Covid lockdowns led to 'significant drop' in assaults at Cork EDs

No access to night life also meant fewer patients being admitted for alcohol-related causes, but domestic violence cases rose

Reduced access to night life reduced the number of victims of assaults attending emergency departments. Picture: Larry Cummins

Emergency departments in Cork hospitals saw a “significant reduction” during 2020 in the numbers of drunk patients and patients who had been assaulted.

A study, carried out at Cork University Hospital and the Mercy University Hospital during the Covid-19 lockdowns last year, found reduced access to night life impacted on the type of emergency cases treated.