Covid in Birmingham: are we in a better or worse situation than last Christmas?

See how the number of Covid cases, death rate and hospital admissions have changed in Birmingham since last Christmas
Covid in BirminghamCovid in Birmingham
Covid in Birmingham

The Omicron variant is spreading rapidly across the UK and the Prime Minister is considering new restrictions on socialising - a situation reminiscent of last Christmas and New Year.

However, the country is in a very different position than it was last December.

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The vaccine rollout has had a huge impact on the number of deaths and hospitalisations, although Covid cases are surging across the country, including in Birmingham.

Based on analysis of UK Government data we reveal how the pandemic has changed in Birmingham over the last year.

The analysis covers the time period 13 December 2020 to 13 December 2021.

How many positive cases are there in Birmingham?

Case rates are dramatically higher in Birmingham than they were last December.

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This year (on 13 December) Birmingham recorded 869 new cases – a 177 per cent rise in new cases reported than on the same day last year when 314 new cases were reported.

Case numbers are based on the number of new cases by specimen date.

How many more deaths have there been in Birmingham?

The vaccine rollout has seen deaths plummet in the last year but thousands of deaths have still been recorded across the UK, including many in Birmingham.

Last year Birmingham recorded a total of 1,491 deaths since the start of the pandemic. However, this year the number of total deaths has risen to 3,094, which means 1,603 more people have died over that time period.

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This is a 107.5 per cent rise in the total number of coronavirus deaths in Birmingham.

The analysis is based on the number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test by date of death.

The death rate per 100,000 people has dropped   hough.

Last year 5.2 deaths were recorded per 100,000 people in Birmingham, while in 2021 the death rate is 1.1.

Death rates are based on a seven-day rolling average.

How many people are in hospital in Birmingham?

Hospital cases have also changed across Birmingham in the past year.

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Last year on 14 December at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust – covering Queen Elizabeth and Heartlands hospitals in Birmingham, Solihull Hospital and Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield - there were 390  people in hospital and 41 people on mechanical ventilation (MV) beds, while this year there are 197 hospital cases and 28 people on mechanical ventilation beds.

This represents a 49.5 per cent drop in hospital cases and a 32 per cent drop in MV beds.

Last year on 14 December at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, there were 28 people in hospital and zero people on mechanical ventilation (MV) beds, while this year there are 24 hospital cases and zero people on mechanical ventilation beds.

This represents a 14.3 per cent drop in hospital cases.

Last year on 14 December at Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, there were 40 people in hospital and zero people on mechanical ventilation (MV) beds, while this year there are nine hospital cases and zero people on mechanical ventilation beds.

This represents a 77.5 per cent drop in hospital cases.

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Last year on 14 December at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, there were eight people in hospital and two people on mechanical ventilation (MV) beds, while this year there are five hospital cases and zero people on mechanical ventilation beds.

This represents a 37.5 per cent drop in hospital cases and a 100 per cent drop in MV beds.

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