“Very few” COVID-19 hospital patients in England received two jabs: health association chief

LONDON, May 31 — “Very, very few” coronavirus patients in hospital in England have received two coronavirus jabs, showing the vaccines provide “very high” levels of protection, the chief of a British health association said Sunday.
A “handful” of patients in hospital had received both vaccination doses, but they usually have additional conditions, said Chris Hopson, chief of National Health Service (NHS) Providers, a membership organization for hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services that treat patients and service users in the NHS.
Patients tend now to be younger, which means there was a lower need for critical care, he said.
However, it is “incredibly striking” how busy hospitals are, as they deal with non-COVID backlogs, Hopson told the BBC. Hospitals are going “full pelt”, he said.
According to the latest government data, there are 870 coronavirus patients in hospital in Britain, compared to the peak of 39,249 in January.
“More informed debate” is needed for the final step of easing coronavirus restrictions in England on June 21, Hopson added.
Meanwhile, some British experts have warned that the India-related coronavirus variant could “pick up speed and become a big problem” in Britain if the country further eases its lockdown.
Britain’s fight against coronavirus could turn bad “very, very quickly” unless the British government acts cautiously on easing lockdown further, professor Tim Gowers from the University of Cambridge has told The Guardian newspaper.
The India-related COVID-19 variant cases have doubled in a week in England to almost 7,000, prompting concerns that the British government’s lockdown roadmap will be derailed.
From May 17, pubs, bars and restaurants in England were permitted to open indoors, while indoor entertainment resumed, including cinemas, museums and children’s play areas.
People were also allowed to travel abroad to a number of “green-list” countries without having to quarantine upon return as the ban on foreign travel has also been lifted.
The British government’s roadmap is expected to see all legal limits on social contact to be removed on June 21. It is understood that a final decision on the planed easing of lockdown will not be made until June 14.
More than 39 million people, about three-quarters of adults in Britain, have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures.
Experts have warned that coronavirus may continue to evolve for years to come, and eventually it is likely current vaccines will fail to protect against transmission, infection, or even against disease caused by newer variants.
To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines. (Xinhua)