Brian Leddin (Limerick City, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Professor Nolan for that. I have three questions for Dr. Glynn, but perhaps he could also address the one about particular workplaces that might be vulnerable. I will go through the three questions and he can take them all together.

There is a particular risk of outbreaks in congregated settings such as schools and meat factories. As NPHET considers the broad use of low-sensitivity, low-cost, rapid, frequent antigen testing, does Dr. Glynn accept that frequency and rapidity of testing may be more important factors in outbreak detection than high sensitivity? Should blood plasma from recovered coronavirus patients be considered as a treatment for infected people who have been hospitalised? Third, the latest Government advice is that people should avoid using public transport where possible. According to the Garda, road fatalities have increased by 9% over the past year, and 27% of those who died were walking or cycling. Has NPHET weighed up the costs to society of more deaths through road collisions and increased air pollution, as more people are encouraged to drive, against the benefits of increased isolation?