A DOCTOR has revealed around 50 per cent of A&E medics at his hospital, including himself, have been struck down with coronavirus.
Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, Wales, is facing a staffing crisis after half of nursing staff also tested positive for Covid-19, Dr Tim Rogerson said.
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Dr Rogerson was speaking about the crisis in a video clip posted by Aneurin Bevan University Health Board – which has highest number of virus cases in Wales.
The A&E consultant, who has also tested positive for the respiratory disease, said the staff had still become infected despite the precautions taken at the hospital.
He said: “This has obviously happened despite all of the PPE that we’ve got and all the hand washing that we’re doing but it’s probably just a likely thing that’s going to happen when we’re faced with such numbers of patients coming in with coronavirus.
“We’re probably up to around 50 per cent of the consultant workforce at the Gwent in A&E who have swabbed positive for the coronavirus and a similar percent in our nursing team.
“It is proving a challenge when it’s coming to staffing the department when we are facing these numbers coming through.”
He asked the public to stay indoors over the Easter weekend to decrease pressure on the hospital’s intensive care unit.
Dr Rogerson has been off work since April 5 after developing symptoms including a fever, aches, sore as well losing his sense of smell.
He said: “I think, talking to other colleague I have had a mild to moderate set of symptoms.
“I know some of my colleagues in A&E have been quite sick and been off for a couple of weeks.
“So, I think that is probably a blessing to get started with, but I am obviously frustrated not to be in work.”
Health officials said yesterday that 36 people more people had died in Wales bringing the country’s coronavirus death toll to 351.
There are 4,930 confirmed Welsh cases as of Saturday with 340 more people testing positive in the 24 hours since Friday.
However, Public Health Wales stressed the number of infected is likely much higher with many people isolating and beating the bug at home.
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