With the first case of COVID-19 now confirmed in Ireland, many people are wondering if it's all just a case of much ado about nothing. Surely it can't be as serious as the media are portraying it to be,... or can it?

To answer this question, we need to take a look at the numbers we know so far about COVID-19 to see how it compares to seasonal influenza.

Former Health Minister Leo Varadkar said free GP care would overwhelm the system, but new figures from ESRI suggest otherwise.

According to the Economic and Social Research Institute the number of doctor visits in a free system would rise by 3.5%, or 700,000 trips annually.

They explain this by the fact that non-medical card patients tend to be healthier and that the time required to see a GP would deter excessive use of the system.

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a 78% rise in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in United States since 2002 and a 23% increase since the last report in 2009.

Due to incorrect information being given to a number of pharmacists during their flu vaccination training programme, some patients have received only half the recommended dose (paediatric dose) of the flu vaccine.

These patients will be contacted by their pharmacist in the coming days to return for a revaccination. The vast majority of patients however have received the correct dose.

The 2011 Pfizer Health Index report, which was launched on the 24th October 2011, revealed that 1 in 5 Irish adults would place free universal access to healthcare, as one of their top three healthcare priorities, with 2 out of 3 being broadly in favour even if it would increase income tax rates by an average of 1%.

According to the findings of the SELECT trial (The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial) published in the 12th October 2011 issue of JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), vitamin E supplementation of 400 IU per day may carry a 17% increased risk for prostate cancer.