Hospital onset COVID-19 cases in Scotland
Week ending 1 March 2020 to week ending 24 January 2021

About this release

This release by Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland, part of NHS National Services Scotland, under the Health Protection Scotland (HPS) COVID-19 response provides data for COVID-19 hospital onset cases in Scotland from week ending 1 March 2020 to week ending 24 January 2021. A system for monitoring COVID-19 is critical to tracking hospital transmission. This helps to inform infection prevention and control measures. The transmission of COVID-19 is thought to occur mainly through respiratory droplets generated by coughing and through contact with contaminated surfaces. Infections have been widely reported in the community. Further information on the epidemiology of COVID-19 in healthcare settings can be found on the Health Protection Scotland website (PDF).

Main points

Breakdown of COVID-19 cases by hospital onset status – weekly data

The total number of COVID-19 cases reported to ARHAI Scotland this week (week ending 24 January 2021) was 9,172. Of these:

• 8,509 (92.8%) were reported as community onset (first positive specimen taken in the community). In the previous week (week ending 17 January 2021) there were 10,586 (93.2%).
• 275 (3.0%) were reported as non-hospital onset (first positive specimen on day 1 or 2 of admission to NHS board). In the previous week (week ending 17 January 2021) there were 331 (2.9%).
• 79 (0.9%) were reported as indeterminate hospital onset (first positive specimen on days 3 to 7 of admission to NHS board). In the previous week (week ending 17 January 2021) there were 84 (0.7%).
• 81 (0.9%) were reported as probable hospital onset (first positive specimen on days 8 to 14 of admission to NHS board). In the previous week (week ending 17 January 2021) there were 114 (1.0%).
• 228 (2.5%) were reported as definite hospital onset (first positive specimen date was 15 or more days after admission to NHS board). In the previous week (week ending 17 January 2021) there were 244 (2.1%).

1. Source of data is Electronic Communication of Surveillance in Scotland (ECOSS) data and Rapid Admission Preliminary Inpatient Data (RAPID) data or local admission data.
2. The community cases are not represented in this chart as the first sample was not taken in hospital setting.

Background

Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland, part of National Services Scotland works closely with Public Health Scotland to deliver under the Health Protection Scotland (HPS) COVID-19 response. Local and national monitoring in hospital settings is required to reduce COVID-19 infections.

Further information

Find out more in the full report and on the COVID-19 (external website) pages on the HPS website.

Open data from this publication is available from the Scottish Health and Social Care Open Data platform (external website).

The next release of this publication will be 24 February 2021.