PLEASE READ
- Mar 13,2020
Dublin LGFA are passing on this sound advice from Dr Dylan Murray to all our members it is especially aimed at those in the teenage bracket.
Dylan is a doctor working in Temple Street & Mater hospitals and is a LGFA football coach with Clontarf GAA club.
“You all know something of what is going on but there is much more that you need to be aware of. The Corona bug is spreading fast but you guys (teenagers) are safe. Some of you may get the infection - but you won’t even realise you have it and that is the problem!
You see, this virus is not very strong but it gets around very quickly. Strong fit healthy young people are going to be fine even if you do get it, however, what Im going to tell you, is what you need to do for your grannies, grandads, your sick relatives and family members and finally for me and all my mates in the Mater and Temple street.
One of the biggest problems we are going to have is that doctors, nurses and other health care professionals are going to get infected (3 of my friends already have it).
We won’t be very sick and we will be fine in the end, but if too many of us get sick then we won’t be able to take care of the people who really need us (like your grannies and grandads etc).
So what can you do?
Well, yesterday the government announced that schools are to close, there is a simple reason for this and it is called social distancing (staying 1.5 to 2 meters apart). This virus cannot ‘jump’ from one person to the other. If we stay far enough away from each other it can’t spread.
If it doesn’t spread , it dies out very quickly and the epidemic eventually disappears. It is estimated that one person, not realising they are infected will pass it on to three people.
If too many people get sick together and need to go to hospital then we don’t have the doctors,nurses and equipment to take care of them.
If however the same number of people get sick but over a much longer period of time then there will be plenty of opportunity to treat everybody and fewer people will die.
Here is where this gets difficult for you guys. “Social distancing” is going to be very difficult for most teenagers.
It is important that you all understand that social distancing needs to be practiced continuously. There is no point being let off school if you are going to congregate and gather in gyms, peoples houses, sleep overs and have parties.
I have spent the last three weeks doing the Wuhan toe tap with my patients and it’s been great fun. We can no longer shake hands or hug when we greet or see each other.
One big advantage of your generation is that you have social media! So you can keep in touch with each other and know exactly what’s going on. But be careful, that you don’t get ‘fake’ information during this crisis.
Some of you will be sitting exams and I know this is very worrying but your teachers, and parents will do their best to help you during this time.
For those of you were not sitting exams (and don’t have baby brothers and sisters) I have another favour to ask– if you know any nurses, doctors or healthcare workers who have young children and might need help with babysitting call around and offer your services, so that their parents can come to hospital to help the sick.
I thank you for taking the time to read this.
Stay safe – and remember if you are sufficiently worried then there’s nothing to worry about BUT if you’re not worried at all then there is everything to worry about”.....
Go to the HSE website for all the latest info on COVID-19