Above from left: Paul Reid, CEO, HSE; Anne O’Connor, Chief Operations Officer, HSE; and Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer, HSE.
This afternoon.
Steevens’ Lane, Dublin 8.
The media briefing for the weekly HSE operational update on the response to Covid-19.
Via RTÉ
Paul Reid, HSE CEO, said 238 people are in hospital with Covid-19, an increase of 24 on last night.
The number of people in intensive care units has fallen slightly to 29.
He said of the 8,500 people who have contracted Covid-19 between 29th September and 12th October, 245 people have been admitted to hospital, and 22 admitted to ICU.
Mr Reid said 25% of these hospitalisations have been in people under 35, 27% have been aged 35-64 and 47% are in the 65 and over category.
He said nine people aged 35-64 have been admitted to ICU in this time period and 13 have been aged 65 and over.
HSE sees ‘concerning growth’ in hospitalisations (RTÉ)
Earlier: Scales Fall
Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
Does the HSE see any problem with the lack, of ICU beds which are approximately at a level 50% lower than what they recommended we should be at in 2020 (they recommended it in 2009 – 10 years pre Covid-19). Any concerns brought up? None minuted.
Given the HSE’s likely significant over estimation of deaths due to Covid-19 during the March-June period (as brought to light by HIQA report), I can’t help but feel that the language used in that RTE article is a bit ambiguous.
“Mr Reid said 238 people are in hospital with Covid-19..”
“He said of the 8,500 people who have contracted Covid-19 between 29th September and 12th October, 245 people have been admitted to hospital, and 22 admitted to ICU”.
One one level, the second sentence above implies that those 245 people were admitted to hospital due to suffering from Covid-19. But it’s also valid to say that the sentence isn’t making that claim. Is it reasonable to assume that the 245 figure includes people who were admitted to hospital due to other reasons but at the same time had a positive PCR test result when tested for SARS-Cov-2?
Also , the definition of “Covid-19” is the disease caused by SARS-Cov-2. Symptoms include cough, fever or chills, shortness of breath, etc. Were all of the 8,500 who were said to have “contracted Covid-19” actually suffering from the disease itself, or were many positive PCR test cases that have been conflated with the disease? Unfortunately the two have now become synonymous in the media.
I think all that is happening is that they are trying to continue to flatten the curve. Schools open but pubs shut. No meaningful increase in health care support. Looks like a low exposure and you will most likely live. We are being set up for herd immunity, just no one will say it. Nothing else adds up.
The government have been extremely successful in shifting the blame for this virus from themselves to members of the public.
If anyone dies because they don’t have access to an ICU bed it will be because of the government and the HSE have failed to prepare, not because of members of the public.
It has been 8 months since this thing started and the tiny amount they have increased ICU capacity by is quite frankly shocking!
Put the blame where it belongs.
Those stats about ICU – are they specifically people with Covid related difficulties, or people who just happened to be positive with Covid?
Our death stats reflect one so would be interesting if these figures are reported the same.