Top doc warns of worrying upsurge

A prominent Galway GP has reported a surge of patients suffering from upper respiratory tract infections over the last ten days – with at least half of them children just weeks before schools are due to reopen.

Dr Martin Daly, who is based in Ballygar on the Galway-Roscommon border, spent the weekend on duty at Westdoc where many of the patients hail from the eastern side of the county.

During his turn of duty last June at the doctor’s co-op, he referred no case for Covid-19 testing. Last weekend he sent up to 20 patients to the HSE testing centre over the two days.

Half of the patients were children and youths.

It has been a similar situation in his own practice where between four and five patients a day are being sent for testing over the last ten days – the biggest spike in referrals for Covid-19 testing since the height of the pandemic last May.

These patients appeared to be suffering from an upper respiratory tract infection or flu-like illness, with symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, a runny nose and fever.

“This is unusual in August of any year – particularly for children. You’d expect it in October or November but not in an environment where a majority of people are practicing social distancing, good hand hygiene and wearing masks,” he told the Connacht Tribune.

“This a major change in pattern and it’s being reflected right across the country according to other GP co-ops and practices I’m in contact with through the IMO (Irish Medical Organisation). It remains to be seen if this is another virus that’s circulating or it’s Covid-19. They weren’t from a particular area and I can’t say why it’s happening.”

Read the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in all shops now – or buy the digital edition; see full details elsewhere on this website.