Coronavirus: How prepared is NI health service for a surge?

Emergency departments are not currently involved in the treatment of patients presenting with the virus

One of the main problems with coronavirus is that we are grappling with the unknown.

That includes the public, the government and especially the health service.

When dealing with the flu, health officials can broadly plan from one year to the next based on previous years' cases.

A rough estimate can be made around the number of additional hospital beds required, the amount of flu jabs and even how many health workers are likely to be off sick.

But at this stage no forward planning can be done around coronavirus based on previous data. There is none.

We are dealing with the unknown and that's unnerving for everyone involved.

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The number of confirmed cases across Europe is rapidly increasing and a number of measures to delay the spread of coronavirus in the UK are being considered by health officials.

But is Northern Ireland's health service prepared?

Parts of it struggle at the best of times.

'This is not a drill'

While emergency departments are not currently involved in the treatment of those patients presenting with the virus, as time goes on it is likely they will be.

Sources say there is tremendous concern about hospital managers and how they will manage when Northern Ireland gets a surge in numbers which it will undoubtedly get. Just look at the Republic of Ireland.

On Sunday, five more cases were confirmed in Northern Ireland, bringing the total to 12.

It was the biggest jump in positive diagnoses since the virus was first found here.

Anyone who suspects they may have been infected is being told to ring their GP first

As numbers rise and demand for help grows it is inevitable that emergency departments will become affected.

That is why the authorities are banging the message home - ring your GP first and do not show up at any public health places such as the screening pods unless told to do so.

As we try to keep ahead, it is important information is accurate and the authorities are completely transparent. To date they have been.

It is also important we do not stigmatise those affected so people do not feel ashamed to reveal they have symptoms.

Being transparent and educating the public while protecting a patient's privacy is all a difficult balance.

Now that there is community transmission in the Republic of Ireland, pressure will increase on authorities to begin cancelling mass public events.

This is not a drill, a dress rehearsal or some drama unfolding on television.

For many of us, it is real life and without a doubt coronavirus will leave its mark.