More than 50 Covid infections and 14 deaths in a six-week period in a hospital were identified as ‘super spreader’

More than 50 patients contracted Covid-19, while 14 tragically died over a six-week period in a single Irish hospital.

The information has been revealed in a new study by a group of UCD scientists, which was carried out at the beginning of the pandemic.

The research tracked the genome sequences of Covid-19 cases that were collected at the Dublin hospital in an attempt to trace its “route of transmission.”

It is understood that, in most cases, patients contracted the virus from healthcare workers, according to the report.

And surprisingly, an elderly patient was also said to “wander” down the hall and was identified as a “super spreader.”

Speaking of the ‘super spreader’, the study says: “[The patient] he used to yell directly into the faces of passing staff members. “

Additionally, the study states that workers often do not wear masks when communicating with their colleagues, Dublin Live reports.

He added: “Upon questioning, staff reported that surgical masks were frequently removed at the nurses station when communicating with each other and replaced for interactions with patients.”

During that six-week period, there were up to six different clusters of the virus in the capital’s hospital.

The conclusion of the pioneering Irish study found that 52 patients were infected with Covid-19 in Dublin hospital between March 23 and May 7 and 14 died of complications from the coronavirus.

The full study, Whole Genome Sequencing to Trace SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Nosocomial Outbreaks, which was completed by UCD scientists, can be found here.