Health Minister Robin Swann meets Dr Tom Black of the BMA in March this year at Altnagelvin Hospital over Coronavirus screening in March this year
Out of the 2,010 cases reported in Derry City an Strabane District Council area, 959 were recorded last week.
“It is a complete quantum leap from the first wave,” Dr Tom Black said.
The council area was placed under new restrictions from Monday of this week to help curb the growing number of cases.
Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle, the Derry GP said hospitals admissions were increasing and soon more patients will start requiring intensive care.
“GPs noticed the increase in Covid cases about three weeks ago, a proportion of those cases will isolate at around one to two weeks and become much worse due to the immune reaction.
“Now we are starting to see the increase of people needing to go into hospital and then it is another week or two before those patients start to deteriorate and need intensive care.”
Dr Black said “a big fear” among the medical profession is the availability of intensive care beds if cases continue to rise at the current rate.
“We are in a lot of bother and we are going to have to work very hard to get out of this,” he said.
“The hope would be that because we are smarter, we have better drugs and because our vulnerable have been shielding throughout this, we won’t need as much intensive care capacity.
“But we still have to find that out in real time.”
Rise in Coronavirus cases at Altnagelvin Hospital
“The last thing we need is a flu epidemic at the same time as a Covid pandemic because you can imagine the demands that will place on the health service,” he said.
He advised everyone to continue practicing safe hygiene measures to help limit the spread of infections.
“Keep your distance, wear your mask and wash your hands.”
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