Many people sought new pursuits to make the most of the time spent confined in their homes. But some of the common activities that they turned to, such as cooking, owning pets and DIY, landed thousands of Brits in hospital in need of care for injuries.
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Can You Fix It?
Data released by NHS Digital for 2020-21 indicated that more than 5,600 people went to hospital with injuries caused by the wrong use of power hand-tools, while close to 3,000 were admitted for accidents involving non-powered hand-tools like a hammer.
Lawnmowers also resulted in the hospitalization of some 349 people, with more than 5,300 people—mainly children below 10 years—being admitted after falling from playground equipment.
Interestingly, dozens of people above 30 years - parents and grandparents including eight people above 90—needed to be hospitalized after falling from playground equipment as well.
Data also showed that almost 1,000 people received treatment for injuries sustained while climbing trees.
A spokesperson for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said:
The publication of hospital admission figures always serves to remind us of the breadth of accident types that can result in an injury so severe that admission to hospital is required.
Petting Gone Wrong
Other injuries were related to pets, as an estimated 3.2 million households in the UK had acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic, according to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association.
Some 7,500 people were admitted to English hospitals for different accidents caused by animals. A huge chunk of this figure—7,386—were people who were bitten or struck by a dog. Others include rat bites and coming into contact with venomous spiders and scorpions.
Many of those who picked up cooking during lockdown also landed on hospital beds after coming into with hot oils, drinks and food.
Spokesperson for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents added:
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.
