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334 more confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Center, 174 of them in Dublin.
Acting Medical Director Dr. Ronan Glynn said that despite representing only a quarter of the population, people ages 15 to 34 accounted for 40 percent of Covid-19 cases in the past two months. .
“This is not surprising, as they are more likely to move into the community, go to school, higher education, or work, and keep our economy and key services running,” he said.
In a new appeal to heed public health advice, he said: “For teens and people in their 20s and 30s in particular, I know that what has been asked of them and is being asked again is extraordinary. This pandemic has affected their education, employment, relationships and social life. “
He said the vast majority have “done the right thing” and listened to public health advice.
“But the disease continues to spread disproportionately among young people today. So I ask you to stick to this and follow the public health advice. “
He called on young people to “be a role model” for others.
The latest cases, announced on Tuesday night, bring the total number of cases linked to the virus in the Republic to 33,444.
No new deaths were reported, leaving the total number of deaths at 1,792.
Men represent 158 of the new cases and women 175, and in one case gender was not provided. About 72% are under 45 years old.
Tonight there are 90 people hospitalized, 19 in the ICU (23 and 8, 4 weeks ago). This is a very worrying trend. Please ignore noises that are transmitted in another way. We all have to protect our family, friends and healthcare workers from being the next number. Please let’s do it. We can # COVID-19 @HSELive
– Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) September 21, 2020
Fifty-five cases were identified as community transmission and 53% are associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case.
Of the new cases, 34 are in Cork, 30 in Kildare, 18 in Donegal, 10 in Galway, 10 in Louth, six in Clare, six in May, six in Meath, six in Roscommon, five in Waterford, five in Limerick, with the remaining 23 spread over 11 counties.
Earlier this week, the Executive Director of the Health Service Executive described the increase in hospitalizations for Covid-19 as “very worrying” and asked the public to take all necessary measures to protect friends, family and workers of health.
HSE chief Paul Reid tweeted Monday night that there are currently 90 people being treated at the hospital for Covid-19, including 19 people in the ICU, a sharp increase from the 23 hospitalizations and eight patients from the ICU four weeks ago.
“This is a very worrying trend,” warned Mr. Reid. “Please ignore noises that are transmitted otherwise. We all have to protect our family, friends and healthcare workers from being the next issue. Please let’s do it. We can.”
In another tweet, Reid said that 85,000 tests had been conducted in the past week, but cautioned that the tests “do not provide us with an ‘armor’ against the virus. Our first line of defense is ourselves and what we do. It’s serious again, but we can also turn it around. “
Official data released on Tuesday shows that there are currently 90 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Irish hospitals and 96 suspected cases. There are 17 confirmed cases receiving treatment in the ICU and another eight patients in the ICU with suspected Covid-19. Of the confirmed cases in the ICU, nine are connected to a ventilator and of the suspected cases, three are using a ventilator.
Concerns about the hospital admission rate are mounting, as even a relatively low number of Covid-19 cases disrupt normal procedures.
Intensive care consultant John Bates urged the HSE on Tuesday to ensure that non-Covid-19 treatment continues in hospitals despite increasing cases of the virus.
The Irish Association of Hospital Consultants said this week that 2,000 additional hospital beds were needed almost immediately and that an investment was required to increase space in hospitals and allow for social distancing.
However, HSE clinical director Dr. Colm Henry said that more intensive care beds were not the solution to the spread of Covid-19 and that the state should not rely on beds “as a line of defense.”
Dr. Colman O’Loughlin, president of the Society for Intensive Care and a consultant to Mater Hospital, said the situation was being closely monitored in case there was a tipping point that required significant action.
“The numbers don’t lie,” he told RTÉ Radio 1’s Today with Claire Byrne program on Tuesday.
The number of Covid-19 patients had increased at Mater hospital from 16 to 21 in recent days.
Dr. O’Loughlin said that Covid-19 patients not only showed respiratory failure, there was also a neurological and cardiac impact, which not all could be managed in the wards and required intensive care.
“We are trying to keep all the beds open, not just for Covid patients. We are doing everything possible to run systems in parallel, ”he said.
Delays in the arrival of the flu vaccine were also cause for concern, he said. Data from Australia had shown that they had a very mild flu season this year, in the past which had traditionally been a sign of what to expect in the Northern Hemisphere.
Dr O’Loughlin said that some of the measures introduced for Covid-19 would also work to suppress the flu.
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