[ad_1]
Normal life in the country is still “somewhat far away” and Covid-19 will remain in circulation for the next few years, the State’s public health team warned the Government in a new correspondence.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has sent detailed advice to the government on how to handle the next stage of the pandemic and has warned that “long-standing deficiencies” in the health sector need to be addressed, as the vaccination or herd immunity is unlikely to completely stop the virus.
A copy of the document, seen by The Irish Times, warns that the country’s health infrastructure is not fit for purpose and said reforms in public health capacity are needed.
The team also called for a new “widely distributed but coordinated testing regime” to be rolled out across the country, which could include a rapid testing system.
Regarding new variants, Nphet has also called for increased “whole genome sequencing capacity to allow comprehensive monitoring of variants of interest and to support outbreak management”, as well as the development of a national surveillance program for sewage water.
Looking at the coming months and years, public health experts said “normal” life is probably “still a bit far away” and it will be “critical” that adequate mental health supports are in place.
“The long-term future epidemiology of this virus is unknown. It is unlikely that it will be possible to eliminate the virus or achieve herd immunity with vaccination alone, very high coverage would be required in all adult age groups, not only in Ireland but globally, and for the vaccine to be highly effective against transmission.
“The impact of the variants is also unknown. This means that the virus is likely to continue to circulate in the coming years, ”the document states.
“The severity of the disease it will cause and the requirements for continued vaccination will be known over time. As a country, and especially as a health service, there will be a need for solid long-term planning for the continued management of this virus.
“More generally, there is a very real threat of future pandemics and it will be essential that lessons are learned from this pandemic and a short-term process is put in place to ensure future preparedness.”
The team cautioned that “the infrastructure and in many cases the way we deliver care, including staffing frameworks and skill mix, are not fit for purpose as we continue to live with Covid-19 and as we prepare. for the possibility of future pandemics ”.
Regarding public health capacity, the Government has also been warned that public health professionals “have been at the forefront in managing the response to the pandemic” and “will be fundamental in the deployment of the vaccination program ”.
“The pandemic has highlighted deficits in workforce capacity, IT infrastructure and service delivery in general, and it is clear that public health must be reformed and strengthened.”
For this they said that now the recruitment of public health teams must be accelerated.
In general, Nphet warned that the pandemic “has been characterized as a marathon and not as a sprint. This requires sustainable responses that can be maintained in the medium and long term without ceasing to be flexible to adapt to the evolutionary state of the disease ”.
The team also warned again about the increased risk associated with certain activities, such as “eating, drinking, exercising, singing or yelling.”
“While outdoor activities are safer, the risks are greater when there are large gatherings, limited social distancing, dense congregation, mixing between groups and community trips to activities.”
[ad_2]