Mask up or hospitals ‘may not cope’

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly has “strongly recommended” Australians wear masks when in crowded venues and consider working from home, but has stopped short of formally recommending mask mandates.

But, with the worst of the third Omicron wave of the year still to come, it can’t be ruled out.

“I’ve recommended that we need to look at ways of increasing mask use throughout the community, and we have left it there for others to consider the pros and cons of what and how to do that – that’s really a matter for others,” Professor Kelly told ABC Radio.

“Based on science, we know that masks to work to protect individuals and to decrease transmission to others, that masks should be used in indoor settings where there are other people around.

“That’s an important message I think for all leaders to consider their own actions and to see what we can do to influence others.

“Mandates are contentious, as we know. I’m not going to talk to mandates, but my advice is that mask use should increase.”

With around 5200 Covid-19 patients in hospital around the country at the moment, hospitalisations are on track to surpass the January record of 5300.

Royal Australian College of GPs Queensland chair Bruce Willett said there was a high possibility hospitals around the country would crumble under the pressure.

The best way to keep excess pressure off the system, he said, was to work from home if possible, and wear a mask.

“There’s a feeling of Covid complacency … And there’s a feeling it’s inevitable to get Covid. I’m not sure that’s true,” Dr Willett told NCA NewsWire.

“The risk is if we all get it at once, then the health facilities are very much at the risk of getting overwhelmed.

“The hospital system just may not cope if we don’t flatten the curve and get people treatment in a timely manner.”

Dr Willett said he was alarmed at the rate at which elective surgeries were again getting cancelled, and said all Australians had a role to play in easing the burden on the system.

“I think working from home is … something that people really should consider if they can,” he said.

“I think it’s time for us to come another and support one another and be there for one another.”

Infectious disease expert Dr Paul Griffin said by working from home, wearing masks again and getting up-to-date with vaccinations Australia could “get the upper hand” on the wave of virus.

“If we continue at this current trajectory, things will escalate,” Dr Griffin said.

“When the system gets overwhelmed, we struggle to provide the care for things outside of Covid and to be honest we’re getting to the point where we’re having to look to defer non urgent things … which creates a backlog that is very hard to catch up on.”

On Tuesday, Health Minister Mark Butler said the government was committed to doing “everything possible” to get Australia through the winter safely and healthily.

He conceded the government was concerned about the rate of hospitalisations, but lamented the number of ICU admissions was well down on the January rate.

“We’re all concerned about it – none more so than state health ministers who are responsible for the operation of their hospital systems,” he said.

“We’re staying in very close contact at all levels.”

Originally published as Hospitals across the country ‘may not cope’ as Covid-19 admissions surge