THE number of people in hospital with Covid in Scotland is now higher than the January Omicron peak.
The latest figures show that there are 1,636 Covid-positive patients in hospital, compared to 1,571 on January 19.
It is also up 88 per cent compared to 868 in mid-February.
The number who are in intensive care, at 22, is much lower but this has doubled from 11 on February 25.
Hospital admissions have been rising fastest among the over-75s, amid concerns that protection from boosters is now waning.
On Wednesday, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf warned on Twitter that rising case numbers "are concerning and a reminder that Covid is still with us”.
He added: “With a rise in cases we have also seen a steady rise in Covid hospital occupancy...rising numbers in our hospitals and community (which contributes to Covid-related staff absences) all impact our NHS recovery."
Mr Yousaf urged the public no to let their "guard down" and to "continue to abide by remaining guidance and regulations that help to keep us safe", adding: “Vaccinations have been a game-changer, a reminder it is not too late to get your first, second or booster dose if eligible.”
READ MORE: Waning immunity blamed amid surge in hospital admissions driven by over-75s
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon previously said she expected to press ahead with plans to remove the legal requirement for facemasks from March 21, while Scotland's national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch told BBC Radio Scotland that higher case numbers were "inevitable as we go about our business".
Although vaccinations and improved medical treatment mean patients are less likely to die or become critically ill as a result of Covid, any patients infected with the disease need to be isolated in separate wards - even if they have mild or no symptoms.
For example, an orthopaedics department with four wards would have to dedicate one ward for Covid positive patients only.
This can severely curtail overall capacity if there are only two or three patients in a ward which would normally accommodate 10 patients.
The spiralling pressure on hospitals has left some clinicians frustrated.
David Chung, an emergency medicine consultant and former vice-president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in Scotland tweeted that it was "beyond belief that we haven't considered increasing capacity to deal with this yet".
Previous attempts to increase bed numbers for Covid patients, such as the NHS Louisa Jordan field hospital, were complicated by a lack of spare clinical and nursing staff able to run them.
READ MORE: Why Omicron is pushing the NHS to the brink - even if it is milder
Chris Schofield, a consultant physician and clinical director at NHS Tayside, said: "There is a very old saying in hospitals, that a bed is only a bed if it is staffed.
"Staff are the rate limiting factor here and you can't just bring them online in two years."
The increase in Covid patients also comes amid a rise in delayed discharge, with 1,623 acute beds occupied over the past week by patients well enough to leave hospital but unable to do so - mostly due to a lack of social care.
This compares to 1,020 at the same time last year.
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