Patients who went to hospital for one thing, then died of Covid will never be known according to SA Health as records were never kept

Just how many people went to SA hospitals for medical help, then caught Covid and died, will never be known according to SA Health.

SA Health is unable to say how many people admitted to hospital for treatment for unrelated medical conditions then caught Covid and subsequently died from the disease.

Among limited available figures obtained by The Advertiser, more than 1700 people who went to Adelaide’s metropolitan public hospitals for help for other medical conditions ended up being treated for Covid, including an unknown number who subsequently died.

However, SA Health says it is unable to say how many of these people caught Covid while in hospital, only that they were identified as having the disease after they were admitted.

This is despite the vigorous focus on testing at the height of the pandemic.

SA Health released only limited data detailing patients identified as having Covid while in hospital for other conditions who subsequently died.

This was from the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) which includes the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The CALHN records show in 2022 five patients who were identified as having Covid while in hospital for other conditions subsequently died, and two died in 2023.

A statement from SA Health says hospitals undertake robust prevention and control measures to limit the spread of hospital-acquired infections to protect patients, visitors and staff.

“Inpatients testing positive to Covid-19 does not mean that it was acquired from the hospital,” it says.

Just how many people who caught covid in hospital than died from it will never be known. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“Patients may have unknowingly had Covid-19 before coming to hospital. Similarly, we freely allow visitors at our hospitals, some of whom may not know they are infectious.

In response to queries from The Advertiser on how many patients caught Covid while in hospital and how many of these patients subsequently died of the disease, for the years from 2020-23, SA Health said there was no requirement to notify about patients identified while in hospital as having Covid.

However, the central, northern and southern local health networks nevertheless recorded such cases — but only for 2022 and 2023.

SA Health released data showing its metropolitan hospitals — excluding the Women’s and Children’s Hospital — had 964 patients in 2022 and 747 in 2023 who were identified as having Covid while in hospital after being admitted for other medical conditions.

SA Health says it is unable to say how many of these people caught Covid while in hospital. Picture: NCA NewsWire

The SA Health statement recommends limiting Covid-19’s spread by following health advice, including maintaining hygiene practices.

“ Please consider doing a rapid antigen test if you have even mild symptoms, particularly before visiting places where there are vulnerable people such as hospitals and aged care facilities,” the statement says.

“Regardless of whether you test Covid-19 positive or not, if you are sick, stay home and don’t go to work or crowded places until you are completely well to reduce the risk of spreading your infection to others.”

The data shows the number of patients identified as having Covid while in hospital dropped in 2023 compared to 2022, including from 86 cases to 38 cases at CALHN which officials say may be due to the RAH having 100 per cent single rooms, reducing the risk of cross infection.

SA Health’s tally of seven deaths over two years of CALHN patients identified as having Covid after being admitted is in stark contrast with Queensland Health data showing one patient dying every day after contracting Covid while being treated in hospital for other medical conditions.

The Queensland Health data covers the period January 2022 to June 2023.

Its records show in this period, an average of 14 patients in Queensland hospitals contracted Covid daily, with one fatality recorded each day.

The data was obtained by Queensland doctors using that state’s Right to Information law.