Nphet to give ventilation advice as variants more transmissible
Hospital system described as pressurised, but functioning .
HSE national clinical advisor and group lead for Hospital Groups Dr Vida Hamilton. Picture: Colin Keegan
Tue, 19 Jan, 2021 - 06:30
Niamh Griffin, Health Correspondent
As it confirmed there are now 201 people in ICU with Covid-19, Nphet said it will give further guidance this week around ventilation as case numbers remain stubbornly high.
Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan also said there should be certainty around who is getting the vaccine, and the rollout should follow priority listings.
This follows reports from around the country of people not in that priority category receiving the first shot of vaccine.
Hospitals are under intense pressure with 200 seriously ill patients in intensive care relying heavily on adapted surge beds to look after the sickest with the virus.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said we need to pare our movements down to the minimum so “we can drive this infection down faster than we have been driving it down so far”.
Asked about the reopening of schools for special needs pupils, deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said there are no “zero risk” environments and risks had to balanced. The closure of schools should be a “last resort”, he said.
The death toll from Covid-19 this month is almost twice the figure for the entire month of December - but there are now signs the virus surge may be gradually slowing down.
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