COVID-19: Irish mortality rate 'in the lower range' when compared with others
by Jack QuannThe COVID-19 mortality rate in Ireland has been in the lower range overall when compared with other health systems across Europe.
That is according to a mortality paper prepared and discussed by the the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
NPHET has also agreed to include the sudden loss of smell and taste as symptoms of the virus.
This is subject to updated guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which is expected to be published on Friday.
It comes as there were nine further deaths and 46 confirmed more cases of the virus here on Thursday.
There have now been a total 1,639 COVID-19 related deaths and 24,841 confirmed cases in Ireland.
Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, said: "Throughout this pandemic NPHET has maintained a consistent focus on mortality, being very aware of the sad toll of lost loved ones on families.
"A mortality paper was prepared and discussed by NPHET today and identifies that mortality in Ireland has been within the lower range in overall terms compared with other health systems across Europe.
"Ireland will continue to report both confirmed and probable deaths from COVID-19 in all settings and direct public health measures to limit the burden of mortality."
Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, added: "The reproduction number is currently estimated to be 0.5. ICU and hospital admissions and number of deaths per day continue to decline.
"The number of cases per day remain stable.
"Next week we will see figures that reflect the impact of phase one measures on key disease spread indicators.
"It is our hope that the R-number will remain below one and our progress is preserved."
He said there were good signs that the first phase of re-opening has not had an adverse effect.
“Almost everything we are seeing is, from my perspective, astonishingly stable”.
“You might expect to see more noise or disturbance in the data.
“The fact that we are seeing nothing in terms of an increase in disease.
"It remains early to be confident that that is telling us this is working, but it remains a very good sign."