Covid-19 hit hospitals dealing with surge in lockdown DIY injuries

Emergency departments and orthopaedic services have also been swamped with a spate of injuries linked to falls due to the ice and snow from the cold snap over the weekend.

These range from sprains, cuts and even fractures - with a number of road traffic accidents linked to the icy conditions.

Now, a senior orthopaedic consultant has pleaded with people to stay at home and to exercise care so as to minimise the pressure on already stretched hospital services.

Orthopaedic consultant at University Hospital Waterford Fiachra Rowan said it has been a very busy couple of days for Irish hospitals - aside from the pressure exerted by Covid-19.

"We are asking people to stay at home and to particularly try to avoid going up and down step ladders at home," he told WLRFM.

"We have seen an increase in admissions in the last 24hrs with falls outside and this is adding to our Covid-19 related surge already in the hospital."