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Immunologist professor Luke O’Neill has been giving advice on how to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission over Christmas.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Professor O’Neill said that children should “briefly hug their grandparents outdoors, while wearing a mask.”
The biochemistry professor at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Biochemistry and Immunology said “sadly, the shorter the better” is the best way to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to older people.
“Don’t go through the pot of sauce,” Professor O’Neill advised.
It comes after the National Public Health Emergencies Team meeting regarding Covid-19 restrictions was pushed forward Thursday morning, and their advice will feed into the Level 5 exit plan.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that an announcement about the restrictions will be made on Thursday or Friday.
The expectation is that the country will move to ‘Level 3 plus’ next week starting at midnight on Tuesday, December 1.
If people are having Christmas dinner with others, Professor O’Neill says:
- they must bring their own dishes
- have one person do all the service to keep kitchen numbers low
- stagger people sitting around the table to prevent people from sitting face to face
- have good ventilation
- don’t spend too much time in each other’s company
“You can’t spend ten hours together in a stuffy room playing family games,” said Professor O’Neill.
He said ventilation is one of the key tips from the US Center for Disease Control, which is guiding people on how to safely celebrate Thanksgiving.
“Good ventilation, open the window, keep the heat on if you’re cold.
“Put Grandpa by the window and have a good breeze come through, and this will really lower the risk, so it is possible to spend a Christmas together,” said Professor O’Neill.
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He advised people to get vaccinated against Covid-19 when deemed safe by regulators.
As a result of the knowledge gained during the search to find a vaccine for the coronavirus, it could lead to the discovery of vaccines for diseases such as HIV and malaria, said Professor O’Neill.
He acknowledged that “there are dire stories about vaccines,” but said that “when all the health agencies in the world are saying to use this vaccine, and as long as the regulators are happy and get the seal of approval, everyone should line up and get it. “
He said there are encouraging signs about the efficacy of the therapies used to treat Covid-19 in hospitals, the results of which can be seen in the low death rate in Ireland compared to other countries.
Professor O’Neill also said that “the number of doses is also important. The lower the dose of virus, the better.”
‘Inevitable’ that mixing and socializing will start to spread again
Meanwhile, the Irish College of GPs senior advisor on Covid 19 has said it is “inevitable” that if more people start mingling and socializing, the virus will start to spread again.
Dr. Nuala O’Connor urged people to “think very carefully about who are the people we really want to spend time with” and to do so in the safest way possible to reduce the virus resurgence and another spike in cases. in january. .
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, she encouraged everyone to avoid cluttered and poorly ventilated indoor spaces, crowded places, and close-contact environments.
Dr. O’Connor also said that a 20% drop in antibiotic prescribing and use this year is possibly related to increased awareness of infections, as well as social restrictions that have limited personal interactions.
She said that each winter GPs emphasize the importance of using antibiotics only when necessary for a bacterial infection, not for colds or viruses.
He said the hope is that people have learned from the Covid-19 pandemic and can take advantage of knowledge about viral infections and “stay out of circulation” when sick to stop the spread of viruses and continue to use hand hygiene and disposable tissues. -Covid to limit the spread of infections.
Dr O’Connor said that the spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs has highlighted the overuse of antibiotics, with 37,000 deaths in Europe each year from superbug infection and 700,000 deaths worldwide.
‘Not everyone will be vaccinated at the same time’
The World Health Organization’s special envoy on Covid-19 has warned that “Christmas will be a very dangerous time for many of us.”
Speaking on Today with Claire Byrne, Dr. David Nabarro said that people who intend to socialize with others during the Christmas period should do so “with a healthy respect for the virus.”
Dr. Nabarro said there will be a possible “double effect” of transmission at Christmas if people have been reuniting with friends and then reuniting with their families.
“We’ve seen how when people come together and mix, after a few weeks, this leads to an increase in cases of the virus, people get sick, people die.
“These times when people get together – weddings, parties, rallies, celebrations, karaoke nights in the Far East – is when the virus spreads.
“If you combine that with the union of a family, you get the double effect of transmission between family members, I think Christmas is going to be a very dangerous time for many of us.”
He said: “If we’re going to start being social, we have to combine that, a healthy respect for the virus. So that we don’t end up with a huge increase in cases in January or early February.”
Regarding the possible reopening of restaurants, Dr. Nabarro said that while it does not happen frequently, the hospitality sector has played a role “in dramatic outreach events.”
“It doesn’t happen everywhere. It doesn’t happen always. But these dramatic broadcast events happen as a result of a party or as a result of a night out with friends.”
Dr. Nabarro said that WHO encourages all governments to work together, especially those that share a common border. He said special attention should be paid to places like Derry, which has experienced a high level of Covid-19 in recent weeks.
“There is a very special situation about this border that they have in Ireland. It is a lot of attention. And I think people are very proud of the fact that it is an open border. And that means it is going to need a lot of care,” he said. Derry area “was a very sharp hotspot” that “should receive special attention”.
Dr. Nabarro urged people who are relaxing more in keeping up with Covid-19 prevention measures for caution due to the likelihood that a vaccine will be available soon.
He said many of the same precautions that are in place now will need to remain in place, “because not everyone will be vaccinated at the same time.”
He also said that the vaccine may differ in terms of how effective it is for each person who receives it, “depending on their immune response.”
“The vaccine is providing a more valuable intervention, but we must stick with the methods that we know work, such as physical distancing and masking. We must not compromise.”
There are currently 291 people with Covid-19 in the hospital, 33 of these patients are in intensive care.
As of 8pm yesterday, Letterkenny University Hospital had the highest number of Covid-positive patients in the country at 41.
St James’s Hospital and Tallaght University Hospitals had 32 patients with the virus, while another 31 patients were being treated at University Hospital Limerick.
There are currently 39 vacant adult intensive care beds in the system.
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