A Monaghan-based GP who recently recovered from COVID-19 has warned that the lack of effective contact tracing could affect the easing of the lockdown.

Dr Illona Duffy is back at her practice after being diagnosed with the virus last month.

On Newstalk Breakfast with Eamon Torsney this morning, she warned that there are many questions about the behaviour of the virus in Ireland that can only be answered through proper contact tracing.

“I don’t understand why we are having difficulties with contact tracing,” she said.

“We know that there are retired colleagues who have offered their services to be part of contact tracing because they can’t do the face-to-face consultations,” she said.

“And yet they have told me they still have not been contacted.”

Medical workers collect a mouth and nose swab from a motorist during a drive thru COVID-19 test in Dordrecht, Netherlands, 21-04-2020. Image: Robin Utrecht/ABACAPRESS.COM

She voiced concern that the contact tracing delays are preventing officials from picking up on patterns in different regions.

“Counties Monaghan and Cavan have been among the highest for deaths and for levels of COVID per capita - so why is that happening?” she asked.

“If proper contact tracing is being done, we should have the answers to all of that.

“We should be able to say, the reason for the higher rates are due to the nursing home outbreaks, or because of a super spreader or because it is on the border.

“If contact tracing is doing its job, that information should be showing patterns and from those patterns, we should be able to learn and therefore start dropping our rates even further and allowing an opening up of the lockdown.”

Gardaí escort a woman through Bushy Park in Dublin with her terminally ill daughter during the designated time-slot for the vulnerable, 09-05-2020. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews

She said COVID-19 tests can now be carried out on the day they are ordered but warned that different parts of the country have longer waits for results than others.

“I have colleagues who, within 24 hours they will have the result of that swab, but for me it can anything up to six or seven days,” she said.

“The average is probably three to four days but even that is a lengthy time because the people we are really trying to contact through contact tracing are those who were exposed when they met that person who developed symptoms in the few days beforehand.

"Before you get symptoms; before you know you may have COVID, up to three days before that, you may be shedding the virus and you may be therefore someone who is infectious and can pass it on.”

Coming up @NewstalkFM on this morning’s #NewstalkBreakfast with @thetorse - @ProfJohnCrown & @illonaduffy will be with us discussing the challenges facing cancer care & the importance of implementing a clear testing regime & contact tracing going forward.#BKNT pic.twitter.com/WrAxZOQF86

— Newstalk Breakfast (@BreakfastNT) May 10, 2020

Dr Duffy urged anyone who is suffering symptoms unrelated to the virus to contact their GP by phone.

She said GP services are open and seeing patients every day either by phone, video-conference or face-to-face appointment.

“We are trying to say to people, actually you are probably more likely to die as a result of a complication of your existing illness or a new illness than you are of COVID-19,” she said.

“Contact your GP and if they want to see you or if you have a hospital appointment, please go to that.

“We will only be bringing you in if we feel we need to and we will be bringing you in in a safe, organised manner.”

The next phase of lockdown easing is currently set to begin on May 18th.