be best to postpone her visit.

Thanks, I was hoping you'd say that I was over thinking and it's under control now - DH says they're being very good at trying to avoid spread, but, yes of course no matter how careful they are lots of people in one place is going to increase risk.

She's in our bubble (lives alone, but a couple of hours drive) so was due to come for 3 days and I'd booked next week off work to be extra cautious.

Was hoping he'd be out today with oral antibiotics and so we'd have a week for any potential symptoms to develop, but it doesn't even sound like they've successfully started IV antibiotics yet.

It happens unfortunately. One patient on a ward tested negative but when transferred to another hospital tested positive - he had been bed bound for weeks, had had limited contact with hcps and only one visitor. The others on ward had to isolate on ward/discharge but did not develop it afaik.

My elderly FIL contracted covid on a hospital ward last week and sadly passed away.

Grandmother was tested on admission-negative. Then tested on discharge-postive. Now back in again, still positive but on a non covid ward due to lack of space.

I know two people who have been in hospital recently and both have caught it. Also a friend that works in a hospital has had a positive test although asymptomatic, she's isolating now but was on the ward between her test and getting the positive result, as it was just her regular weekly test.

Both of the above people were on geriatric wards, both initially has negative tests.

Your husband may well be fine, I hope he is. But I would err on the side of caution and delay Christmas for a few days, to make sure you're all ok.

An elderly family friend recently went to hospital and caught COVID there and sadly passed away.

Individual rates will vary so it that’d to tell but I guess you can’t always know in advance where is affected and by how much.

I’m a doctor. We are doing everything we can to limit the spread but inevitably we do have some outbreaks on wards unfortunately as socially distancing patients is very challenging. The issue is I’ve had patients who’ve had up to 3 negative swabs and then it turns out they had covid after all or develop it during the admission, it’s a tricky disease. Good sign is that we can often see covid changes on a chest x ray and it sounds like your husbands chest x ray was fine.

You’ll need to weigh up the risk about how vulnerable your mum is.

I’m sure he’s on IV antibiotics already, maybe clarify that with his team. If someone needs IV antibiotics and is potentially septic the guidelines are to get them in within an hour. If he’s on oral antibiotics that’s a good sign that he’s doing well, sometimes if we have issues with cannulas but someone is actually doing quite well we switch to oral instead.

I hope he gets better soon and is out for Christmas xx

Sadly, the higher the rate in the community in general the higher the risk of hospital-acquired infection. Even with the regular testing of staff, there will still be those who are asymptomatic or presymptomatic.

it is rampant in the hospitals - and that is not the fault of the staff. Blame our fuckup of a government (look at Australia, locking down Northern Sydney after an outbreak of 40 cases, while we are still being encouraged to mix for Christmas)

assume infection and go into self-isolation when your husband comes home. Dec 25 will wait. I'm sorry for all who will spend Christmas alone but we all have to pull up our grown-up knickers.

believe I know of what I speak. The terror of having a relative who has picked it up is very real. Don't go there.

the best to you and your husband for a speedy recovery.

Thanks all. They've now managed to start him on IV antibiotics and talking about discharge on Monday.

So sorry to hear from everyone who's relatives caught covid in hospital and didn't make it.

Hope he feels better soon OP

I hope he gets better soon. There's no way id take the risk with your Mum. I know our local hospital is really struggling with in hospital transmission.

Hopefully your mum will get the vaccine soon & it won't be too long before you can see her much more safely.