By Michelle McGlynn
Of the 8,018 cases of Covid-19 among healthcare workers, 88% of them contracted the virus in a healthcare setting.
As of May 30, seven healthcare workers have died from the coronavirus.
Healthcare workers make up one-third of all confirmed Covid-19 cases in Ireland.
One-third of those cases are nurses making them the largest single group of workers infected.
Excluding the cases where the transmission status is not known, HPSC figures show how healthcare workers contracted the virus:
- 88% got the virus in a healthcare setting as staff
- 4% from contact with a confirmed case
- 3% from travel
- 3% from community transmission
- 1% from a healthcare setting as patients.
There are 2,552 cases under investigation where there is no known source of transmission.
19% of healthcare workers have recovered while 60% remain ill. There are over 1,500 cases that currently have an unknown status.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) had repeatedly called for the figures relating to healthcare workers to be released.
It has received a commitment from Minister for Health Simon Harris that the figures will be published weekly.
INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said that the number of frontline staff who have gotten the virus while in the workplace cannot be accepted as normal.
"We need to tighten procedures and test more to ensure that frontline staff don’t get the virus they are fighting. This isn’t just about PPE, it’s about policy too," said Ms Ní Sheaghdha.
"The government should classify this as what it is: a workplace-acquired personal injury.
"This would not only reflect reality, but ensure that the full range of health and safety rules would be rolled out to protect frontline workers.”
The INMO is calling for three policy changes to combat the high rate of infection among healthcare workers:
1. Amend regulations to class Covid-19 as a personal injury under health and safety legislation.
2. Facilitate healthcare workers who come into unprotected close contact with COVID-19 to self-isolate for 14 days, without exemptions.
3. All healthcare workers – not just those in nursing homes or clusters – be provided with regular Covid-19 testing.
