NURSES ARE THE healthcare workers worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to statistics compiled by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

In the latest week for which figures are available (29 November – 5 December) a total of 303 of the 2,002 new cases of the virus in Ireland were confirmed in healthcare workers, representing 15% of the total cases.

A total of 61 nurses contracted the disease that week, meaning nurses made up 3% of all new Covid-19 cases in the State.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic in March, healthcare workers have made up 16.5% of Ireland’s total confirmed cases. Nearly 3,700 nurses are confirmed as having contracted the virus.

The INMO has proposed a range of measures to combat the spread of the illness among healthcare workers including applying the same self-isolation period as for the general public.

The isolation period is currently seven days for healthcare workers and 14 for the general public.

The union also called for the government to classify Covid-19 as an occupational illness, to give the Health and Safety Authority the power to investigate and inspect cases and outbreaks.