Ireland is guided by the advice, guidance and protocols of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The expert guidance of the ECDC in particular is based upon consideration of the circumstances arising in the European Union and globally. The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) reviews these international developments as part of its overall examination of the evolving epidemiology of the disease.
While Ireland has taken its cue from international organisations such as the WHO and the ECDC in how we look at metrics related to the pandemic, it must be said that whenever we make comparisons across countries, we must do this cautiously. Circumstances such as, for example, the socio-economic status of the population, population density, age profile, rates of underlying conditions, date of first reported cases, varying data collection methodologies and reporting arrangements, testing strategies etc are often not directly comparable or are very challenging to analyse in a manner that can be directly comparable. The path and timeline of each country’s epidemic is also different. The metrics and policy responses used to combat the disease within each country have been unique to each country’s own individual situation and context. Simply comparing numbers doesn’t give the whole story.
It is therefore difficult to make direct international comparisons as countries experience different stages/waves of the epidemic at different times. Overall, Ireland’s response to this pandemic has been guided by international advice and emerging evidence and best practice. Information related to the current COVID-19 situation in Ireland and internationally is monitored continuously.
We have been transparent and open in sharing the most current position daily via press releases, press conferences and a publicly accessible online dashboard. This pandemic has required a dynamic response and enormous efforts have been made to ensure that our national data collection has kept pace with this very rapidly changing situation. Sharing information with the public has also been carefully balanced with the need to maintain keeping patient confidentiality.
Ireland’s 14-day incidence is now 40 per 100,000, up from a low of 3 in early July. Similarly, across the EU, most other member states seem to be experiencing an increase in their number of cases in recent weeks. Overall, the incidence rate is 55 cases per 100,000 population. 16 MS have a higher incidence rate in the past 2 weeks than in the previous 2-week period, while 11 member states have incidence rates above those currently recorded in Ireland.
