The number of people being treated for Covid-19 in intensive care units is expected to continue to rise in the future before reaching its peak.
354 people are currently hospitalised with the virus in Ireland as of 8am this morning in the highest number since May, with 38 patients in intensive care.
Former President of the Intensive Care Society of Ireland, Catherine Motherway, has said that a “significant number” of intensive care admissions will be seen as high numbers have been diagnosed with the virus daily.
939 new cases were confirmed in the Republic yesterday, while the national 14-day incidence rate now stands at 309 per 100,000 population.
We will see I think a significant number of ICU cases from the large numbers we’ve seen over the past few months.
“You’d expect to see the ICU numbers, I expect to see them rise a little bit more before we come to a peak,” Ms Motherway said.
“We will see I think a significant number of ICU cases from the large numbers we’ve seen over the past few months.
“Largely, to be fair, most of those people have been young which has been a blessing because for them they’re very unlikely to [end up in intensive care]... now some will, unfortunately, some will be unlucky.”
The positivity rate of those tested for the virus in the Republic over the past seven days now stands at 6.2 per cent, compared with 22 per cent in Northern Ireland.
Professor Anthony Staines of DCU said this means that far too few people are being tested in the North.
“Unfortunately our capacity is very limited. We’ve managed to get up to 100,000 tests a week which is you know, quite an achievement but it’s not enough,” he said.
“It is an awful pity we don’t have spare capacity that we could offer to our neighbours in Northern Ireland but it’s also a pity they haven’t got their own capacity.
“The UK’s testing system has worked really poorly. Ours hasn’t been perfect, but it has worked much, much better.”
