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COVID-19

Coronavirus: Norway hospital advises against handshakes

Oslo University Hospital has advised against shaking hands as a precautionary measure to limit the spread of coronavirus infection.

Published: 6 March 2020 17:42 CET
Coronavirus: Norway hospital advises against handshakes
Bjørn Atle Bjørnbeth, CEO of the Oslo University Hospital, and Hilde Myhren, medical director at the Oslo University Hospital, at a press briefing on the coronavirus on March 3rd. Photo: AFP

Latest official figures from the Institute for Public Health (FHI) showed 30 new cases of coronavirus over a 24-hour period up to Thursday evening, bringing the country's total confirmed cases to 86.

National media in the country, such as broadcaster NRK, are placing the number of registered infections at around a hundred people at the time of writing.

Oslo University Hospital has urged staff and others at the hospital not to shake hands or hug others as a greeting.

“In these times, this is good advice for everyone,” Hilde Myhren, medical director at Oslo University Hospital, said in comments published on the hospital’s website.

“There are many ways to greet which are both polite and pleasant. A simple hello, a bow or a wave instead of a handshake is an important contribution in the fight against the coronavirus,” Myhren said.

Similar advice was given by Directorate of Health (Helsedirektoratet) professional director Svein Lie, but Lie noted that this is not yet the official advice of Norway’s health authorities.

In neighbouring Denmark, the Danish Health Authority has said its “clear advice” is not to shake hands, hug or kiss.

“Not shaking hands is what Oslo University Hospital is doing, and I think that is pretty good advice. No official advice has been issued, but I think it's good advice. That's as clearly as I can say it,” Lie said at a Friday press briefing reported by NRK.

According to the broadcaster’s reports on Friday, pupils at at least nine Norwegian schools, in addition to one kindergarten, have tested positive for coronavirus.

FHI has previously warned that there may be a large number of undetected cases of coronavirus because the disease only causes mild symptoms in most people.

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The coronavirus situation in Norway remains less serious than in other countries, but you can keep up to date with the latest news via this article, which also includes official guidelines on the everyday precautions you can take and what to do if you have travelled to outbreak areas or are concerned about symptoms. The article will be updated on an ongoing basis.

We are keeping the article paywall-free, which means it will remain open to new or occasional readers. An explanation of this decision can be found at the bottom of the article.

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COVID-19

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

Sweden's Public Health Agency is recommending that those above the age of 80 should receive two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn, as it shifts towards a longer-term strategy for the virus.

Published: 23 December 2022 10:53 CET
Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

In a new recommendation, the agency said that those living in elderly care centres, and those above the age of 80 should from March 1st receive two vaccinations a year, with a six month gap between doses. 

“Elderly people develop a somewhat worse immune defence after vaccination and immunity wanes faster than among young and healthy people,” the agency said. “That means that elderly people have a greater need of booster doses than younger ones. The Swedish Public Health Agency considers, based on the current knowledge, that it will be important even going into the future to have booster doses for the elderly and people in risk groups.” 

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People between the ages of 65 and 79 years old and young people with risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, poor kidney function or high blood pressure, are recommended to take one additional dose per year.

The new vaccination recommendation, which will start to apply from March 1st next year, is only for 2023, Johanna Rubin, the investigator in the agency’s vaccination programme unit, explained. 

She said too much was still unclear about how long protection from vaccination lasted to institute a permanent programme.

“This recommendation applies to 2023. There is not really an abundance of data on how long protection lasts after a booster dose, of course, but this is what we can say for now,” she told the TT newswire. 

It was likely, however, that elderly people would end up being given an annual dose to protect them from any new variants, as has long been the case with influenza.

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