According to medical experts, if the trend continues, the next target of the novel coronavirus could be care-homes.
In a report in The Independent, a senior NHS England director warned the public that the next route of COVID-19 would be senior care-homes and their vulnerable residents, which can then spread back into the community.
Professor Keith Willet, NHS England's senior incident director for coronavirus, said in a private online briefing conducted by NHS chiefs on Thursday, April 30, that the extent of the coronavirus has shifted since COVID-19 is now spreading between patients and staff in many care-homes.
Willet confirmed that the death rate of care-home residents had increased from a quarter to 30%.
"The expectation is that for the next few weeks . . . those care homes will be the epicenters of transmission back into society and feeding the endemic problem that we will have going forward," Willet said in the report.
The comments given by the senior NHS director came as the NHS was being criticized as the one who introduced the viral virus into care-homes from the start of the pandemic when an order was released that care-homes should take COVID-19 patients from hospitals to decrease the number of patients to help free up beds.
COVD-19 next epicenters are care-homes according to NHS: Death rate increased to 30%
According to the report of The Independent, health services are still in a precarious state and could go back to the height of the coronavirus surge within weeks or even days, warned Professor Willet to NHS bosses.
NHS chiefs were also cautioned against assuming the health service is now out of danger since the care-homes had come through the peak of the infection. Some hospitals in London are still being overwhelmed by a large number of infected individuals.
"We did ride that first wave with some spare capacity, but boy was it tight in some parts of the country, and you know that. London got very close to not having sufficient capacity. And I think we need to be very careful that we aren't making an assumption that somehow we're on a downward trajectory that's not going to change," said Willet.
Professor Willet told in a regular meeting with the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies or SAGE, that although they managed to handle a large number of infections by going into lockdown, the status of the community can also rapidly climb back in just a matter of weeks and possibly even days.
He also clarified that although there's a discussion spreading in the media that the senior leaders are planning to lift the lockdown, the community is nowhere near the level of activity it was in before the lockdown was conducted.
UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, warned the public against coming out of the lockdown quickly, although the UK had already passed through the peak of the pandemic.
A plan was expected to be published that will be set out to relax the lockdown restrictions next week. Professor Willet said that situation now is more manageable compared to their status a few weeks ago, but it doesn't mean that the pandemic is over.
He clarified that the situation is still critical since 400 to 700 people are still dying every day because of COVID-19.
The Public Health England reported that there have been more than 4,500 care-homes affected by the COVID-19 outbreak which is about a third of all care homes.
