HOUSE gatherings to watch the Euro 2020 championship is Scotland’s biggest risk in the coming weeks, an expert has warned.
Professor Linda Bauld warned fans against gathering inside to watch the championships, urging fans to take note of the “fragile” situation.
She told the Scotsman: “I am very concerned about the next four weeks.
“The main risk is more people from different households mixing indoors in enclosed spaces, that's the key thing.
“I can't emphasise enough that this virus is airborne. If you're standing in a room, even a little bit away from somebody else, with poor ventilation, and you've got one infected person in the room, if you're in there for a while having a few drinks etc, it's going to pass around the room just like second-hand smoke.”
Her comments come as the R number in Scotland – the average number of people someone with Covid passes the virus on to – rose again to between 1.2 and 1.4.
She told the paper that she is “pretty confident” that the easing of lockdown of June 28, in which the initial plan was to have all of Scotland move to Level 0, will not take place.
She added: “I don't think we're going to see another national lockdown quickly – or hopefully ever” but did tell the paper that Scotland may see a return to tougher local restrictions at some point.
“I think the next little while is a concern. The good weather will help, but I think we're at quite a fragile situation,” she said.
The health expert, who picked up an OBE during the recent Queen’s Birthday Honours, said those likely gathering indoors may be younger and therefore less likely to have had the vaccine.
“That means that they can develop the disease, and if many of them are infected then some of them may end up in hospital, which we don't want,” she said.
“Secondly they may develop long Covid, which is looking like it's around one in ten people, and that can have debilitating implications for their health going forward.
“Thirdly if they're carrying it and then moving around with other family members who have already had the vaccine, but are not 100%protected – remember we are seeing breakthrough cases in a small number of older people – then they're putting them at risk, although clearly far less risk than used to be the case in the past.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here