15 Jan update: covid hospital patients in the south west now double April peak – Health Service Journal 
The south west has become the third region to record twice the number of covid positive hospital patients seen at the height of the first peak of the pandemic.

Updated: Covid hospital pressure spreads north and west – Health Service Journal
Hospitals in the north and west are now seeing rapid increases in covid patients, while there is an easing for some in the south and east.

Nurse Staffing During COVID-19 – Intensive Care Society
The UKCCNA acknowledges the enormous pressure critical care nurses (and other staff) are experiencing at present. We understand the significant negative impact this is having on nurses’ mental health and well-being.

e-Learning resources for staff

Covid 19 Nurse Educational Resource Centre – British Association of Critical Care Nurses (open access) includes resources for those who have been redeployed to Critical Care and resources for staff wellbeing.

London Transformation and Learning Collaborative – Critical Care programme Generic Skills (includes Safety, Communication, Wellbeing, Human factors and Train the Trainer) and COVID-19 Generic Skills; the basic skills required by all healthcare professionals working in the critical care and/or COVID-19 environments. (Login with your NHS OpenAthens account – contact the Library is you need a reminder of your Athens details). It also includes resources such as –

• Interprofessional skills matrix
• Supporting our people: A Toolkit for rapid cross-skilling, supporting safe redeployment
• Managing the COVID Surge: 10 Quick Wins for ICUs

Living with COVID – BMA
The future of doctors who have been struck down by the long-term effects of COVID-19 has yet to be fully explored and planned for. Two doctors talk about their struggle to get back on top.

Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) standard operating procedure: COVID virtual ward – NHS England 
All areas should pursue immediate roll out of a COVID ‘virtual ward’ model as an option for clinicians to admit to for earlier safe and supported discharge if this model is not in place already. Implementation should be led by the local integrated care system (ICS) and delivered by appropriate secondary care providers, with potential additional support from community health services.

COVID-19 – guidance for paediatric services – RCPCH 
This guidance has been prepared to provide members / health professionals working in paediatrics and child health with advice around the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. It also provides signposts and links to further information developed by national bodies.

Past COVID-19 infection provides some immunity but people may still carry and transmit virus, PHE 
People infected with COVID-19 in the past are likely to be protected against reinfection for several months, a Public Health England study has found, although experts cautioned those with immunity may still be able carry the virus in their nose and throat and therefore have a risk of transmitting to others.

Liverpool COVID-19 community testing pilot: interim evaluation report summary -, DHSC 
Summarises the report from an evaluation led by the University of Liverpool into the pilot of community open-access testing among people without coronavirus symptoms.

Covid-19: Many ICU staff in England report symptoms of PTSD, severe depression, or anxiety, study reports – BMJ
Nearly half of intensive care unit (ICU) and anaesthetic staff surveyed for a study reported symptoms consistent with a probable diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe depression, anxiety, or problem drinking.