London Hospitals Facing 'tsunami' Of Virus Patients: NHS Bosses

Hospital bosses and doctors on Thursday warned of being swamped with a "tsunami" of COVID-19 patients in London, as Britain braced for a peak in cases and the government faced calls to urgently provide specialist kit and tests for frontline health workers

London, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Mar, 2020 ) :Hospital bosses and doctors on Thursday warned of being swamped with a "tsunami" of COVID-19 patients in London, as Britain braced for a peak in cases and the government faced calls to urgently provide specialist kit and tests for frontline health workers.

Scientists also warned thousands of new ventilators may come too late and Prime Minister Boris Johnson was criticised for not cooperating with European countries to boost capacity.

Britain initially adopted a light-touch approach to the outbreak but has since imposed tougher measures, including a three-week lockdown, as confirmed cases and deaths climbed.

According to the latest figures, 463 people have died from the virus and more than 9,500 people have been infected, with London accounting for about one-third of all cases.

The chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents the heads of hospital trusts in the state-run National Health Service, said there had been an "explosion of demand" in the capital.

Chris Hopson told BBC radio that hospital bosses said there had been "wave after wave after wave" of admissions of seriously ill patients, with numbers predicted to surge further in the next two weeks.

"The word that's often used to me is a sort of continuous tsunami," he added.

Official statistics are thought to represent only a fraction of the real number of infections across Britain, as only those taken to hospital with severe symptoms of COVID-19 are tested.