Surge in Covid cases 'inevitable' after easing of restrictions

Kingston Mills, Professor of Experimental Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, said it was inevitable that there was going to be a surge in Covid cases as it is "difficult to stop transmission from a person who is not wearing a mask." "That is the harsh reality of it." More than 23,000 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded yesterday as the Health Service Executive's Chief Operations Officer Anne O'Connor said the HSE is "really struggling" due to the latest surge.

Prof Mills said the easing of restrictions including mask wearing being eased, combined with a more transmissible variant BA2 has led to a huge increase in Covid infections. "The fear factor has dissappeared and people have this feeling because we were told it was over, that we could get back to normal." He told RTÉ's Morning Ireland the problem is people are still being infected, and while it is not an issue for healthy people, it can be for older people and those with health conditions.

He raised concern that some people who are still Covid positive but who no longer have symptoms might be tempted to return to their usual activities. "If they still have the virus in their system, they can pass it on," he said.

Prof Mills does not think a re-introduction of public health measures will make much of a difference at this stage. "Sitting two metres apart from a person with Covid is not going to make one whit of difference because this virus is so transmissible that if you cough or sneeze in a room where there are other people not wearing masks, you will get an infection." He said it appears in most people this virus is upper respiratory but he added that it is resulting in serious illness for some who end up in hospital and in ICU.