DUBLIN: Prof. Philip Nolan, chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said that the number of COVID-19 cases in healthcare settings is now at the highest level since the pandemic began last year.
Prof. Philip Nolan said that, of the COVID-19 cases confirmed in Ireland over the last 14 days, 10% of cases have been reported among healthcare workers and hospital patients. He added that this was due to the high level of community transmission.
“We are seeing over 5pc of cases in the last 14 days are healthcare setting-acquired amongst patients and over 5pc are healthcare setting-acquired amongst staff.
That relates to the very high level of disease in the community and the high level of virus entering those healthcare settings,” Prof. Nolan said.
“As we do after every significant surge in the community, we see a subsequent increase in disease in healthcare settings, and see infections acquired in healthcare settings,” he added.
He also said that the health department is concerned that the new variant of COVID-19 would trigger the growing number of community transmissions in the country.
At the same time, Dr. Dermot Nolan, a GP based in Co Waterford, said that patient delays in seeking medical care put their lives even more at risk than Coronavirus.
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