Verdict adjourned in case of teenager who died of Covid-19 infection at Mayo hospital

After hearing evidence over the course of a two-day inquest, the coroner for Mayo, Pat O'Connor, will give a verdict on April 11 next in the case of teenage student Sally Maaz, Carrarea, Ballyhaunis, who died at Mayo University Hospital in April 2020.

Sally, who was 17 years old at the time of her death, had tested positive for Covid-19 while in hospital for 10 days from April 14 to 24, 2020.

Mr. O'Connor requested written submissions from the legal teams on both sides – Mr. Johan Verbruggen of Callan Tansey Solicitors, representing the Maaz family, and Mr. Conor Bourke, SC, instructed by Mr. Padraic Brennan of Ronan Daly Jermyn Solicitors, representing MUH and the HSE – on the verdict or verdicts that would be appropriate based on the facts and evidence, and the recommendations he should consider making, if any, arising from the case.

Those submissions, of not more than 5,000 words, are to be with the coroner by Wednesday, March 16, after which the inquest will be opened again on Monday, March 21, for mention before a verdict is delivered back in Swinford Courthouse on Monday, April 11.

Concluding the inquest for now, Mr. O'Connor told the Maaz family his findings were that the medical cause of Sally's death in Mayo University Hospital on April 24, 2020, was a Covid-19 infection.

He also informed the family that if they wished to get a State death certificate for Sally he could do it, but the verdict will not be delivered until April 11 next.

Mr. O'Connor had one suggestion at the end of the two-day inquest – that at some stage in the future an expert group should be established to look at the whole question of the Covid-19 pandemic in Ireland in terms of how is arose and the manner in which it was dealt with in hospital settings.

Evidence was heard today from Dr. Rizwan Mehmood, Dr. Sean McKernan, Grainne Guiry Lynskey (admissions and in-patient safety manager, MUH) and Grainne McHale (assistant director of nursing at MUH, who was an infection control nurse at the time of Sally Maaz's death), while a letter from Sally Maaz's consultant in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dr. Paul Oslizlok, was read out.

At the start of the day, the coroner said he had been filmed without permission upon leaving the courthouse yesterday evening by a person who had been at the inquest, and that a garda had been 'harassed and harangued' by two people who had been in the courthouse as a third person filmed it.

From the body of the room, Mr. Josiah Burke responded that what the coroner said represented 'an assassination of our good name' and was outrageous.

Mr. O'Connor said any further interruption with the conduct of the inquest would be dealt with appropriately.

Later, after Mr. Burke queried if Dr. Oslizlok's letter would be submitted as evidence, Mr. O'Connor said he would not answer any questions.

Mr. Burke's mother, Martina Burke, then said the inquest was a 'whitewash' and a mockery of justice.

Eventually gardaí removed Martina, her son Josiah and daughter Jemima from the courthouse, with Mr. Burke shouting: “This court is a sham, a disgrace.”

Superintendent Joe McKenna apologised to the Maaz family for having to 'endure' the behaviour of the Burke family.

“I thank you for your patience and apologise for the interruptions. It's an extremely difficult time for the (Maaz) family.”

Mr. O'Connor praised the gardaí for the exemplary way in which they dealt with the matter.

Much of today's evidence from Ms. Guiry Lynskey and Ms. McHale centred on the protocols in place at the time surrounding the location and the moving of Covid-19 positive, Covid-19 negative and Covid-19 suspected patients in the hospital in April 2020, a time during which there were two outbreaks of the virus in MUH.

The inquest heard that it was a revolving situation at the time, with national guidelines changing regularly.

It was stated that after being assessed in the emergency department on April 14, 2020, Sally Maaz was admitted to an isolation room in Ward C, a Covid ward.

The next day she was moved to Ward B, a non-Covid ward (but where there had been an outbreak).

Just under 26 hours later, on April 16, she was moved back to Ward C. She was in a six-bedded ward that had been reduced to four beds for social distancing purposes, and was with three other suspected Covid patients. While a test for Sally came back positive, the three others remained 'non-detected'.

After Sally's positive test swab result on April 19, she was moved to an empty bay and remained there.

Ms. McHale said the decision to move Sally back and forth between wards a few times was 'not ideal' but added that any and all decisions taken at the time were not taken lightly.

“Everyone did their best to the best of their ability,” she said. “It was a very difficult time.”