Vivienne Clarke
A Monaghan GP has called for the Government to consider a two-week‘ circuit breaker’ to halt the spread of Covid-19 which she said is “out of control”.
Dr Illona Duffy told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that her practice had noticed in recent days an increase in the level of calls from symptomatic patients, a few of whom were “quite sick.”
The age demographic of patients was much wider this time when compared with the first wave back in the Spring, she said. This time it was 'pan generational' from babies to adults, to older people.
Asymptomatic
People had been meeting family members and spread the virus while they were asymptomatic, she said.
Dr Duffy predicted there would be a dramatic rise in cases in the coming days, and she warned that this would put pressure on GP services and access to general services (non-Covid) would be compromised.
A two-week circuit breaker could see a sharp drop in cases, she suggested.
In a tweet on Tuesday night Dr Duffy said: “I dread the Covid figures in coming days. It's clear from the level of patient telephone consultations who report being symptomatic close contacts, that Covid 19 is presently out of control. Is it time for a 2-week complete lockdown to stop the spread? I think so.”
