Patrick’s Day celebrations are back – but still a little rough. Just as excitement built, so did Covid-19 cases. There are concerns that the celebration will increase infections further. So how can you stay safe during the national holiday?
Know the odds
The higher the number of circulating Covid-19 cases, the higher the odds of coming into contact with an infected person if you’re in the company of large groups. “As cases increase in the community, as they are doing at the moment, the risk increases,” said Dr Gerald Barry, virologist at UCD. There is an increased chance that people in a pub or restaurant will contract the virus. A lot of people can catch the virus when they don’t have any symptoms or have mild symptoms.”
If someone feels they may be at higher risk, one option is to avoid staying indoors and be served outside.
Control yourself
The advice is often for customers of pubs or restaurants to make their own policies. In the days of the Covid-19 pass, people were told that if they weren’t being tested it was a bad sign of infection control and turned away. Good practices like ventilation are as important as ever. Therefore, it is necessary to double-check some basics including ventilation and sanitation.
Street lining
How risky is it to stand in the crowd and watch the parade go by? Outdoors the risk is very low but it increases if people are pushed against each other. Dr. Barry suggested everyone could wear a mask.
“If you go into a crowded environment that is more of a risk than a sparsely populated area.”
Do an antigen test
If you are meeting other people, you should do an antigen test at home first.
But if you have possible symptoms – and your antigen test is clear – it’s helpful to stay home as a precaution.
Risk assessment
Dr. Barry said most people at this point are well versed in pandemic safety. With the lifting of restrictions, it returns to individual risk assessment.
“People are more comfortable about mitigation measures,” he said. “With more Covid-19 around, the virus will find more vulnerable people. Unvaccinated people are still at higher risk, and they are among those still hospitalized with complications from the virus.
“People who are immunocompromised should invest in a more advanced respirator.
“Healthy people who can be fully strengthened can still transmit the virus to vulnerable people and should wear a mask in association with more susceptible people in areas where the virus is likely to spread.” higher.”
The fast-spreading BA.2 Omicron sub-variant is very popular right now, but about 500,000 people over the age of 16 are still not using a booster. Taking advantage of the time is great to have some more major calendar events rolled out, as hospital doctors say it is proving a firewall against severe illness.
