Spike in hospitalizations in UK blamed on new lockdown hobbies

According to the latest data, thousands of UK residents needed a hospital treatment during COVID-19 lockdown after taking up new pastimes as they were forced to stay at home due to pandemic-fueled restrictions.

DIY, gardening, pet-related injuries, and incidents in playgrounds all contributed to the increased demand for hospital treatment, as the rising popularity of activities sometimes resulted in undesirable consequences, NHS Digital’s 2020-21 data shows.

NHS Digital found more than 5,600 Brits needed treatment after an incident with a powered hand tool. Over 2,700 went to the hospital after accidents with other tools, such as hammers or saws. More than 5,300 people were injured in playground incidents, while 962 were hurt after falling from trees.

Lockdowns resulted in a pet boom, with over 3 million households in the UK buying a pet since the start of the pandemic. However, they also left people needing medical treatment, as 7,386 people went to hospital in England after being bitten or struck by a dog, 60 were treated for injuries from venomous spiders, and 47 were bitten by rats.

Hot drinks, food, fats, and oils left 2,243 people needing medical attention after suffering cooking-related injuries. Even sunbathing during the sunny weather in the first lockdown caused some issues, leaving 153 in hospital with sunburn.

The data gathered by NHS Digital only covers individuals who were admitted to hospital, with the medical service dealing with more injuries in emergency departments and local doctors’ surgeries.

While lockdown activities left thousands of people in England injured, the number of accidents and injuries was lower than in previous years, as people stayed at home.

“In among the stranger entries in the database are some worrying trends that serve to highlight the accident challenges that we face. Accidents are preventable,” the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said.