, thank _ you need them. 0k, professor irene petersen, thank you _ you need them. 0k, professor ireneu need them. 0k, professor irene petersen, thank you very much - petersen, thank you very much indeed. israel has approved a second covid vaccine booster shot for people with weakened immune systems, although a final decision on wider usage is still pending. meanwhile, covid rules are to be toughened up across a number of european countries. austria has revealed it plans to make vaccines mandatory for everyone over ia, with non—compliance punishable with a 3,000 euro fine every three months. germany has new restrictions on sports events and nightclubs while some countries have banned dancing and music. the restrictions come as more european countries have reported record numbers of infections and people are asked to be cautious ahead of new year celebrations. us health authorities have urged americans to avoid cruise travel — even if they're fully vaccinated — as 0micron infections continue to surge. with several cruise ships already at sea, the us centers for disease control and preve

and this is the view of professor irene petersen, an epidemiologist at university college london.nk this could get really bad. i think — i mean, you just said the numbers here were rising, we had a new record today, and we will probably see a new record in the next coming days, as well. omicron is a real sprinter, and it is getting pace right at the moment. earlier, the prime minister borisjohnson was asked whether the omicron wave meant people in the uk should be scaling back their plans for christmas. we don't want to make your choices for you about your social life. - we are not closing things. but what we are saying - is people should be cautious, and they should think about their activitiesl in the run—up to christmas. nobody wants to get omicron and be . unwell, and be forced to isolate. . the queen has cancelled her traditional pre—christmas lunch with her extended family. it would have brought up to 50 people together at windsor castle next week. buckingham palace said... here's our royal correspondent nicholas witchell. inevitably, of course, the queen will be wanting to

professor irene petersen, professor of epidemiology at ucl has. of people were contacted and asked to isolate when we had the football euro 2020. we in many areas saw plenty of people who were isolating. if they are going to do that again, if they are going to do that again, i don't think there will be many people out and about for christmas. in terms of whether seven days is the right period of time for someone to be taking daily lateral flow tests if they have been in contact with someone, without be about right? yes. ithink with someone, without be about right? yes. i think so. with someone, without be about right? yes. ithink so. we with someone, without be about right? yes. i think so. we know it takes a couple of days from when you were infected until you might become infectious yourself, so it is likely that if you are infected, you will be infectious yourself and the lateral flow test will be testing positive in a period of time. horse positive in a period of time. how effective are _ positive in a period of time. how effective are the _ p

i'm joined now by professor irene petersen from the university college london institute of epidemiologytions are, so, yes, the lateral flow tester does pick up people infected with omicron. so absolutely then, a infected with omicron. so absolutely then. a useful— infected with omicron. so absolutely then, a usefultool_ infected with omicron. so absolutely then, a usefultool in _ infected with omicron. so absolutely then, a useful tool in trying - infected with omicron. so absolutely then, a useful tool in trying to - then, a useful tool in trying to deal with the spread or contain the spread of the virus? yes. lateral flow tests _ spread of the virus? yes. lateral flow tests are _ spread of the virus? yes. lateral flow tests are not _ spread of the virus? yes. lateral flow tests are not as _ spread of the virus? jazz lateral flow tests are not as sensitive as pcr tests. one guest i spoke to earlier described them as a bit like triage for coronavirus, so at what point in the infection will lateral flow test show up? do you have to be almost at your most infectious point for the lateral