Ireland can expect another Covid surge in 4 to 6 weeks, says WHO

Ireland can expect another surge in Covid-19 infections in four to six weeks, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

The WHO's special envoy on Covid-19 Dr David Nabarro said hospitals may face “quite a lot of illness” again as case numbers trend upwards once more.

There will continue to be new surges every three months, he said.

“We’ve actually been going down in terms of numbers around the world for the last four to six weeks,” Dr Nabarro said.

“I think it will pick up again in about another four to six weeks and there’ll be another surge. There will be a surge in Ireland as well as in the British isles, and that may lead to quite a lot of illness in hospitals again.”

He added that there will continue to be new surges roughly every three months.

Figures for patients requiring hospitalisation and ICU care in Ireland have been dropping significantly over the past days and weeks. 

There were just 38 cases in ICI with Covid-19 today, Wednesday April 27.

That is the lowest number so far this year. 

The total number of patients in hospital with Covid-19 has fallen to 435, the lowest number since December 26, last year.