Agenda item

[To receive a report from Public Health on the epidemiology of Covid-19 in Wolverhampton]. 

[Report is marked to follow to ensure the latest statistics are provided]. 

The Director of Public Health asked the Consultant in Public Health to introduce the report on Covid-19 Epidemiology.  The Consultant in Public Health remarked that there was a group of Public Health specialists who regularly reviewed different data indicators from all available sources.  Although data access had been a challenge at some points during the pandemic, they were now in a good position.  They were able to access data from Public Health England, NHS Digital and live access to data sources at RWT.  She reiterated the importance of people being tested if they were showing symptoms of Covid-19, as it was the only way they could keep track of the spread of the infection within the community. 

The Consultant in Public Health stated at the time of writing the report Wolverhampton had 1,385 confirmed Covid-19 cases.  The latest figure as of 23 July 2020 was 1,404.  Presently, on average, they were seeing two confirmed Covid-19 cases per day.  The case rate was therefore low and stable with no immediate cause for concern.  Careful monitoring was taking place to ensure any rise in cases or patterns could be picked up quickly. About 2-3% of people currently being tested for Covid-19 within Wolverhampton were testing positive.  This was a relatively low ratio compared to the peak of the pandemic.      

The Consultant in Public Health stated that to date, 300 deaths of Wolverhampton residents had been attributed to Covid-19 on the Medical Certificate Cause of Death.  71% of those deaths had occurred in hospital.  The age standardised mortality rate in the City was comparable to other surrounding areas.  Mortality rates in the City were now back to normal levels for the time of year, there was therefore no longer any excess deaths due to Covid-19.   During the peak of the pandemic most of the cases diagnosed were through the hospitalised cases and also through the large-scale testing of health and social care staff, if they had become symptomatic.  This consequently meant the confirmed cases were more severe, with men over represented and a high proportion of older people.

The Consultant in Public Health stated that when looking at the ethnicity data it was important to take into account the age profile of the Black and ethnic minorities groups, which tended to be younger than the White population.  When taking this into account the City was seeing more Covid-19 cases and deaths from Black and ethnic minority groups than would be expected. 

The Consultant in Public Health stated there was now a national framework for the action that should be taken if there was a rise in local Covid-19 cases or particular patterns of concern within the City.  The first stage was to engage with Public Health England and the Joint Bio-Security Centre at a national level, where a deep dive into the local epidemiology would take place.  Local testing availability would be ramped up and more messaging would be delivered to local communities about additional action required to contain the cases.  If the cases were not able to be controlled, only then would further restrictions or a potential local lockdown be required. 

The Director of Public Health commented that partnership working had been critical to the local response to the pandemic.  The joint approach to data and the relationships between partners had led to better and quicker decision making.  He hoped these same relationships would help them respond early, quickly and efficiently to any uptrend in Covid-19 cases within the City.   

A Member of the Panel asked the Consultant in Public Health to write to him with further information about the age standardised rate of Black and ethnic minority cases and deaths of Covid-19.