The second wave of Covid-19 is 90% less deadly than the first

The second wave of Covid-19 is 90% less deadly than the first, the Health Minister told TDs.

Stephen Donnelly was speaking as the final report of the Special Committee on Covid-19 was presented to the Dáil.

He paid tribute to the country’s health workers for “extraordinary improvement” in death cases.

“We’re seeing a more than 90% reduction in deaths in the second wave compared to the first wave. So for every 100 people who died in the first wave, fewer than 10 have died this time. By any measure, that’s it’s an extraordinary improvement. “

Donnelly said the families of those who died in the nation’s nursing homes “deserve answers,” as the report suggests.

“A significant proportion of those who died were nursing home residents. I have met with some grieving families and know that many are looking for answers. They deserve answers and while many factors need to be considered, I am looking for the best way to get them. the answers they deserve. “

The minister said that Ireland has the third lowest rate of Covid cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Europe and the ability to perform 140,000 tests in one week. Since March, the country’s laboratories have conducted 1.8 million tests for the virus.

“Several European states have seen their hospital systems at full capacity. Several countries have had to send patients to Germany for treatment when their own critical care resources ran out. In Switzerland, the number of people in intensive care is now greater than during the first wave of the virus.

“That is why the government took extensive measures during this pandemic to limit the transmission of the virus when necessary, to ensure that we protected lives and did not have a situation where our hospitals and intensive care units were invaded.”

The report makes 11 key recommendations, including research in nursing homes, where more than 1,000 people have died from the virus since the pandemic began.

The report says the state “focused too much on preparing acute care hospitals for the pandemic looming in February and March and failed to recognize the level of risk posed by people in nursing homes” and that there were “delays in reacting to an evolving and deteriorating situation in nursing homes “.