Whilst it’s no longer a cause for alarm for most of us, villagers may still be interested to see this latest Government map – indicating a surge in COVID-19 cases detected in Ruddington this month.
The latest statistics from the official Coronavirus website show our village went ‘purple’ again for the 7-day period ending 10th September 2022 – recording a case rate of 442.3 people per 100,000 of population – making Ruddington rather an unexpected UK ‘hotspot’ for current infections. Now that there’s so little testing done, it’s likely actual numbers infected are even higher than this. With social distancing and mask wearing considered a thing of the past by most residents – and COVID-19 rarely making news headlines any more – it’s hardly surprising there’s now a rather ‘casual’ attitude towards a virus that has been named on the Death Certificate of over 200,000 people in the UK alone.
Of course, the current situation is very different from the one two and a half years’ ago – when panic struck the UK and Ruddington went into the first ‘lockdown’ to protect us against the original Wuhan strain of the virus. Back in March 2020 there were no vaccines or treatments available to shield us from its worst effects – and it was feared soaring case numbers could overwhelm NHS Critical Care facilities.
Nowadays, most of us either are vaccinated or have acquired natural immunity or resistance to serious illness by catching and then recovering from COVID-19. As the Coronavirus has shifted from pandemic to endemic status in our population, formerly stringent Government restrictions have been replaced by ‘public health advice’ instead. During the same seven day period, to September 10th 2022, statistics from across the whole of Rushcliffe indicate there was just one death recorded within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test.
Nevertheless, even the milder Omicron variant can still cause an unpleasant period of illness for many people – whilst the implications of ‘Long Covid’ on our bodies are not yet fully understood. Moreover, the virus still holds the potential to be life-threatening for the elderly or those with an underlying health condition. Therefore the current high number of cases in Ruddington is certainly something to be aware of, if that applies to you, or if you mix with others who are in these vulnerable categories.
The current official Government guidance is as follows:-
- Get vaccinated
- Let fresh air in if meeting others indoors
- Practise good hygiene – wash your hands
– cover your coughs and sneezes
– clean your surroundings frequently - Wear a face covering or a face mask – specially in crowded and enclosed spaces
The latest information about getting yourself vaccinated against COVID-19 can be found on the NHS website >>HERE<<.
ALSO, whilst ‘Lateral Flow’ Test Kits are no longer free for most of us, you can still purchase them relatively cheaply from most chemists – including Evans Pharmacy here in Ruddington. LFT Kits are also still available to order online free of charge >>HERE<< for those in a vulnerable category.
So, Ruddington, why not consider checking you’re clear of the virus before heading out to mingle with others – at least while the chance of us being infected remains higher again.
