Increase in hospital admissions with covid, flu and RSV expected this week, warns HSE boss

HSE CEO Bernard Gloster. File Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Some 560 people were admitted to hospital with covid-19, flu or RSV during the last week of December as the HSE head Bernard Gloster warns higher numbers are expected this week.

New figures show 236 patients with covid-19 admitted to hospitals, alongside 211 with the flu including four needing intensive care support and 113 with RSV, according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre data.

Rising numbers of flu cases are the main focus for the HSE and the health services generally this week as the peak is expected in the coming days.

During the last week of December some 879 new flu cases were identified. Those aged over 65 were the most commonly affected with 270 cases, followed by children aged under 14 with 248 new cases identified in this age.

While this was lower than the week before, it is expected this will rise now the holiday season is over and many people who tried to stay at home accept they need hospital care.

None of the hospital patients with covid-19 admitted in that week needed intensive care support, and overall some 611 new cases were reported.

There was however one death with covid-19 reported.

Over half of the new covid-cases were among over-65s at 330 cases, followed by those among people aged 45 to 64.

Cases per county remain reflect population size with Cork and Limerick showing the highest counts in Munster, and Dublin having the most new cases nationally.

New cases of RSV, a virus which caused huge worries for parents last year over a long number of weeks, continue to decline.

There were 345 new cases identified in the last week of December, down from a record high of 985 cases in an earlier week of that month.

The majority of these cases however remain among young children aged under 14 at 197 new cases, compared to 100 among the over-65s.

The three worst affected counties for RSV are Dublin, Donegal and Mayo, with Cork in fifth position based on the number of new cases in that week.

HSE CEO Bernard Gloster said on Sunday they expect to see more cases across all respiratory illnesses this week.

“Based on all the information available to me, we are going to hit the height of the flu into this week,” he told RTÉ.

“That will tail on into the following week, so we are expecting significant pressure on the system. But at the moment, we are holding considerably well.” 

He urged people to consider vaccination against covid-19 and influenza.

Mr Gloster also said the numbers of patients delayed on trolleys waiting for a hospital bed is lower than year than it traditionally is at this crisis time of the year.