Irish Health Expert Warns Of “Inevitable” Dominance of UK Covid Strain

ONE OF IRELAND’S leading health experts has warned that the dominance of the UK Covid strain is “inevitable” in the Republic and elsewhere.

Dr Cillian De Gascun, director of Ireland’s National Virus Reference Laboratory, has warned that the UK strain of the Coronavirus is “inevitable” to become the dominant cause of infections in the near future in Ireland and other nations.

He stressed that the UK strain has a higher risk of contagion and adaptability than the more common virus, and urged the Irish public to maintain social distancing as the country increases its mass vaccination rollout.

Following a catastrophic surge in cases over Christmas that saw Ireland suffer the world’s worst third wave outbreak, the country has been returned to a Stage 5 lockdown. Virtually everything in the Republic is now closed except essential businesses and, controversially, schools.

However, the chief executive of the HSE Paul Reid said that the country’s vaccine rollout is “going extremely well so far”. Three centres have been set up in the capital Dublin, the west coast city of Galway, and the Midlands hub of Portlaoise with ten booths each administering between 40 and 60 jabs an hour.

Over 77,000 people have now been vaccinated, including 1800 GPs and nurses. However, with the presence of both the UK and South African strains of the virus within Ireland, it is likely to be sometime before the small country recovers from its massive health crisis.

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