Increase in hospitalised Covid cases as system 'battling to hold levels of care'

ireland
Increase In Hospitalised Covid Cases As System 'Battling To Hold Levels Of Care'
Nurses in a hospital intensive care unit. Photo: PA Wire/PA Images
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Muireann Duffy

There has been a slight increase in the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 since yesterday, with 1,914 people currently receiving treatment.

This marks an increase of 21 patients, with 214 people now in Intensive Care Units (ICUs).

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In addition, the head of the HSE, Paul Reid confirmed 436 patients are on advanced respiratory support.

Mr Reid tweeted: "Our teams are battling to hold the levels of care that we value and to save lives", adding "It's not an Emergency Department crisis now, but it's probably more critical than that."

According to the HSE's daily Covid-19 operations update, as of 6.30pm on Saturday evening there were 24 adult critical care beds available in the public health system, with ten hospitals currently without a vacant critical care bed.

Cork University Hospital, Drogheda, Naas, Portiuncula, Portlaoise, Sligo, South Tipp, St James', St Vincent's and Wexford each had no available bed for patients requiring critical care, while Connolly had the largest number of such beds with three.

Six of the country's hospitals had two available critical care beds each, including University Hospital Limerick, Galway University Hospital and the Mater, while nine hospitals had just one remaining, including Beaumont, Mayo and University Hospital Kerry.

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Of the 343 critical care beds open and staffed yesterday evening, 326 were occupied and three were reserved for specialist care.

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According to the HSE, none of the 22 patients being treated in paediatric critical care beds had tested positive for the virus.

In the 24 hours to 8am on Saturday, five people confirmed to have Covid-19 died in critical care units around the country, while there were 131 patients with the virus requiring ventilators and a further two suspect cases also ventilated.

Crumlin and Temple Street hospitals were the only two nationally with no confirmed cases of Covid-19 in their critical care units, while University Hospital Limerick and St James' had the highest numbers, each with 20.

Cork University Hospital and the Mater each had 18 patients with the virus in critical care and Galway University Hospital had 17.

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