Written answers

Tuesday, 28 June 2022

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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756. To ask the Minister for Health if he is satisfied with the infrastructure put in place to date to address long-Covid; if he has assessed the level of regional response that will be needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33677/22]

Photo of Réada CroninRéada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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757. To ask the Minister for Health if Naas General Hospital will be established as a centre for the treatment of long-Covid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33686/22]

Photo of Paul MurphyPaul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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773. To ask the Minister for Health if he will increase funding for the current long-Covid clinics to provide further funding to increase the number of clinics from just eight post-acute Covid-19 clinics in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33720/22]

Photo of Cormac DevlinCormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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793. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the supports available for persons suffering from long-Covid in CHO 6; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33810/22]

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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794. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to establish specialised services in each CHO region to assist persons who are suffering long-Covid symptoms. [33814/22]

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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822. To ask the Minister for Health the supports that are available to persons affected with long-Covid in County Waterford; if consideration is being given to expanding the level of service available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34019/22]

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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823. To ask the Minister for Health if there are plans to expand primary and community supports for long-Covid; if there will be expanded training modules on long-Covid for general practitioners and practice nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34020/22]

Photo of Jennifer Murnane O'ConnorJennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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865. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for persons suffering from long-Covid. [34214/22]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 756, 757, 773, 793, 794, 822, 823 and 865 together.

As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputy directly.

Photo of Réada CroninRéada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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758. To ask the Minister for Health the reason that public health is still only measuring Covid-19 impact in terms of deaths and hospitalisations given the growing international evidence on the emergence of long-Covid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33687/22]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the pandemic is not over, and the future trajectory of COVID-19 remains uncertain. As such, there is an ongoing requirement for detailed epidemiological assessment and advice on current and emergent issues in relation to SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses to inform and ensure timely and appropriate health service and other pandemic countermeasures as necessary.

As set out in the weekly reports on COVID-19 which I receive from the Chief Medical Officer and which are published on my Department's website, the population and health service burden in relation to COVID-19 infections continues to be monitored closely across a broad range of parameters. These include surveillance and monitoring of the epidemiological position both nationally and internationally, hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths, surveillance in relation to current and new variants and assessment of health service impacts, including disease outbreaks in healthcare settings.

In addition to the burden of disease caused by acute COVID-19 infections, it is recognised that persistent and prolonged symptoms can occur after acute COVID-19 infection in a proportion of patients. The number of people that are affected with longer term sequelae after acute COVID-19 remains unknown, but published reports indicate that approximately 10– 20% of COVID-19 patients experience lingering symptoms for weeks to months following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.

My Department and the HSE, continue to review new evidence, research, and data on all aspects of COVID19 including Long COVID, as it emerges to ensure care is in place for all who need it.

The HSE has developed and is implementing an interim Model of Care to provide Long COVID services nationally. This builds on existing service provision to further develop the necessary services across a number of health care settings including GP, community services and acute hospitals. The first priority is to ensure there are Long COVID and Post-Acute COVID clinics operating within each Hospital Group to ensure a national service. This involves expanding the resources at existing clinics where required and development of new clinics in line with the Model of Care.

Anyone concerned about Long COVID is advised to engage with their GP in the first instance.

Photo of Réada CroninRéada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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759. To ask the Minister for Health if he will publish the public health advice on the reason it is not necessary to introduce mitigations to contain the spread of Covid-19 infection and reinfection in the population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33688/22]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is advised that a weekly update containing the current key public health advice with regard to COVID-19 is published on the Department of Health's website, available here: gov.ie - Weekly report from the Chief Medical Officer to the Minister for Health relating to COVID-19 (www.gov.ie).

The Department continues to monitor the epidemiological situation closely.

Photo of Réada CroninRéada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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760. To ask the Minister for Health the current reinfection rate of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33689/22]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

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