Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team - Wednesday 25 March
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 25 March 2020
- Last updated on: 25 March 2020
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that two patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Ireland have died.
The patients are a female and in the east of the country, with an underlying health condition and a male, in the east of the country.
There have now been nine COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been informed of 235 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland, as at 1pm, Wednesday 25 March.
There are now 1,564 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
The HSE is now working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.
Today’s data from HPSC, as of midnight, Monday 23nd March (1,146 cases), reveals:
- 55% are male and 45% are female, with 63 clusters involving 289 cases
- the median age of confirmed cases is 45 years
- 305 cases (26%) have been hospitalised
- of those hospitalised, 39 cases have been admitted to ICU
- 283 cases (24%) are associated with healthcare workers
- Dublin has the highest number of cases at 559, (57% of all cases) followed by Cork with 133 cases (11%)
- of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 49%, close contact accounts for 23%, travel abroad accounts for 28%
Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said:
"Our data showed yesterday that only 6% of our tests so far returned positive; so for every 100 people we test we are only finding 6 people with COVID-19. In light of this, our case definition changed.
“Changing case definition is a standard practice in managing pandemics. Ultimately, we want our 6% detected rate to increase, we want to find as many people as possible with COVID-19, isolate them and contain the spread.”
Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health said:
"We are seeking to prioritise those who are to be tested with a focus in the short-term on those who are vulnerable and those who are at the highest risk to exposure.”
Dr. Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer, HSE said:
"There has been ongoing engagement with GPs over the past 24 hours. GPs are best placed to advise individuals with symptoms whether they need a test or not. Ultimately, the test has no impact on the clinical course of this disease and the priority for anyone with symptoms is to isolate themselves.”
Information is available on the HSE website or by calling the HSE helpline 1850 24 1850.
The National Public Health Emergency Team will meet again on Thursday 26 March to review Ireland’s ongoing preparedness and response to COVID-19.
You can view the department's COVID-19 Dashboard here.
ENDS
Hospital statistics
| Total number of cases | 1146 | |
| Total number hospitalised | 305 | |
| Total number admitted to ICU | 39 | |
| Total number of deaths | 7 | |
| Case fatality rate | 0.6 | |
| Total number of healthcare workers | 283 | |
| Number clusters notified | 63 | |
| Median age | 45 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 23 March.
Gender of patients
| Gender | Number | % of Total |
| Female | 522 | 45 |
| Male | 624 | 55 |
| Total | 1146 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 23 March.
Age range affected
| Age Group | Number | % of Total |
| <1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1 - 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 5 - 14 | 20 | 2 |
| 15 - 24 | 94 | 8 |
| 25 - 34 | 228 | 20 |
| 35 - 44 | 214 | 18 |
| 45 - 54 | 229 | 20 |
| 55 - 64 | 165 | 14 |
| 65+ | 207 | 18 |
| Unknown | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 1146 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 23 March.
How COVID-19 is spreading
| Community transmission | 29% |
| Close contact with confirmed case | 15% |
| Travel Abroad | 18% |
| Under investigation | 38% |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 23 March.
Note:
In the event that a person tests positive for COVID-19 and hasn't been abroad or had contact with another confirmed case in Ireland, that's known as community transmission.
In the event that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 can be linked to another confirmed case in Ireland, that's known as local transmission.
Healthcare workers
| Travel related | 67 | 25% |
| No foreign travel | 180 | 64% |
| Under investigation | 36 | 13% |
| Total | 283 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 23 March.
Hospitalised cases by age group
| <5 | 2 | 1% |
| 5 - 14 | 2 | 1% |
| 15 - 24 | 15 | 5% |
| 25 - 34 | 38 | 13% |
| 35 - 44 | 27 | 9% |
| 45 - 54 | 57 | 19% |
| 55 - 64 | 50 | 16% |
| 65+ | 114 | 37% |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 23 March.
Cases by county
| Carlow | ≤5 | 0% |
| Cavan | ≤5 | 1% |
| Clare | 12 | 1% |
| Cork | 133 | 12% |
| Donegal | 11 | 1% |
| Dublin | 659 | 57% |
| Galway | 40 | 3% |
| Kerry | 33 | 3% |
| Kildare | 34 | 3% |
| Kilkenny | 16 | 1% |
| Laois | 9 | 1% |
| Leitrim | ≤5 | 0% |
| Limerick | 19 | 2% |
| Longford | ≤5 | 1% |
| Louth | 18 | 2% |
| Mayo | 9 | 1% |
| Meath | 24 | 2% |
| Monaghan | ≤5 | 0% |
| Offaly | 13 | 1% |
| Roscommon | ≤5 | 0% |
| Sligo | 8 | 1% |
| Tipperary | 20 | 2% |
| Waterford | 15 | 1% |
| Westmeath | 25 | 2% |
| Wexford | 7 | 0% |
| Wicklow | 39 | 3% |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 23 March.
≤ means 'less than or equal to'.