Outdated infection guidelines ‘need to be replaced’

THE GOVERNMENT’S Covid-19 UK-wide infection control guidelines for protecting patients and NHS staff are “flawed and need replacing”, a new report claims.

A Royal College of Nursingcommissioned report challenged the evidence behind the guidelines for personal protective equipment (PPE) and suggested the review behind them failed to meet World Health Organisation (WHO) standards.

Report authors Professor Dinah Gould, an honorary professor of nursing, and Dr Edward Purssell, both of London’s City University, said the guidance “failed to consider airborne infection” as a key way the virus is transmitted, instead focusing on spreading through touch.

The authors say: “UK IPC (infection prevention and control) guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in health care settings and the rapid reviews of the literature on which it was based still identify droplet spread and hands as the major route, based on early advice from the World Health Organisation.

“Updated evidence indicates that aerosol spread is much more significant and the original advice from the WHO has been superseded. The UK guidelines are still based on this outdated evidence, however. They urgently need thorough revision and replacing.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “The safety of our NHS and social care staff has always been our top priority and we continue to work tirelessly to deliver PPE to protect those on the frontline.” He said PPE recommendations were updated in January by experts

THE ONE-OFF BBC show was arranged after the annual Commonwealth Day event at Westminster Abbey was cancelled due to the pandemic.

A year ago the service was the scene of Harry and Meghan’s final official engagement as senior Royals before they quit the working monarchy.

They had been hailed as the new stars of the Commonwealth after pledging to work with the association throughout their lives.

Within weeks they relocated from Canada to California, where they have made a permanent home.

In the programme, the Prince of Wales was featured standing alone in the Abbey, where they were last seen publicly together, as he delivered a speech.

Charles said the pandemic had affected every country “cruelly robbing countless people of their lives and livelihoods”, but praised how people responded with “extraordinary determination, courage and creativity”.