NHS delivers 55,000 Covid jabs in six weeks across Northamptonshire

NHS delivers 55,000 Covid jabs in six weeks across Northamptonshire Northamptonshire's Covid-19 vaccine roll-out is being extended to over-75s.

NHS officials today revealed staff have already delivered jabs to 55,000 Northamptonshire folk in six weeks — an increase of 10,000 on the figure announced last Friday. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Three-quarters of Northamptonshire's over-80s have had their first Covid vaccine Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Duty Calls: Northampton nurse who came out of retirement to fight pandemic shares reality of Covid Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Northampton care home defends 'strong encouragement' for workers to get coronavirus vaccine after criticism Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Interactive map reveals 938 Northamptonshire folk who succumbed to Covid and the area where they lived Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Temporary mortuary re-opened as winter deaths rise in Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Pubs and restaurants should stay shut until May - what scientists are saying Northamptonshire Telegraph
• A technical issue may have allowed ineligible people to skip the Covid vaccine queue Northamptonshire Telegraph

'Deaths of despair': A tale of two countries

'Deaths of despair': A tale of two countries In episode 4 of the Health Foundation podcast, Dr Jennifer Dixon speaks to Professor Sir Angus Deaton and the FT’s Sarah O’Connor about the stalling life expectancy in the US and UK.

Chart of the week: The rising tide of Covid-19 infections in our overcrowded prisons

 Chart of the week: The rising tide of Covid-19 infections in our overcrowded prisons Each week we present analysis of data in chart form to illustrate some key issues and invite discussion. This week, with new data showing that coronavirus infections rose more rapidly across the prisoner population in December than they did across the general population, Dr Miranda Davies and Eilís Keeble look at this worrying trend in context and consider the burden the pandemic is placing upon this already vulnerable population. Nuffield Trust

NEWS2 evaluated for prediction of severe COVID-19 outcome in large international study

NEWS2 evaluated for prediction of severe COVID-19 outcome in large international study In the first systematic large-scale evaluation of the UK National Early Warning Risk Score (NEWS) 2 as a scoring system for predicting severe COVID-19 outcomes in patients, researchers at King’s College London have found poor-to-moderate accuracy for identifying patients at risk of being transferred to intensive care units (ICUs) or dying after 14 days of hospitalisation. Accuracy of predictions in short-term (three days) showed moderate success. 

See also:

• Evaluation and improvement of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS2) for COVID-19: a multi-hospital study (open access) BMC Medicine
• NHS algorithm used to spot which Covid patients are most at risk of dying isn't accurate The Daily Mail

Digital public services: what's next?

Digital public services: what's next? This Report provides recommendations for the government going forward to help the public sector on its digital transformation journey. It calls for a cross-government digital skills strategy with a clear focus on retaining digital leaders and recommends that the government should review the limits on resource spending on technology which hampers public sectors ability to buy newer pay-per-use technology such as the cloud. Reform 

Health charities and the NHS: a vital partnership in peril?

Health charities and the NHS: a vital partnership in peril? This report highlights the crucial services and leadership that health care charities provide for the NHS, both of which have been shown to be critical throughout the current pandemic. It sets out the pressing need for better recognition of and healthy engagement with health care charities by policy makers, and the benefits that this would bring. National Garden Scheme

UK vaccination policy

UK vaccination policy This briefing provides an overview of UK vaccination policy. It includes an introduction to the science of vaccination and covers UK vaccination programmes, as well as considering the response of the government to the UK's loss of the World Health Organization's measles elimination status. House of Commons Library 

Research and analysis: COVID-19 variants: genomically confirmed case numbers

Research and analysis: COVID-19 variants: genomically confirmed case numbers Genomically confirmed case numbers for SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation. Public Health England

See also:

• Transparency data: Coronavirus cases by local authority: epidemiological data, 21 January 2021 Department of Health and Social Care
• NHS Test and Trace meets new year surge in demand with faster turnaround times Department of Health and Social Care
• NHS delivers COVID jabs from cinema and mosque NHS England
• Guidance: COVID-19: enhanced surveillance of cases in vaccinated individuals Public Health England
• Official Statistics: National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports Public Health England
• Any suggestion ‘precious’ vaccines should be thrown away should be dismissed, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners

Covid: Nearly 2m people got first Covid vaccine in last week

Covid: Nearly 2m people got first Covid vaccine in last week Nearly two million people in the UK have received their first dose of a Covid vaccine in the past week, government figures show. 

By the end of Tuesday 4.61 million people had received their initial jab, up from 2.64 million the week before.

Matt Hancock told MPs: "We're giving 200 vaccinations every minute". BBC News

See also:

• Covid-19: Scientists challenge 'flawed' lateral flow tests report BBC News
• Vaccine volunteers: 'It's felt good to fight back against Covid' BBC News
• Covid: How a £20 gadget could save lives BBC News
• Wuhan lockdown: A year of China's fight against the Covid pandemic BBC News
• Number of critical care beds occupied is 70% higher than last winter, NHS data reveals The Daily Mail
• NHS chief says jumping Covid vaccine queue is 'morally reprehensible'  The Daily Mail
• Covid UK: Herd immunity may not be achievable even if ALL vaccinated The Daily Mail
• The priority list for the Covid vaccines - and how you will be contacted The Daily Telegraph
• 'We're being asked to do too much': NHS staff on fighting the second wave The Guardian
• English care homes 'sitting ducks' as GPs refuse Covid vaccine at infected sites The Guardian
• North-east and Yorkshire vaccine supply cut to catch up lagging regions The Guardian
• Care homes face devastating results of losing England's Covid jab 'lottery' The Guardian
• UK records 1,290 new Covid deaths The Independent
• Lockdown could last until summer, No 10 warns as experts say early relaxing of rules could lead to new Covid wave The Independent
• This lockdown is far from over if we really want to protect the NHS The Independent

Surviving cardiac arrest: what it's like to come back to life – podcast

Surviving cardiac arrest: what it's like to come back to life – podcast Last year the Guardian’s Jonathan Watts underwent a lifesaving operation following a cardiac arrest. He tells Anushka Asthana what it taught him about life and death.