Covid infections increase in Ireland — here's what to do if you have symptoms
The HSE has said that "unless you are in a specific risk group or setting, you will not be tested unless a GP or healthcare worker advises you to have one".
Covid-19 infections are on the rise in Ireland again and causing more hospital admissions, according to the HSE.
Indicators had been trending downwards in May but began to increase again towards the end of June. A similar trend is occurring across the UK.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the HSE confirmed that the number of patients in ICU with covid-19 also increased slightly in July, but overall "remains low." On August 7, there were 12 patients in ICU with covid compared to just three patients on July 1.
The HSE is now reiterating the need for vulnerable settings like hospitals and care homes to "review their infection prevention and control measures" to ensure they are in line with published guidance available.
"In Ireland, we have seen in previous waves that increased circulation in the community results in an increase in patients with covid-19 in hospital, and an increase in outbreaks in hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare settings.
"It’s important we all continue to take simple actions like handwashing and covering your cough that will protect our families and communities, particularly those at the greatest risk of severe illness," a statement advised.
However, the HSE has said that "unless you are in a specific risk group or setting, you will not be tested unless a GP or healthcare worker advises you to have one".
They recommend that if you feel unwell, "you should stay at home until 48 hours after your symptoms are mostly or fully gone". They also advise that you "stay away from work and avoid crowded indoor spaces".
According to the HSE, "vaccination remains our best protection against severe complications from covid-19 infection" and this autumn, a new booster programme will be rolled out. All eligible groups will be invited to receive free vaccines.
"HSE strongly encourages eligible patients to take up the offer of vaccines to protect themselves, their families, and their wider community," the statement concluded.
The latest HSE statistics show that there has been 761 new cases of covid-19 in the last fortnight. That brings the total number of confirmed cases in Ireland to 1,715,065.
Among the 761 new cases in the last 14 days, 202 were recorded in Dublin, 77 in Kerry, and 61 in Cork.
The stats also reveal that four people have died from covid-19 in the last 14 days, bringing the total number of deaths here to 9,125.
As of today, there are 378 confirmed cases in hospitals across the country and according to the HSE's covid-19 pandemic impact paper from 2021, the "pandemic has led to unprecedented interruption to normal healthcare activity in the primary care setting, with disruption to service delivery and infrastructural development".
The report states that "patients admitted to hospital during the covid-19 period had a mean length of stay of 32 days" and today, according to new figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, there were 448 people waiting for hospital beds across the country.
According to the HSE, the most common symptoms of covid-19 are fever (a high temperature of 38C or above), dry cough, and fatigue. Coronavirus symptoms can be similar to symptoms of cold, flu, or hay fever.
Less common symptoms include the loss or change to your sense of smell or taste, nasal congestion, conjunctivitis, sore throat, headache, muscle or joint pain, skin rash, nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea, chills, or dizziness.
And severe symptoms can include shortness of breath or breathing difficulties, loss of appetite, confusion, and pain or pressure in the chest.
If you have symptoms and feel unwell, the HSE recommends you stay at home until 48 hours after your symptoms are mostly or fully gone and avoid contact with other people, especially people at higher risk from covid-19.
Whilst the HSE is currently not requiring the public to test, if you still choose to do one and it is positive, you should stay at home for five days and avoid contact with other people, especially people at higher risk.
You can leave home after five days if your symptoms have fully or mostly gone for the last 48 hours.
According to the HSE: "It's OK to leave home after five days if you still have a mild cough or changes to your sense of smell. These can last for weeks after the infection has gone."
However, you should still avoid meeting people who are at very high risk for 10 days. This starts from the day you first had symptoms. This is because you may still be infectious for up to 10 days.
You should phone your GP if you feel very unwell, you have an underlying condition that puts you at higher risk, your breathing changes or becomes difficult, or your cough gets worse.
Do not go to your GP or to a pharmacy in person.
According to BBC News, a new covid-19 variant called Eris has been detected in the UK. Eris is a descendant of Omicron and was classified as a variant in the UK on July 31.
Eris, however, is not a variant of concern, despite being in the news lately due to the spike in covid cases, especially in England. Eris is now the second most prevalent variant in the UK, as it is estimated that one in seven positive cases there is the Eris variant.
"The World Health Organization (WHO) started tracking the EG>5.1 variant more than two weeks ago when a sudden rise in the number of people testing positive caused concern," the BBC said.
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