Revealed: Number of patients who died after acquiring Covid in Mayo hospital

The number of patients who died after acquiring Covid-19 at Mayo University Hospital has been revealed for the first time.

Since the start of the pandemic in Ireland, a total of 856 people have died after contracting the virus while in hospital.

The figure, revealed by the Sunday Independent, includes 45 deaths related to Mayo University Hospital.

The statistic in respect of the Castlebar facility is the seventh highest in the country behind St. Vincent's University Hospital (77), St. James's Hospital (69), University Hospital Limerick (64), Tallaght Hospital (60), Cork University Hospital (55) and Beaumont Hospital (53).

The number in respect of Sligo University Hospital is 35 and Galway University Hospital is nine.

Overall, 30 hospitals recorded deaths of five or more people whose infection happened after admission. At 17 facilities, fatalities were fewer than five or none at all.

Almost all were patients who developed symptoms seven days after admission or whose cases were otherwise linked to hospital exposure.

The figures were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.

Stephen McMahon, director of the Irish Patients’ Association, told the newspaper the deaths and variations across hospitals should come under closer scrutiny.

“It is shocking and harrowing that so many who contracted Covid-19 in hospitals died,” he said.

“We know that outbreaks of infection will occur in a pandemic.

"However, deaths of patients who caught Covid during their hospital stay should be reviewed, if they have not already been reviewed, so lessons can be learned. That is the least the public can expect,” he added.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 210 Covid deaths and a total of 15, 491 confirmed cases in Mayo, according to the latest CSO report.