Students asked to ‘consider not going home at weekends’ to save lives - Professor Ian Young

Chief Scientific advisor, Professor Ian Young this morning spoke out in relation to students who are sharing houses with 5 or 6 other students during the week - then travel home to their parents and grandparents at the weekend.

“There are different aspects to this, but I would ask students about whether they need to go home at weekends and if that is the best thing to do?

“They need to be especially careful with anyone older or vulnerable”.

Professor Young said at the moment the number of COVID cases is now “doubling every 10 days”.

Speaking on the Stephen Nolan Show he said: “If nothing is done I expect 5-600 cases a day”.

Professor Young added: “We do have more effective treatments know that have potential to reduce the risk of death by 1/3.

“But I expect many hundreds of deaths in the elderly population if nothing is done”.

He added that “we are very aware of challenges that come when we ask people to shield - mental health.

“I think it is important that people who were previously shielding need to be careful. I think that at the moment we need to give advice but allow people to make their own choices”.

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