Some critically ill Covid-19 patients can still be in intensive care for 20 to 30 days, a consultant has revealed.

Dr Patrick Seigne, an intensive care consultant in Cork University Hospital, highlighted the toll on seriously ill Covid-19 patients.

To date in the pandemic patients’ periods spent in intensive care have ranged from a number days to many months.

“We have more experience now of how to manage Covid-19 patients and learned from previous waves,” he said.

Dr Seigne is organising a poignant cycle of remembrance, ICU4U, involving frontline staff who will travel from hospitals around the country to the Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge in Dublin on September 2 and 3 to remember the thousands of people who lost their lives to Covid-19 and place a rose in their memory.

He was speaking as hospitals are again seeing a rise in Covid-19 patients with half of the 60 people seriously ill with the virus in intensive care yesterday under the age of 55.

Dr Seigne said intensive care patients can include people who are not vaccinated or those who are fully vaccinated but have underlying illness.

There were 318 patients with Covid-19 in hospital yesterday, up four in 24 hours.

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned over the last week 32 patients with Covid-19 had to be placed in critical care.

Another 1,592 new cases of the virus were diagnosed yesterday as it was forecast it will be mid- to late September before the country sees cases peak and start to decline in the wake of the high level of vaccination.

Dr Holohan said: “Over the weekend, we reported that the number of newly confirmed Covid-19 cases in hospital in a single day had reached a level not seen since mid-February this year.

“Unfortunately, all of this indicates that we are still not at the peak of this wave of Covid-19 and that many people continue to experience severe illness due to Covid-19.

“While our vaccination programme continues to offer great hope, at this point in time only 53pc of 16 to 29-year-olds are fully vaccinated.

“This age group continues to account for the highest incidence of Covid-19 in our ­population.”

Some of the patients hospitalised include pregnant women who are u nvaccinated and have caught the virus, developing complications.

Hospitals are under pressure as attendances by patients needing non-Covid care also increase. University Hospital Galway is among the worst hit.

The HSE said while hospitalisations with Covid-19 are far below those of previous waves due to vaccination they still present a challenge.

Figures show that deaths from Covid-19 have fallen with a case fatality rate of 0.12pc compared to 3.62pc in February.

Dr Holohan said while the vaccination programme continues to offer great hope only 53pc of 16 to 29-year-olds are fully vaccinated.

This age group continues to account for the highest incidence of Covid-19.

“Anyone who is eligible to receive a vaccine, should do so as soon as possible,” Dr Holohan said.

“It is vital that all of us complete our vaccination schedule – you will be fully protected seven to 14 days after your ­second dose.

“Consider each activity for its level of risk. Wash hands, wear a mask, keep your distance and avoid crowds. Manage social contacts, choose outdoors for meeting others.

“If you have symptoms of Covid-19 self-isolate and arrange a test.”