The first case of community transmission regarding Covid-19 in Ireland had 780 close or casual contacts, according to the Irish Examiner.
The case was detected at Cork University Hospital (CUH) in March this year.
As the Irish Examiner reports, It has since been revealed that the patient in question had presented with symptoms at the hospital four days before any cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland.
Following confirmation of those first imported cases, hospital staff decided to test the patient in question, outside the national guidelines in place at the time, and the test came back positive.
Sources in public health told said because the case was undiagnosed for a time, a total of 780 contacts were identified and traced, but the source of original transmission has not yet been detected.
Those 780 close or casual contacts consisted of household, family and social contacts, as well as healthcare workers and patient contacts, as the patient had spent time in the emergency department prior to diagnosis.
Covid related symptoms
Contacts were also detected in the patients’ GP clinic, where the patient originally presented with symptoms. A source in public health explained that all contacts were contacted.
Most were advised as casual contacts – meaning there was no need to restrict movements but to be aware and look out for any Covid-19 related symptoms for 14 days from the date of exposure.
“Household contacts are by definition close contacts and some hospital contacts, both healthcare workers and patients, were also close contacts,” they explained.
A report on the case published by CUH earlier this year explained that a male patient presented at CUH on February 25th, four days before the first reported case of Covid-19 in Ireland.
The patient presented with a cough and a headache, and required ventilation but had no history of “recent travel abroad or unusual exposures”, according to the report.
