Lack of PCR testing means 'an awful lot of infection' being missed, says virologist

Infectious diseases consultant Eoghan de Barra said the true level of infection remains unclear due to the low levels of testing adding that testing may need to be scaled up as we head into winter. Picture: Damian Coleman

The number of people in hospital with Covid has dropped by almost a quarter in just over a week, but there are fears the true level of infection in the community is unclear because of low testing levels.

Latest figures show 815 patients with the virus are receiving treatment in hospital, down 23% on a recent peak of 1,055 recorded on July 11.