Syndromic surveillance summary: 27 January 2022 week 3
Updated 5 January 2023
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Reporting week: 17 January 2022 to 23 January 2022
During week 3, respiratory indicators, including coronavirus (COVID-19)-like illness continued to decrease overall, but with increases seen in 5 to 14 years age group. There was a slight increase in vomiting and diarrhoea indicators nationally.
Remote health advice syndromic surveillance system
During week 3, NHS 111 calls and assessments for respiratory indicators remained stable or decreased nationally, however, increases in assessments for difficulty breathing have been noted in children aged 1 to 14.
NHS 111 calls and assessments for ‘Potential COVID-19’ decreased nationally across all regions, but continue to rise in children aged 5 to 14. There was a slight increase in the number of NHS 111 calls for vomiting and diarrhoea nationally.
GP in hours syndromic surveillance system
During week 3, GP consultation rates for most respiratory illness, including COVID-19-like consultations, decreased but there was a slight increase in consultations for pharyngitis or scarlet fever, particularly in children aged 1 to 14 years.
Consultation rates for vomiting were also increasing in children aged 1 to 14 years.
GP out of hours syndromic surveillance system
During week 3, there was a slight increase in total GP out-of-hours contacts and also in contacts for difficulty breathing, whilst gastroenteritis has now increased to baseline levels.
Emergency department syndromic surveillance system
During week 3, COVID-19-like emergency department attendances continued to decrease nationally, except in children aged 5 to 14 years. There was an increase nationally in attendances for acute bronchiolitis or bronchitis, especially in children aged under 5 years.
There was a slight national increase in influenza-like illness which remains below seasonally-expected levels.
Ambulance syndromic surveillance system
During week 3, COVID-19-like ambulance calls continued to decrease. All other indicators were stable or decreasing and at or below baseline levels, excluding impact of heat, cold and overdose, ingestion and poisoning, which were above baseline levels.
Please note:
Nationally, ambulance trusts have restarted using the ‘pandemic’ triage card for assessing COVID-19 patients. The associated syndromic chart has therefore been returned to this report. Other syndromic indicators (for example, difficulty breathing and chest pain) should therefore be interpreted with caution. Please see data quality issues of note this week for more information.