Covid hospitalisations at lowest level since June

The decline in new cases of influenza is also noticeable, with 627 new cases last week, compared to 1,573 the week before. Picture: Alamy Stock

The number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals is now at the lowest point since June of last year.

Hospital figures now show 218 people admitted. However, that includes 25 seriously ill patients in ICU.

Despite the improvement, separate data shows that 27 people died from Covid-19 in the two weeks up to January 23.

However the number of people, mainly young children, becoming ill with RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus) infection has dropped to 142 from 277 the week before, the latest report shows.

During the first three weeks of January, some 864 cases of RSV were reported, compared to 188 during the same time last year.

The decline in new cases of influenza is also noticeable with 627 new cases last week, compared to 1,573 the week before.

This drop follows a long period where huge numbers of people suffered with influenza. In the first three weeks of January some 5,248 new cases of flu were reported, compared to just 25 during the same period last year.

These decreases follow the trajectory projected by chief medical officer, Professor Breda Smyth, when she said: 

We appear to have passed the peak of the flu season which was severe this year.

The latest figures, in a report from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), also show cases of Strep A continue at a higher than usual rate.

There were 18 new cases of Streptococcus group A infection (invasive) last week, bringing the total for January so far to 34. This compares with just one case during the first three weeks of January last year.

The number of children hospitalised with chickenpox is also slightly higher than this time last year, with 13 during the first three weeks of this month, compared to four during the same time last year.

Covid data

Data gathered by the HPSC specifically on Covid-19 shows there have now been 8,462 deaths from the virus since the pandemic started in Ireland.

Dublin remains the county with the highest number of Covid tragedies at 2,743, followed by Cork where 757 people have died since early 2020.

In the last two weeks across Munster there have been Covid deaths in Cork (4 people), Waterford (2 people), Clare (2 people), Kerry (1 person), and Tipperary (1 person).

Advocates continue to call for better access to medication especially antivirals to help vulnerable people fight the disease.

CLL Ireland co-founder Jan Rynne, who has chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, said: “Real people who led valuable and functional lives are losing their lives to Covid, still, in Ireland every day.” 

However, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics recently rejected approval of antiviral treatment Evusheld. They recommended that it “not be considered for reimbursement unless cost effectiveness can be improved relative to existing treatments”.