Dr Ciara Steele blasted health bosses for not speaking out about flu spreading through the air
There has been a huge spike in flu cases (Image: Getty Images)
Flu can be spread through the air when an infected person talks, sings, coughs, sneezes or simply breathes, a leading GP has warned.
Dr Ciara Steele, who is a Donegal-based GP and the co-founder of Clean Air Advocacy Ireland, has also urged Irish health authorities to issue a public warning to that effect.
Dr. Steele said the virus can spread in places that lack good ventilation, such as classrooms, public transportation, bars, restaurants, shops, and healthcare settings.
The GP has also slammed health bosses in Ireland for not publicly warning flu can be spread through the air. She declared: “It’s time to grasp the nettle of airborne transmission.
“We need an evidence-informed public health response to reduce the airborne spread of flu and other respiratory illnesses such as Covid-19 and RSV.
“We cannot expect the general public, or institutions like schools and hospitals, to take the appropriate actions to reduce flu transmission if they are not being informed about how it is spreading, and it is mainly spreading through the air that we breathe indoors.”
Clean Air Advocacy Ireland is a community of parents, healthcare workers, teachers, students and individuals who care about improving indoor air quality to protect community health and to improve student and patient wellbeing in educational and healthcare settings.
It comes as fears are growing across Ireland that a so-called ‘super flu’ could potentially destroy Christmas for thousands of families.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has recorded 58 per cent increase in flu hospitalisations from 415 cases in the week beginning November 23, 2025 (Week 48) to 657 in the week beginning November 30, 2025 (Week 49).
Experts say the reason cases of flu are surging across Ireland is because of a rare strain that has not been encountered here for several years. The lack of spread over the last few years means there is less built-up immunity within communities around the country.