The spike in Covid infection rates is putting real pressure on the NHS, with Scotland’s hospitals having to cope with increased admissions.
Contingency plans to boost the capacity of intensive care units are in place in case demand becomes unmanageable.
Dr Andrew Mackay, who’s the lead clinician for critical care and a consultant anaesthetist at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
“There is an air of apprehension because we do know that things have potential to get worse.
“We see the numbers in hospital going up. We know that a lot of those patients who are coming into hospital now will need intensive care over the next week or two and I think that all contributes to this kind of general anxiety that things are going to get worse.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged people without a “genuine essential purpose” for leaving their homes to stay put, with mainland Scotland back in lockdown until at least the end of January.
The latest restrictions came into effect from midnight on Tuesday in all Level 4 areas of the Scottish Government’s five-tier system in a bid to combat further spread of the new, more infectious coronavirus strain.
According to NHS boards across Scotland, 1384 people are currently in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. Out of those, 95 patients are in intensive care.
Hilary Nelson, an intensive care nurse at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, is also concerned about the next few weeks will bring in terms of coronavirus cases.
“I think that staff across the whole of the NHS are slightly nervous and there’s also a great deal of anticipation of what’s to come because we just don’t know what it’s going to be like.
“Our modelling suggests that, yes, our numbers will increase and we are bracing ourself for that impact.”
