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Europe needs a “significant acceleration” in the fight against Covid-19, as it has lagged “far behind this virus,” warned Dr. Mike Ryan, head of emergencies at the World Health Organization (WHO). .
Strict locks could be avoided if people quarantined themselves when necessary, but the challenge was that “not everyone is doing that” or had the knowledge or interest in adhering to the regulations, the Irishman said in a briefing by WHO Monday night.
His comments were echoed by Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan, who said that people with Covid-19 and contacts should act fully on the advice.
“There are too many stories of people with symptoms / waiting for tests and no self-isolation, also contacts that do not restrict movement,” according to Dr. Holohan.
Urging people to “spread the message, not the virus,” he said that isolating yourself means staying indoors completely and avoiding contact with all other people.
Anyone waiting for a Covid-19 test or test result should self-isolate for 10 days and those with whom they live or have close contacts with a case should restrict their movements for 14 days, he said.
Mild improvement
While the situation continued to deteriorate in many European countries on Monday, there was evidence in Ireland of a slight improvement in Covid-19 trends.
The number of new cases fell below the 1,000-a-day mark on Monday and the five-day average continued a slight downward trend.
The 939 cases reported on Monday bring the total number of cases of the disease in the Republic to 58,467. Three other deaths were also reported.
With 26 admissions from the previous day, the number of hospitalized patients rose to 344 on Monday.
Northern Ireland reported another 727 cases and five more deaths.
The air pollution
Long-term exposure to air pollution is a factor in 8 percent of Irish Covid-19 deaths, an international modeling study has estimated.
At least 150 deaths from Covid-19 in Ireland are related to air pollution, he suggests. Air pollution can aggravate other health conditions and lead to fatal outcomes for Covid-19 patients, say the authors.
Meanwhile, a study showed that 18 percent of healthcare workers at Tallaght University Hospital have evidence of antibodies to Covid-19 infection, a rate much higher than 1.7 percent of the general population estimated to have antibodies.
In Belgium, officials warned that intensive care units could be invaded within fifteen days if current infection rates continue, and doctors in Liege have been asked to continue working even if they are infected with Covid-19.
Italy has warned its citizens not to travel to other European countries, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned her colleagues that she was on the verge of losing control of her fight against the virus.
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