CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
GP Leo is back on frontline
COVID-19 has now killed 158 people in Ireland as the number battling the deadly coronavirus hit almost 5,000.
As Leo Vardakar revealed he is to return to work as a GP, Department of Health data released last night showed another 21 people lost their lives with a further 390 infected, bringing the total number of cases to 4,994.
A total of 17 of the latest deaths were in the east of the country with two in the west and the south – 12 of the deceased had underlying health conditions.
The median age of the new deaths is 81 years.
Despite the rising death toll, the country’s top doctor thanked the public for their continuing sacrifice to limit the rampant spread of the bug.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said: “This past week has proven the nation is working hard together by staying at home to flatten the curve.
“If you develop symptoms of Covid-19 you need to self-isolate and phone your GP.
“I ask that everyone inform themselves on what to do in the instance they develop symptoms, as well as how to maintain their health and well-being.”
The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.
The new figures come at the start of what Health Minister Simon Harris has described as a “really crucial week” in the battle against the pandemic.
Mr Varadkar will tell the nation next weekend whether we face a longer spell in lockdown – or a lifting of some of the stay-at-home restrictions.
Meanwhile, it emerged the hospital with the most cases of coronavirus on site is Beaumont in Dublin.
The hospital on the city’s northside has 110 patients with Covid-19, data released to RTE revealed.
Almost all of the worst-hit hospitals are in the capital, with St James’s and the Mater in second and third on the list with 83 and 76 cases respectively.
The hospitals outside Dublin with the most Covid-19 cases is Cavan with 33, followed by Letterkenny with 27.
University Hospital Limerick and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth, have 25 and 24 patients respectively.
However, it is St James’s that currently has the most patients in critical care units, with 19, followed by Beaumont on 16.
The latest figures show that as of Friday, 165 out of the 1,203 people that have been put in hospital, 165 have been admitted to ICU. Yesterday the Taoiseach said he will work once a week as a GP during the crisis. He will assist the HSE in carrying out phone assessments.
The Fine Gael leader studied medicine and worked as a doctor for seven years before becoming a politician.
His partner Matthew Barrett and his two sisters and their husbands all work in the health service. Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 daily tests here is set to be ramped up to 4,500 – almost double the total carried out last week, it emerged yesterday.
HSE chief Paul Reid insisted the health service should be able to roll out the major step-up in the coming days.
He also revealed how:
■ A fifth of the imported protective gear for health staff battling the crisis is useless
■ While most people are complying with the stay-athome guidelines, he had to personally stop a football match between kids last weekend and,
■ 250 extra ventilators are coming into the system this week.
Mr Reid said the increase in testing will depend on the availability of a reagent, which is used by labs to test swab samples. He added the National
Virus Reference Laboratory and 18 hospitals are now analysing the tests, while the Department of Agriculture’s laboratory will boost capacity later next week.
Mr Reid also revealed the German laboratory which has come on board had analysed and sent back 2,000 swab results on Friday.
At a HSE briefing in Dublin yesterday he said: “I’m very pleased to say that we will now be in a place from
next week to test 4,500 per day in our laboratories.
“We had been testing between 2,000 and 2,500 and very late last week it had been constrained to about 1,500 [because of limited reagents].
“We have improved the supply chain of our labs and the tested products.
“From this week it will be 4,500 per day.
“That has involved bringing on other laboratories across our hospital system throughout the last three weeks. We are looking at other potential European solutions as we continue to source the reagent supply.”
Mr Reid said 20% of new, imported personal protective equipment, which cost €4million, did not meet the required standard for general healthcare use.
The HSE chief stated a further 15% was deemed acceptable for back-up use.
Meanwhile, 65% of the first batch that included coveralls, gowns, goggles and face-shields was found to be suitable. Mr Reid said just 10% of the total €200million order has arrived in Ireland and the HSE does not want any more of the ineffective equipment.
He added: “Because of the nature of this very volatile market the full assurance and quality assessment we can only do is when we actually have it here in our distribution centre.”
Mr Reid said the HSE medical supplies assessor Professor Martin Cormican and his team were continuing to evaluate PPE options.
He praised the response of the majority of Irish people but warned: “People are beginning to get a bit lax and it’s a small minority, but it’s a very significant impact if people get complacent and don’t [follow the measures].
“Personally I had to talk to a gang of kids on a football pitch [on Saturday evening] just to say, ‘Look it’s not what we want’ and make sure the game stopped, which is not a nice thing to do.”
TESTING for coronavirus finally looks set to be ramped up to 4,500 procedures a day – a welcome move as we continue the battle this terrible disease.
With the death toll still mounting, Ireland seems to be getting a grip on the logistics and the more testing we can do, the sooner we will finally bring this killer bug under control.
It may easy to castigate health authorities, but a pandemic on this scale is something they could never have envisaged.
Paul Reid, the head of the HSE, spoke openly and candidly yesterday about its response.
And his organisation deserves credit for its plan to rapidly accelerate testing and use labs in Germany to analyse swab samples.
If the HSE can almost double the number of daily tests up to 4,500 – compared to 2,000 and 2,500 last week – that will be a major boost.
That doesn’t mean it is beyond criticism – how could it be when 20% of the protective gear it ordered from abroad is useless?
It is also hugely worrying there are now 50 clusters in nursing homes and staff and residents deserve far better protection.
There have been far too many tragic and unnecessary deaths – and the start of the surge has yet to arrive.
The lockdown and social distancing have helped to minimise new infections.
Let’s collectively keep our foot on the pedal; this virus is far from defeated.