By Vivienne Clarke
Kingston Mills, Professor of experimental immunology at Trinity College Dublin, has called for mandatory testing and isolation for anyone identified as a contact of a positive Covid-19 case.
Prof Mills said that the Government also needs to consider rapid testing methods using saliva. Such a test is already being used at airports in other countries, he said.
Saliva testing is quicker – it takes 30 minutes, is effective and “friendly” as it does not require the deep nasal swab, he explained.
The small cohort who do not ‘buy-in’ to restrictions will spread the virus and “are making it impossible for the rest of the country.”
Prof Mills pointed out recent cases where people who were identified as contacts did not self isolate because they were feeling well and then spread the virus to many others. The Government is going to have a plan for better testing and tracing than the current system.
“If it is taking four to five days to trace and isolate that is not going to stop the spread. People think they’re not a danger, but they are.”
If the Government does not have an exit plan for after the six weeks of the new lockdown then “we’re going to be back to where we are now,” he warned.
