Ireland needs to crush not just flatten the curve by tightening restrictions to avoid essential workers becoming 'super spreaders'.
That's the warning from an infectious disease expert at UCC who says the wearing of masks should be made mandatory immediately, especially for essential employees and those working in any place visited by members of the public.
The National Public Health Emergency Team is due to discuss the use of face masks today, however Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has indicated any recommendation on the wearing of masks would be optional.
Speaking to RedFM News, Professor Gerry Killeen says the idea of flattening the curve is a bad idea.
"Even the most optimistic advocates of flattening the curve, they don't say a way out of this without a vaccine in less than ten years, and most people would estimate at least four.
"The most likely outcome would be that Covid becomes a permanent fixture in our public health landscape, and establishes itself as what we call an 'endemic pathogen', and that's really asking for trouble.
"I'm much more in favour of getting rid of this thing, and then we get back to something which is much more like our normal lives."
