Hospital overcrowding: Schools may have to close over flu, says GP

A former government minister and GP has said schools should consider remaining closed to prevent the outbreak of a flu epidemic.

Jim McDaid, a GP in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, said that the unseasonably warm weather was a possible factor for the enduring spread of flu.

He said an extension of the Christmas school holidays may prevent another explosion of the flu.

“We need a real long spell of a week’s cold, hard frost in order to change this,” said Dr McDaid, a Fianna Fáil TD from 1989 to 2010.

“As long as we have this type of weather, then this flu, adults and children, in particular, are going to be the main people who suffer as a result of this.

“I think that, after the Christmas break now, once they go back to school again for a week or two, I think the rate of absenteeism is going to go right up.

“You’d be far better off being proactive rather than reactive and saying maybe we should close it down at this stage or at least make some decision.”

Dr McDaid said the current rate of the flu is the worse he has encountered for more than 40 years.

The number of reported flu cases have doubled in the past week, according to the HSE.

People are being urged to stay away from hospitals if they have the flu as the trolley crisis pushes hospitals to breaking point.

Medical professionals warn that the influenza outbreak has yet to reach its peak.

Dr McDaid said that the flu vaccine is not the only solution and preventative measures must also be taken.

The HSE are advising GPs to continue giving out the vaccine to at-risk patients, while Dr McDaid advised pregnant women in particular to get the jab.

The current strain of flu could last well into the first months of 2017, according to Dr McDaid.