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Covid-19 briefing key points: No gatherings or social mixing

Updated / Monday, 15 Mar 2021 20:31

From warnings that social mixing is leading to more cases of Covid-19 to advice to assume any cold-like symptoms are Covid-19 until proven otherwise, here are seven things we learned from the latest coronavirus briefing at the Department of Health.

Covid cases no longer declining, social mixing blamed

The chair of the National Public Health Emergency Team's epidemiological modelling advisory group has said that the number of cases of Covid-19 is now static, if not increasing, blaming this on increased social mixing.

Prof Philip Nolan said the cases being seen now are due to social mixing 10-14 days ago, and urged people to "pull back" now so that there are fewer cases two weeks from now.

He said in relation to the five-day moving average and the case counts per week, last week was "essentially comparable to the preceding week" both in terms of case counts recorded per week and confirmed each day. 

Prof Nolan said since the first week of 2021, the decline has gone from 40% per week, to 20% per week for about 5-6 weeks, but last week there was a decrease of just 3%.

Caution urged over St Patrick's Day and Easter

Prof Nolan highlighted how socialising over Halloween led to an increase in cases, and urged people not to repeat this over St Patrick's Day and Easter.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said they do not want people to be congregating over takeaway pints or buying cans and meeting up. 

He said he knows that is not what people want to hear, but the message has to be consistent. 

"The reason we're giving this message is not because we want to be killjoys, we're giving the message because we know what will happen if people do meet up. And some of those people will end up in hospital and some of those people will die, and none of us wants that to happen." 

Increase in cases in younger people, but few outbreaks in schools

Prof Nolan said they are seeing cases particularly in younger cohorts at the moment, especially in older teenagers and younger adults.

He said very few of these cases are occurring in school settings, with most in community outbreaks or household settings.

In children age 5-12 years, Prof Nolan said they saw 390 cases the week before last in this age group, but fewer than five were associated with outbreaks in school settings.

He said last week there was a slight increase in that number to 403 cases, but fewer than ten were associated with outbreaks in schools.

Family meetings driving infections

Dr Ray Walley, a member of the National Covid-19 GP Advisory Committee, said the data shows infection is spreading within families. 

"I'm aware of one family who visited a family member in a hospital who was dying from Covid and all the family have developed Covid as a result", he said. "We need to be cognisant that this is a disease that has high morbidity and high mortality." 

He said they have managed this disease greatly to date and people need to refocus on getting the basics right again. 

If a relative is going "beyond the pale" you should tell them, he said, because this is something that "gets into families".

He said people need to correct each other when doing the wrong thing and people should not be afraid to do so because it "could save someone's life". 

GPs back pause of AstraZeneca vaccine

Dr Walley said that GPs and representatives from the Irish Medical Organisation support the decision to pause the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine pending further reviews of potential side effects.

He said they were wholly supportive of the temporary deferral as they saw it as "a precautionary alert".

He said having worked in the UK, he is reassured that 11 million people have received this vaccine with no similar alert.

He said it is important that people are able to continue to trust vaccines.

"We, as a group, are meeting no vaccine hesitancy", Dr Walley said. "It's a very rewarding job to be administering the vaccine. It's quite interesting in waiting rooms where neighbours who haven't seen each other for a while are recognising each other through masks. It's wonderful to engage with these patients, it's a great atmosphere."  

Cold symptoms are 'Covid until proven otherwise'

Dr Walley said that if you have any basic symptoms, you need to assume you have Covid, adding that people are delaying contacting their GP.  

He said it has been "a long time" and people often become "complacent". 

'Hold off on demonstrations, hold off on gatherings'

In relation to a number of demonstrations set to take place over the coming days, Dr Glynn said NPHET's advice is not to congregate.  

He said the level of disease is still too high and the advice is for people to stay at home. 

He said he knows it is not advice that anyone wants to hear, but it is clear advice and the majority of people are listening. 

"I would ask people to hold off on demonstrations and gatherings, please, until we get through this phase," Dr Glynn said.

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