Hospitals bracing for 'very significant' flu season 

The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly said that Government is working with the Covid Advisory Group to develop a “comprehensive plan”. Photo: Julien Behal

Ireland could have an early and “very significant” flu season which could pressure the health system if it coincides with another Covid-19 surge later this year, the Health Minister has warned.

Speaking in St Vincent’s Hospital, Stephen Donnelly said it was “inevitable” that elective procedures in hospitals would be cancelled if Covid-19 surged alongside flu and other respiratory illnesses, and that plans were being put in place to deal with such a situation.

Mr Donnelly said he held a meeting with the interim Chief Medical Officer, Professor Breda Smyth, on Monday, and said they also discussed the falling numbers of people in hospital with Covid-19. But, the minister stressed, “it’s very early days” regarding such hospitalisaton figures.

At 8am on Wednesday, there were 782 patients in hospital with Covid-19. This compared to over 1,000 on the same day last week. Mr Donnelly said he and Prof. Smyth discussed the flu season in Australia which is a “lot higher” than that country would get on average, and had come earlier in the year.

“So, what we’re planning for – we hope it doesn’t happen – is a combination of an early flu season, a very significant flu season together with a surge in Covid,” he said.

He said that Government is working with the Covid Advisory Group to develop a “comprehensive plan”.

“We’re looking at vaccines, testing regimes, surveillance methods for Covid, ventilation and filtration, and a rapid escalation of the protocols,” he said, stressing this would be put into effect should this scenario arise. He also warned that a new variant of the virus could emerge that was resistant to existing vaccines, and they had to remain vigilant.

The Health Minister said that elective procedures would have to be cancelled in the autumn and winter if there was a surge in Covid-19 that led to higher numbers in hospital. He said that roughly around one in four beds are set aside for scheduled care in hospitals and, when hospitalisations rise significantly, these beds are taken up which can lead to waiting lists increasing.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

Mr Donnelly’s comments came after the World Health Organisation (WHO) sounded a warning over rising cases in Europe earlier this week. The WHO said the 53 countries in its European region, which stretches to central Asia, reported nearly three million new coronavirus infections last week and that the virus was killing about 3,000 people every week.

In its autumn strategy for Covid-19 released on Tuesday, the UN agency called for measures including a second booster dose for anyone aged five and over with weak immune systems, promoting mask-wearing indoors and on public transport and better ventilation in places including schools and offices.

Mr Donnelly stressed that it was still Government advice to wear masks on public transport, despite it no longer being mandatory. On Tuesday, WHO's Europe director Dr Hans Kluge urged people to make their own decisions, even in countries where authorities have largely abandoned coronavirus restrictions.

"Just because a mask isn't mandated doesn't mean it's prohibited," Dr Kluge said.