The average Covid-19 hospitalisation rate for the past three months is about a quarter of its peak in March, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The CSO’s latest Deaths and Cases Bulletin acknowledges that while case numbers have fluctuated between August and October, from a low of 623 in week ending August 7th to a high of 7,025 in week ending October 16th, the hospital rates, ICU rates and mortality rates have remained stable over the same period.
In August, September and October, fewer than 50 people per 1,000 confirmed cases were admitted to hospital, down from a peak of 192 per 1,000 in March.
Hospital Report
The average admission rate for intensive care units across the same three-month period was also considerably lower, standing at 5 or less per 1,000 confirmed cases, down from a peak of 27 per 1,000 in March.
The average mortality rate was 5 people per 1,000 confirmed cases, down from a peak of 74 per 1,000 in April.
For the week ending November 13th, there were 2,363 confirmed cases, a decrease of 517 from the previous week. Some 363 of confirmed cases that week were among health care workers.
The median age of new confirmed cases was 36 years old, lower than the median age of 49 in April.
It is the second week in a row that Dublin had fewer than 1,000 weekly cases. In the week ending November 13th, Dublin accounted for 28 per cent of all new cases.
Outbreaks
Just over half (52 per cent) of all confirmed cases are linked to an outbreak and 42 per cent of cases linked to an outbreak are confirmed in people under 25-years-old.
Outbreaks in private houses account for 53 per cent of cases linked to an outbreak in the last four weeks, nursing homes account for 10 per cent while childcare facilities and schools together account for 8 per cent of cases.
Cork, Donegal, Galway and Roscommon made up 32 per cent of all cases linked to an outbreak.
Some 4,029 more females were diagnosed with Covid-19 than males, while the 25-44 age group still show the highest number of confirmed cases at 22,210.
The average number of contacts per positive case per week was three in the week ending November 13th, down from six contacts six week earlier.
More than 20 people have died with Covid-19 in each of the last five weeks and the median age of Covid-19 deaths has remained relatively stable at approximately 83 years throughout the duration of the pandemic.
In terms of gender breakdown, 69 more men died from the virus when compared to women.
About 93 per cent of people who died with Covid-19 had an underlying condition with chronic heart disease being present in 44 per cent of deaths.
