[ad_1]
The executive director of the Health Service Executive has told Oireachtas’ Special Covid-19 Response Committee that even if a vaccine is developed, Ireland will face the virus for a long time.
Paul Reid said the country must adapt its way of life through a combination of behavioral, social and health care changes.
He also warned that the health service must wait and plan for the next waves of Covid-19.
He told politicians that a “community first” approach will be critical to providing safe, efficient and effective services during the winter months.
Mr. Reid also said that all flu vaccine shipments are expected to be delivered before the end of October and that sufficient doses have been secured to vaccinate all at-risk groups.
He warned that a difficult winter season, added to the resurgence of Covid-19, is the worst possible scenario for health services.
Mr. Reid told the committee that the HSE is meeting all the demand for testing and that Ireland is one of the few countries that automatically tests close contacts for positive Covid-19 cases.
The HSE is also looking for additional equipment, including the use of robots to increase home testing capacity and response times, it will also say.
Reid warned that hospital admissions are increasing, with 108 patients admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 and 17 confirmed cases in the ICU.
He also noted that the profile of patients that has characterized the resurgence of the disease has been lower, but he will say this will change unless community transmission is controlled.
Read more:
Latest coronavirus stories
70 virus cases in Cork associated with pubs, restaurants
A quarter of virus cases in the past two weeks among 15-24 year olds
Mr. Reid explained that the HSE made sure over the summer that it had the capacity to perform 100,000 tests per week. You are modeling future demand and it depends on the performance of the virus.
He said capacity in the labs would increase if the virus continues to function as it is.
The CEO was responding to Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane, who asked why there were no targets regarding response times or how many tests should be done per week in the Living with Covid plan.
Reid said that the HSE has worked closely with schools and that 90% of test results for Covid-19 are back within 24 hours.
He said the positivity rate is currently around 1.9%, adding that it was being watched “very closely.”
Mr. Reid was responding to Jennifer Carroll MacNeill of Fine Gael, who said that testing and tracking had not been fast enough in schools.
Paul Reid says the HSE was seeing “quite troubling” mental health issues emerging across all age groups after the first lockdown. He says that lockdowns are bad for the health service, in response to a question from Jim O’Callaghan of Fianna Fáil. | Read more: https://t.co/BxqnJTDmwh pic.twitter.com/tIddQkue5H
– RTÉ News (@rtenews) September 29, 2020
Mr. Reid said the HSE has seen “worrisome issues” arise in relation to mental health issues and stress since the pandemic began.
The executive director said that blockades or severe restrictions are not good for health services, society must be open and the economy must function.
HSE Clinical Director Dr. Colm Henry said such restrictions caused secondary harm in relation to mental health and secondary disease presentation.
He said services were reopening and HSE was trying to keep the virus suppressed.
Dr. Henry was responding to Jim O’Callaghan of Fianna Fáil, who asked if the HSE had any concerns about the mental and physical health that the pandemic was having on young people.
He asked if too much attention had been paid to a public health problem.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly will appear before the committee tomorrow morning.
[ad_2]