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Northern Ireland has around 100 critical care beds ready as it braces for the coronavirus, health officials said.<\/p>\nNorthern Ireland has around 100 critical care beds ready as it braces for the coronavirus, health officials said.<\/p>\n
Non-urgent services may have to be stood down during a peak of infection which could last weeks to months, chief medical officer Michael McBride said.<\/p>\n
The aim is to \u201cflatten\u201d the main community transmission period and medical staff are in a phase of containing Covid-19.<\/p>\n
One person in Northern Ireland has been diagnosed with the condition.<\/p>\n
Around 99% of people affected will make a full recovery, while 95% will suffer mild to moderate symptoms which will not require hospital treatment, Dr McBride added.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThose numbers will change as we get data more relevant to European health care systems, maybe more aligned with ours.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miriam McCarthy, a director at the Health and Social Care Board, said critical care beds had been prepared.<\/p>\n
A patient with the virus being treated in a single room will experience \u201cnegative pressure\u201d, where air is sucked back into the room rather than mixing with other areas where some patients may have compromised immune systems.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cWe are working to ensure that we protect the critical care capacity for the sickest people.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have about 100 beds in Northern Ireland for adults and children. We may need every bit of that capacity to deal with people infected by the virus.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said officials are trying to expand the number of critical care beds available but most would not need the facility.<\/p>\n
She said acute care beds are already under pressure.<\/p>\n