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Understandable yet very depressing scenes in Spanish Arch tonight.
I'll try to address a few issues here, and dispel a few myths, without attributing blame to young people.
Some of the misinformation is getting out of control, so I hope some of this helps.
I'll try to address a few issues here, and dispel a few myths, without attributing blame to young people.
Some of the misinformation is getting out of control, so I hope some of this helps.
1. "They're outside, it's grand".
Wrong.
Outdoor transmission is lower than indoor transmission *assuming* behaviour like 2 meters is adhered to.
400 people wedged into Spanish Arch drinking, shouting, singing are absolutely in a behavioural high risk category.
Wrong.
Outdoor transmission is lower than indoor transmission *assuming* behaviour like 2 meters is adhered to.
400 people wedged into Spanish Arch drinking, shouting, singing are absolutely in a behavioural high risk category.
One of the ways in which outdoors makes us safer is the volume of air is huge, and the wind helps to disperse aerosol droplets.
Great, unless you're on top of each other roaring your head off.
A steady wind keeps the droplets higher off the ground, at head height, for longer.
Great, unless you're on top of each other roaring your head off.
A steady wind keeps the droplets higher off the ground, at head height, for longer.
The droplets from talking loudly, on a light breeze of 2.5mph, are carried 18 feet in 5 seconds but dispersed towards ground.
The wind in Galway tonight is 20mph, so the droplets stay higher off the ground.
Partly why so many clusters were traced to outdoor parties globally.
The wind in Galway tonight is 20mph, so the droplets stay higher off the ground.
Partly why so many clusters were traced to outdoor parties globally.
So outdoors being safer is only true if your behaviour is disciplined.
If you're singing and shouting in a group of hundreds, all getting wasted and falling over each other, in short proximity, you nullify that advantage of being outdoors.
Behaviour first, setting second.
If you're singing and shouting in a group of hundreds, all getting wasted and falling over each other, in short proximity, you nullify that advantage of being outdoors.
Behaviour first, setting second.
2. "Ah these gatherings and parties are not driving the spread".
Wrong. They are.
Both Spain and France's resurgence was driven by parties, that's not an opinion, it's the science-backed view of their Chief epidemiologists. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/spain-parties-seen-behind-new-surge-in-covid-19/1916740
Wrong. They are.
Both Spain and France's resurgence was driven by parties, that's not an opinion, it's the science-backed view of their Chief epidemiologists. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/spain-parties-seen-behind-new-surge-in-covid-19/1916740
They also partly drove the resurgence in Ireland, with a number of stark warnings from the CMO on large house party clusters in early-to-mid July.
Social gatherings in households continue to drive the spread today. https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/killarney-house-party-led-to-large-country-wide-covid-19-cluster-39368327.html
Social gatherings in households continue to drive the spread today. https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/killarney-house-party-led-to-large-country-wide-covid-19-cluster-39368327.html
3. "Irish young people are doing something wrong."
No.
Problem is not Irish.
Dozens of universities in UK, Canada, France, USA seen massive clusters.
Every last one one of them (100%) traced to copious amounts of alcohol. Students getting polluted. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/western-university-students-outbreak-1.5728015
No.
Problem is not Irish.
Dozens of universities in UK, Canada, France, USA seen massive clusters.
Every last one one of them (100%) traced to copious amounts of alcohol. Students getting polluted. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/western-university-students-outbreak-1.5728015
England - freshers parties galore: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/sep/21/students-locked-down-after-parties-at-uk-universities
Scotland - parties : https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-in-scotland-students-at-the-university-of-glasgow-told-to-stop-house-parties-amid-university-outbreaks-jcq0rv27h
France - parties: https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/virus-clusters-french-universities-give-europe-lesson
USA - parties: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/world/covid-19-coronavirus.html
Scotland - parties : https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-in-scotland-students-at-the-university-of-glasgow-told-to-stop-house-parties-amid-university-outbreaks-jcq0rv27h
France - parties: https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/virus-clusters-french-universities-give-europe-lesson
USA - parties: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/07/world/covid-19-coronavirus.html
The language of blame is not going to fix this and has no place in the conversation.
These are young people behaving in very normal ways - albeit in very abnormal times.
What they are doing is intrinsically what they should be doing at their age.
These are young people behaving in very normal ways - albeit in very abnormal times.
What they are doing is intrinsically what they should be doing at their age.
But it remains inescapable that the ramifications of university clusters in France are massive.
There's 285 clusters under investigation in an education setting yet ALL of the big super-spreading events are in French universities, not schools.
So it's a big concern for us here.
There's 285 clusters under investigation in an education setting yet ALL of the big super-spreading events are in French universities, not schools.
So it's a big concern for us here.
One issue with a university cluster in Freshers Week is you can't possibly name your close contacts, when people from different courses are getting hammered together.
That's if you can even remember it, as many wake up in ribbons, with very sketchy recollections.
That's if you can even remember it, as many wake up in ribbons, with very sketchy recollections.
The virus then has a head start on contact tracers, who haven't a prayer of tracking it all down anyway, and it's away and gone into 'community transmission'.
The solutions to this don't involve blame, but they do need to involve Guards and parents stepping in and stepping up.
The solutions to this don't involve blame, but they do need to involve Guards and parents stepping in and stepping up.
If you're the parent of a college student, the most realistic advice you can give them is to party in a smaller group of 10-15 people.
Avoid large crowds, indoors or outdoors, when a lot of alcohol is involved.
Guards need to be proactive and break these scenes up quicker.
Avoid large crowds, indoors or outdoors, when a lot of alcohol is involved.
Guards need to be proactive and break these scenes up quicker.
4. That brings me on to the last myth, that young people are somehow invulnerable.
The youngest person to die in Ireland was 17.
There is well over 1,000 dead under the age of 20 in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Mexico combined.
They are nowhere near bulletproof.
The youngest person to die in Ireland was 17.
There is well over 1,000 dead under the age of 20 in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Mexico combined.
They are nowhere near bulletproof.
We need to encourage, educate, support and uplift young people.
It's untenable for them to keep missing out on everything, they already missed their debs and graduation night out from secondary school.
They are allowed to have fun.
It's untenable for them to keep missing out on everything, they already missed their debs and graduation night out from secondary school.
They are allowed to have fun.
But that fun can't be hundreds of people in Spanish Arch in the space of 200 feet.
Not now, while 14-day infection levels are creeping to 100.0 per 100,000.
They are risking their own health, first and foremost, and none of us wants another young person to lose their life.
Not now, while 14-day infection levels are creeping to 100.0 per 100,000.
They are risking their own health, first and foremost, and none of us wants another young person to lose their life.
If this behaviour keeps getting repeated over the next fortnight, a young person could very well die in this country.
The individual probability of it is small but when infection is widespread, the virus has more chance to reach a younger person, who won't be able to beat it.
The individual probability of it is small but when infection is widespread, the virus has more chance to reach a younger person, who won't be able to beat it.
It is not worth getting seriously unwell for a party, nor is it worth your grandparent dying for one.
Besides, you will miss hundreds of parties if you're dead.
There will be so many epic parties, holidays and nightclubs ahead in future if you are alive.
Be sensible. Be safe.
Besides, you will miss hundreds of parties if you're dead.
There will be so many epic parties, holidays and nightclubs ahead in future if you are alive.
Be sensible. Be safe.
