Third coronavirus wave could hit NHS with 20 times more patients than second peak

p There are fears the NHS will face a third wave of a data-content-type=section-topic data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link href=https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/coronavirus-1coronavirus/a with up to 20 times more patients than the second peak. /p pIt is thought a third peak would bring a far higher number of inpatients than those seen during the September and October wave that triggered a second national lockdown in England./p pIn November, two advisers to the Government#x2019;s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) warned the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions at Christmas could lead to a third wave of the pandemic./p pNHS hospitals would be overrun due to increased transmission and there would be more unnecessary deaths, warned Professor Andrew Hayward, an epidemiologist at University College London./p p em strong Are you or a loved one getting the coronavirus vaccine this week? Email a href=mailto:webnews@mirror.co.ukwebnews@mirror.co.uk./a /strong /em /p img src=https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article22309470.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_Inside-Frimley-Health-NHS-Foundation-Trust-As-England-Grapples-With-Covid-19-Pandemic.jpg title=Medics wear PPE as they treat a coronavirus patient at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey (file photo) data-portal-copyright=Getty Images/ p/ p/ pProfessor Graham Medley, an infectious disease modelling expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the relaxation could lead to further lockdown measures in the new year./p pNHS health bosses are said to be worried English hospitals will be overwhelmed with Covid patients in January and February./p pThey reportedly fear that if hospitals have more than 5,000 coronavirus patients by the end of the year they may fail to cope with a third wave./p img src=https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article23128841.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_HEALTH-Coronavirus.jpg title=This graphic shows the number of Covic-19 patients in hospital in England data-portal-copyright=Press Association Images/ p/ pThe current rate of decline in cases would not bring Covid hospital numbers under this threshold./p pIf the health service is overwhelmed certain operations and medical procedures could be cancelled./p pAt the peak of the second wave last month, 13,767 hospital beds were occupied by people infected with the virus, with the number reportedly falling to 12,241 by December 6, the Health Service Journal reports./p p Meanwhile, most people over 80 in Britain will have to wait until next year to get the a data-content-type=section-topic data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link href=https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/coronavirus-vaccinecoronavirus vaccine,/a a top health official says. /p img src=https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article23128842.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_HEALTH-Coronavirus.jpg title=The daily number ofconfirmed coronavirus cases in the UK data-portal-copyright=Press Association Images/ p/ pChris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said the quot;vast majorityquot; of people at the top of the priority list wonapos;t get a jab until January, February or March./p pProfessor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said the distribution of the vaccine would be a quot;marathon not a sprintquot;./p pVaccinations will be administered at dozens of hospital hubs from Tuesday - dubbed quot;V-Dayquot; by Health Secretary Matt Hancock - with people aged 80 and older, care home workers and NHS workers who are at higher risk at the front of the queue./p pCroydon University Hospital in south London was one of the first hospitals to take delivery of the vaccine over the weekend, with similar scenes unfolding around the country ahead of the rollout./p pMr Hopson said people need to quot;hang firequot; and be assured they have not been forgotten if they have not received a letter or a phone call about the jab./p pHe said: quot;I donapos;t think people should expect anything over the next few days because the reality is, as I said, that for the vast, vast, vast majority of people this will be done in January, February, March./p pquot;And the one thing that we donapos;t want people to get anxious about or concerned about is apos;Whereapos;s my letter?apos; in December.quot;/p