'We are at our busiest ever': Monaghan GP warns of Covid-19 crisis when flu season hits

Dr Duffy said GPs will come under increasing workload pressure as schools return and flu season arrives. Picture: Ben Birchall/PA 

A Monaghan GP said colleagues are in "panic mode" because of the increased workload brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Illona Duffy said there is a worry the situation will become unmanageable if case numbers continue rising into the busy winter flu season.

Dr Duffy said many GPs are currently under huge pressure dealing with Covid-19 and non-virus patients. 

"This should be the quiet time. This is normally when everybody is on holidays, there are less viruses, the schools haven't gone back yet. But we are at our busiest ever.

"And once we start seeing other viruses starting to increase when the schools [return] and the kids are mingling, when we start seeing flu arrive, 

"We are really going to be snookered both in general practise and in the hospital setting," Dr Duffy said. 

The GP also said Ireland needs to ramp up its Covid-19 testing capacity again. 

Dr Duffy said: "Dr Mike Ryan and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has talked repeatedly about the fact we need to keep the pressure on to keep the spread down and stop another surge happening. 

"And we are seeing this rise in cases and it is of concern. 

"Especially when we are hoping to keep our r-rate, our replication rate, it had been 1.8 this time last week, I think on Thursday/Friday it was down to 1.6. 

"But that means for every person that we test positive we know that they have infected at least 1.5 people."

Yesterday the Department of Health reported the largest number of coronavirus cases since May.

A further 200 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland with no new deaths. 

Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said this spike is "deeply concerning" and will be monitored very closely over the coming days.