Number of people in Sheffield who have recovered from coronavirus revealed

A spokesperson for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust confirmed to The Star that as of Thursday, “it is just over 660 people who have been discharged following care for Covid.”

That figure far outstrips the number of fatalities recorded in the city’s hospitals as of Friday – 240. The actual number of people who have recovered from coronavirus in Sheffield is likely to be much higher, as the official figure of “just over 660” only includes those who required treatment at one of the city’s main hospitals. The majority of people with the virus experience mild symptoms which can be treated at home.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust oversees the running of the the Royal Hallamshire and the Northern General, as well as the Jessop Wing, Weston Park Hospital and the Charles Clifford Dental Centre.

The trust – which at the last official count had capacity for 2,000 daily tests - has extended its Covid-19 testing services to include Sheffield nursing and care home staff with symptoms.

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It is not known how many people in Sheffield’s 111 care homes have recovered from coronavirus. The latest available data from the Office for National Statistics shows 170 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died at care homes in the city as of May 1.

Sheffield Council has urged people to stay alert when exercising and not become complacent as the coronavirus lockdown moves into its next phase.