The latest reports from the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) on the Edinburgh Legionnaires’ disease outbreak shows that the number of cases is unchanged.

There are 39 confirmed cases and 49 suspected cases. Of those cases being treated in hospital and as of noon today, 14 are in intensive care and 23 are on general wards.

A total of 18 cases are being treated in the community, 25 have been discharged from hospital and one person has died.

Seven cases are being treated outwith the NHS Lothian area. The ages of the confirmed cases ranges between 33 and 76, with more males than females affected.

NHS 24 has received 784 calls to the dedicated helpline for Legionnaires’ disease.

The Health and Safety Executive and Edinburgh City Council are continuing their investigations into the possible source of the outbreak.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said:

“It is reassuring to see no increase in the number of cases and a small reduction in the number of hospitalised patients. However throughout this week we would still expect the level of confirmed cases to increase, as the actual status of suspected cases is confirmed.

“NHS Lothian are coping well with the situation and I would once again like to put on record my thanks to the hard work of all the staff involved. As well as this there continues to be close cooperation between City of Edinburgh Council and the Health and Safety Executive, as they make progress in the investigation to identify the source of the outbreak.”

Dr Duncan McCormick, Chair of the IMT and Consultant in Public Health Medicine at NHS Lothian, said:

“The number of confirmed and suspected cases remain the same as before, which is encouraging and in line with our predictions. We do expect some fluctuation, but overall we anticipate the numbers will soon begin to fall.

“I am also pleased to note that the numbers of patients who have recovered and been discharged from hospital has risen today which is also a welcome trend.

“Staff across NHS Lothian in acute care, primary care, testing facilities, NHS 24 and in out-of-hours services are continuing their excellent work to ensure that patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time, while providing reassurance to those with concerns.”

Any member of the public with health concerns should contact NHS 24 on 0800 0858 531, or their GP.

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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
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