While some might have felt it ok to throw caution to the wind in recent weeks following the recent easing in restrictions, the latest figures presented this week show that there are still significant grounds to be cautious when it comes to contracting Covid 19.
As we head into the darkest nights of winter after a fairly mild autumn, the attraction of the bright lights, especially for a society cooped up for a year and half might be the catalyst that sees other increases in infection.
The latest data from HSE West confirms that give or take, there were about 115 new cases of Covid every day in Galway last week. In Mayo, the average was 49, while in Roscommon, there were just 16 cases per day.
The figures taken together have prompted the HSE and in particular, Dr Breda Smyth, Public Health Director, to express her belief that there is still a high rate of infection in the region. To what this is attributed to is hard to fathom, but it has to be connected to the major increases in socialisation that we have all enjoyed for the past while.
In Galway, a significant increase has been noted in the number of cases among five to 12 year olds and among 19 to 24 year olds. A notable increase has also been recorded in the volume of respiratory viruses in the community as well as cold and flu.
There is a belief that the rise in infection in children is caused, not by school settings, but by the increased activity of adults they come into contact with. The message being that adults can control this by controlling the amount of external interaction they have in their own lives.
Nationally, NEPHET’s Prof Philip Nolan said the epidemic continues to grow quite rapidly and that the high force of infection is creating risks into the future and that things could go in a number of different directions over the next six-eight weeks. He said the important thing is to reduce the risk as a population by strict adherence to the public health guidance when going about daily business and in the moderation of social contacts.
The repetition of the messages about social distancing and reducing socialisation irks the general public, but it has worked in the past and is still the most effective method of controlling infection. This time last year, we were looking forward to some sort of meaningful Christmas.
The carnage that followed that desire has educated us all about seeking something similar this year.
We have to look at our own behaviour in the coming days and weeks and months if we are to get avoid the horror of last winter and a repeat of the scenes in which small west of Ireland communities became hotbeds for the infection through major gatherings.
