THE IRISH NURSES and Midwives Organisation has said that early intervention is necessary to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in hospitals. A new, more transmissible variant, Eris, was detected in the country last week.
“Mask wearing and community intervention would hopefully prevent more drastic restrictions which must follow if we have a surge,” INMO General Secretary Edward Matthews told The Journal.
“We need forensic monitoring of the impact on hospitals so that necessary measures are taken in a timely manner.
“Timely and graduated actions now are appropriate, instead of waiting for a surge which will result in much more drastic and unwelcome actions to protect our ability to care for our patients”
Ireland’s Covid-19 vaccination programme was suspended for the summer in June. The programme will resume in the autumn, under different guidelines.
Under these new guidelines, a seasonal booster will be available to those who are aged 50 or older, aged five or older with a weak immune system, aged five to 49 with a condition that puts them at serious risk of illness from Covid-19, or a healthcare worker.
The programme in the UK has also been stopped for the summer, with a resumption scheduled for the autumn.
Those eligible for the autumn booster are similarly those at serious risk from Covid-19, and frontline healthcare workers.
Various experts in the UK have argued that booster jabs should be made available on the private market to those who do not fall under these criteria, it was reported in The Guardian.
The UK Department of Health said that the provision of boosters privately is permitted and is at the discretion of vaccine producers.
The Irish Department of Health said that vaccines are procured for the state by the European Commission, and are administered as part of the national vaccine programme.
There is no suggestion that boosters will be available for private purchase.
However, if those who do not fall under the criteria eligible for a booster come autumn wish to receive one, the HSE told The Journal, they should contact their GP or pharmacist.
Ireland is seeing a steady increase in confirmed cases of Covid-19, numbers from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre confirm.
For the week starting 6 August, there were 732 new confirmed cases, an increase on the previous week of 13.7%. This brings the total number of confirmed cases for 2023 to 22,741.
The greatest number of cases – 176 – were recorded in those aged 75-84. They accounted for 24% of cases.
Only one death was reported that week.
A spokesperson for the Irish Patients’ Association said that “Covid-19 has become just another contagious disease that needs constant vigilance.
“It is advisable for individuals to keep getting booster shots to protect ourselves and others.
“Nevertheless, it is essential for the HSE to reissue up-to-date guidelines, as important information may have faded from the public consciousness.”
Hospital groups are currently monitoring the new variant and taking action on a case by case basis. There is no plan at present to impose general restrictions across hospital groups.
However some hospitals have had to impose restrictions on wards as a result of Covid outbreaks.
St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny, and Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan have suspended hospital visiting except for those visiting in exceptional circumstances, as a result of increased infection control measures required for Covid-19.
Visiting at St John’s Hospital, Limerick has been restricted except on compassionate grounds at the ward manager’s discretion.
Visiting at University Hospital Limerick, which has confirmed 35 Covid-positive patients, is under daily review.
However, UHL Group has had no lab confirmation of the Eris variant at either or its hospitals to date.
Saolta University Healthcare Group, which manages seven hospitals in the west of Ireland and Donegal, said that visiting to wards will be restricted in the event of a Covid-19 outbreak, but that there are no wider visiting restrictions in place to date.
They advise visitors to be mindful of public health guidelines and to not visit a hospital if you present symptoms.
Outside of hospitals, Nursing Homes Ireland said that they are following current HSE guidance, which calls for visiting restrictions in the event of an outbreak.
However, they say that residential care facilities must also “strike a balance between the need to manage the risk of introduction of Covid-19 and their responsibility for ensuring the right of residents to meaningful contact is respected”.
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