Covid expert advises those at risk to wear a face mask in public but most healthy people ‘should not get too worried’

As Covid numbers soar, an expert says the vulnerable should get booster shots and wear good quality face masks.

Soaring Covid numbers are likely to continue as South Australia faces a “double whammy” of waning immunity and highly transmissible mutations of the virus, an expert warns.

Professor of Biostatistics at UniSA Adrian Esterman urged vulnerable people – over 65, or with health issues such as diabetes – to wear good quality face masks at places like supermarkets and public transport, and ensure they have booster shots as vaccines may wear off after about six months.

“I’m 75 and I wear a mask in public,” he said.

“Often I am the only one.”

Prof Esterman noted that while official data shows case numbers rising from 862 in the week ending October 20 to 2483 in the week ending November 10, the lack of testing and reporting made it difficult to gain a true picture of cases.

“We are right in the middle of a wave and it is still going up, but people are not testing so it is pretty much impossible to do modelling,” he said.

“But there has been an exponential increase in numbers and the curve is going up steeply.

“We have a double whammy of waning immunity and highly transmissible subvariants now in Australia.”

Prof Esterman noted most healthy people “should not get too worried” as they will not get very sick if they catch Covid.

However, he stressed that vulnerable people should get their booster shots, saying less than half of people aged over 65 were up to date.

“The main reasons to get a booster if you are not in the at risk category would be to prevent long Covid, and also if you have aged parents that you do not want to put at risk,” he said.

Prof Esterman noted the Therapeutic Goods Administration had approved a new vaccine but it was not yet available in Australia.

Professor Adrian Esterman said official data showed case numbers had risen sharply, but the lack of testing and reporting made it difficult to gain a true picture. Picture: UniSA

It may become available by Christmas but Prof Esterman suggested at risk people who need a booster should not wait.

“Grab any vaccine you can,” he advised.

“And with Christmas coming, if you are sick, stay at home, and if you are in an at risk group wear a P2 or N95 face mask in public.

“The waves are not as bad as they used to be but if you are in an at risk group you need to be protected.”

The Lyell McEwin Hospital and Modbury Hospital have reintroduced mandatory face masks but SA Health officials say it is up to individual hospitals to decide on such a policy.

Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said older and immunocompromised people should seek health advice about booster shots, revealing that only 50 per cent of age care residents across Australia have taken a second booster per public health advice.