Covid spike: 'We should be increasing the wearing of masks at the moment'
People wearing face masks as a precaution wait for a doctor appointment inside a hospital in Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
The HSE’s national clinical lead in emergency medicine, Dr Gerry McCarthy, has said there should be increased mask-wearing to curb the rise in covid cases.
There has been a sharp increase in people sick with flu and covid-19 in the first week of January within emergency departments across the country.
The rising numbers of patients are putting pressure on available bed spaces, with the number of patients on trolleys rising in recent days.
When asked on if mask-wearing should be mandatory, Dr McCarthy said: “Would I like to see mandatory mask-wearing? I think, personally, yeah. I think we should be increasing the wearing of masks at the moment.”
Dr McCarthy said there had been a steady increase in covid cases, an increase of 77 percent week on week from last week, with a 92 percent increase in flu cases. But, the peak had not yet been reached, he warned.
“My understanding from my public health colleagues and others who do these projections is we haven't quite hit the peak yet, but it will come in the next week or two.
"If a person comes to a hospital with any suggestion of respiratory illness and they're not already wearing a mask, they will certainly be provided with one and all staff dealing with them will be masked up," he said.
Face masks are now mandatory in Spanish hospitals and healthcare centres after a surge in respiratory illnesses, including popular tourist destinations such as the Canary Islands.
Meanwhile, Dr McCarthy said there was increased pressure on emergency departments during a cold snap as people suffered breaks and bruises from falls.
“The big message I want to get across today is a statement of the obvious, which is that ice is slippy and on an icy morning, you should consider breaking that routine rather than breaking something else that will disturb your routine for much longer as you're hopping around on crutches or you lose the use your arm for a few weeks.
