A Donegal GP has warned that flu can be spread through the air when an infected person talks, sings, coughs, sneezes or simply breathes, and has urged Irish health authorities to issue a public warning as hospitalisations surge 58%
Hospitalisations due to flu have surged by 58%(Image: Getty Images)
A prominent GP has warned that flu can be transmitted through airborne particles when someone who is infected speaks, sings, coughs, sneezes or even just breathes.
Dr Ciara Steele, a Donegal-based doctor and co-founder of Clean Air Advocacy Ireland, has also called on Irish health officials to issue a public alert regarding this transmission method.
Dr Steele explained that the virus can circulate in poorly ventilated spaces, including classrooms, public transport, pubs, restaurants, retail outlets, and medical facilities.
The GP has also criticised Irish health leaders for failing to publicly acknowledge that flu spreads through airborne transmission. She said: “It’s time to grasp the nettle of airborne transmission, reports the Irish Mirror.
“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 represents a community of parents, healthcare professionals, educators, pupils and concerned individuals committed to enhancing indoor air quality to safeguard public health and boost wellbeing for students and patients in educational and medical environments.
This comes amid mounting concerns across Ireland that a so-called ‘super flu’ might potentially ruin Christmas for thousands of households. The Health Service Executive (HSE) has noted a 58 per cent surge in flu hospitalisations, from 415 cases in the week commencing November 23, 2025 (Week 48), to 657 in the week starting November 30, 2025 (Week 49).
Specialists attribute the rising flu cases across Ireland to a rare strain that hasn’t been seen here for several years. The limited spread over recent years means there’s less accumulated immunity within communities nationwide.
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