No 'unidentified' coronavirus cases in Ireland says chief medical officer

Everyone who had been in close contact with a woman diagnosed with the novel coronavirus here was traced and notified, he said.

The woman was on an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin Airport from northern Italy and used public transport, most likely the train, to return home to Belfast.

A small number of people who would have been in close contact with the individual would have been given the appropriate advice, said Dr Holohan.

The public was responding in the way they wanted. They were, identifying themselves if they thought they were infected, he said.

Learn about hand hygiene and preventing the spread of Covid-19 (#Coronavirus) pic.twitter.com/ZEvMIbt3ZE

— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) February 28, 2020

“We think it is likely that another case, or cases, could be imported into this country, in much the same way as the case occurred in Northern Ireland,” he said.

“We have had no confirmed cases, but we do think it is likely that a case could occur here in the way that one arose yesterday (Thursday),” said Dr Holohan.

“We have been saying that all along. It is neither going to surprise us nor change anything in terms of what we do.”

Dr Holohan said an event similar to the one in Italy is now has a moderate to high likelihood of occurrence in countries across the European region.

“But we are not operating on the assumption that there is unidentified infection circulating in the country,” he said.

He also said confirmation of the first case of Covid-19 on the island of Ireland did not change existing plans already in place.

All of the “extensive preparedness plans” during this period of containment were focused on picking up a case.

“Ultimately, it depends on an individual with symptoms travelling back from an affected area identifying themselves and contacting the local health authorities,” he said.

That was exactly what happened in case of thepatient currently in isolation in Northern Ireland andreceiving treatment, he told a media briefing.

Director of the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre, Dr John Cuddihy, said all stages of the woman’s journey had been identified.

Dr Holohan said close contact involved either face-to-face contact, or spending more than 15 minutes within two metres of an infected person. He said the risk of transmission through casual contact was low.

Dr Holohan also assured the public that the department is being as open as it could be about developments, but could not give information the that might constitute a risk of to an individual’s someone’s privacy.

If you have returned from a country or region with spread of COVID-19 (#coronavirus) visit our website for advice. https://t.co/29felTHXMn pic.twitter.com/0UPKgJ25L4

— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) February 27, 2020

The department said it also wanted to work with organisations like Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, which is in a position to get the message out to specific groups.

“Of course we would be anxious to work with people in that way,” he said.

CFI chief executive of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland Philip Watt wrote to Dr Holohan on Thursday asking him to address several concerns.

He wanted to know what contingency plans the department had for people with cystic fibrosis and long-term or chronic respiratory conditions, in the event of a rapid escalation of Covid-19.

Mr Watt said organisations like Cystic Fibrosis Ireland which who represented at-risk groups needed to be involved in the planning, and not just be told what to do.

“We want to have a broader community strategy to be drawn up so that in the event of an escalation of Covid-19, groups like ours could contribute to containing the virus,” he said.

“The window of opportunity to do that is probably two to three weeks.”

The Department of Health is not operating on the assumption that “unidentified” coronavirus is circulating in Ireland, its chief medical officer has insisted.