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The uncontrolled and widespread community transmission of Covid-19 represents “the greatest threat to our health care services,” according to the clinical director of the health services executive.
Dr. Colm Henry said that if we do nothing, this will lead to hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care that no healthcare system could handle.
Yesterday, Health Service CEO Paul Reid said there is “worrying growth” in the number of people entering the hospital for treatment for Covid-19.
There are 244 Covid-19 patients in treatment at the hospital as of this morning, with 29 of these people in intensive care.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Dr. Henry also cautioned that it would also be difficult to keep schools open with the rate of spread of the virus.
He said the two-week incidence rate has now surpassed 200, compared to three per 100,000 by the end of July.
“Now we are seeing the impact in other countries that are ahead of us in their experience of this second wave. In hospitalization, in intensive care units and tragically in deaths.
“There is no reason why we should not expect our projections to be different from what is happening in continental Europe,” he added.
He refused to participate in reports that the National Public Health Emergency Team sent a letter to the government recommending a higher level of restrictions.
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“It’s hard to see, based on the evidence that is emerging at Level 3, that people’s response will be enough to change this,” he said.
“We have a very small window and the further we go into this, the harder it is to turn it around. But I still think we can.”
Dr Henry also said that the 1.4 million flu vaccines ordered will be the maximum amount Ireland will receive, and he is confident that this will meet demand.
He said 75% of the country’s total flu vaccine stocks have been delivered and, by mid-October, 90% will have been delivered.
Dr. Henry also said that he believes schools should remain open “as long as possible” and that evidence shows that schools are not sources of community transmission, but rather the “greatest threat to schools.” it is widespread community transmission. “
No hospital could cope with 500 Covid cases a day
Hospitals are already using response capacity and if Covid-19 numbers rise to 2,500 per day in the coming weeks, the health service will be overwhelmed, warned a consultant from Tallaght University Hospital.
Consulting gastroenterologist Dr. Athony O’Connor said that if the number of cases increases according to the models, there could be 500 “potentially severe” symptomatic cases a day and no hospital can cope with that.
On the same show, Dr. O’Connor said that people are not being realistic about the level of threat and many are grieving the lives they had by being angry, blaming or haggling.
He said that a move to Level 5 should be part of an overall strategy and that a medium-term roadmap should seek to further eliminate the virus rather than use continuous locks.
Dr. O’Connor said the six-week “circuit breaker” that reduced cases to low levels could allow some economic activity in December and protect some jobs.
However, he said, people think the locks are arbitrary and unfair, but “that’s how it’s going to be” unless we try to remove the virus.
Previously, the Clinical Director of Cork University Hospital described a “tsunami of patients” arriving with symptoms that could be Covid-19.
Cork University Hospital has the second highest number of Covid positive patients in Ireland’s hospitals with 22.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Professor Conor Deasy said the hospital is under considerable pressure and facing staff shortages and many have to isolate themselves because they have been in contact with people with Covid-19 or they may have the virus.
He said this wave of the virus is different from the first as they were able to “empty the hospital” to deal with the virus and while that was the right thing to do at the time, now “we must keep up the non-Covid stream.” going”.
He called on the public to “do the right thing” and adhere to public health guidelines.
“This indifferent nature if I get it, I get it and then I’m immune is dangerous. And that attitude is dangerous,” he said.
He also warned that people in the prime of their health have been affected by Covid and some of these people can become seriously ill.
A GP in Drogheda said he is concerned about the number of people who do not isolate themselves when they think they may have Covid-19 symptoms.
Dr. Amy Morgan said her practice is receiving a growing number of calls from people experiencing symptoms of the virus, but when asked, they say they are in their workplaces or in public.
He called on people to follow public health advice to restrict movement at the first onset of symptoms.
“I want to know that people isolate themselves before calling me. If there is a possibility that they have symptoms in their workplace, there is a risk that the virus will be transmitted to many other people,” he said. .
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