ABC health guru Norman Swan advises Australians to wear MASKS at Christmas and to have lunch outdoors as new Covid wave strikes the country
Norman Swan has warned Australians to wear face masks this Christmas as the country enters its eighth wave of Covid.
The ABC health guru told The Project that a ‘Covid Christmas’ is about to begin and everyone should make sure they are up to date on vaccinations, avoid crowded spaces and mask up indoors.
“Stay outside, don’t go indoors in stuffy environments, wear masks to protect yourself, and if you have symptoms such as a runny nose or cough, stay away from your family members,” Dr Swan told project presenter Waleed Aly.
‘For those of you who haven’t had a jab in 2023; Really, another shot? I mean, you haven’t had a shot in a while [so] put on your big boy pants or your big girl pants and go out and buy some.
“This is not a mild virus and the death rates are going up again.”
Dr. Swan recommended people return to wearing masks in crowded places, avoid indoor spaces and avoid family if they have symptoms.
It is estimated that around five million Aussies are ‘under-immunised’ and at risk of falling ill as the festive season rolls around.
Dr. Swan told those who are yet to get their Covid jab in 2023 that they would be better off waiting for the next version of the jab which is due on December 11.
The new version of the vaccine is specifically designed to combat the most common version of the virus as emergency rooms struggle to keep up with cases.
She focuses on the new XBB variant that was first discovered in late December 2022 and has quickly become the dominant strain in the country.
Covid cases have increased in all states and territories, leading medical experts to declare it the ‘eighth wave’.
Vaccine fatigue has become a major problem as public sentiment is eager to leave the days of lockdowns and mask mandates behind, but emergency responders are still under strain.
As many as 35 percent of people admitted to hospitals are carriers of the virus, which can lead to deadly outbreaks in vulnerable communities.
New versions of the Covid vaccine will be made available to the public on December 11, which will specifically target the latest version of the virus
Infectious diseases doctor Professor Peter Collignon warned last week that the current wave will reach its peak within weeks.
“This wave has been going on for weeks and usually peaks around the six-week mark,” he told Ny Breaking Australia.
“By mid-December, we will likely see cases return to October’s numbers.”
Professor Brendan Crabb, CEO of the Burnet Institute, also told the ABC it was likely a few hundred thousand Australians currently had the virus.
The revelation comes just over a month after chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly announced the end of Covid emergency aid on October 20.
The virus is still considered a ‘serious threat’, but Professor Kelly admitted the new strains appeared to be ‘less serious’ than their predecessors.