Lessons from a Covid

K.G.

What have we as an industry or as on a personal basis learned from covid 19 crsis.

893bet

That my life didn’t change that much due to “lockdown”.

yosemitesam1

That the government will think nothing of wiping out your entire business

_Brian

The transition to online sales happened quicker than I could have ever expected.

I hope this option remains long term even when round the ring sales return.

JeffKenna

While farming definitely has a part to play in reducing carbon emissions a lot of unnecessary travel was happening the world over that was often overlooked by the media.

foxy farmer

The most (maybe) intelligent organism on the planet is being held to ransom by an tiny invisible organism with no brain.
It has the potential to wipe out the human race. Never underestimate Mother Nature. We are at her mercy.
Some people can't function on their own. They have to be in company having the craic and getting pissed. Feck public health and all the regulations.
I cant stand wearing a mask.

_Brian

JeffKenna wrote: »

While farming definitely has a part to play in reducing carbon emissions a lot of unnecessary travel was happening the world over that was often overlooked by the media.

I miss moving about.
We would usually holiday in Europe for 2-3 weeks, often a week in Ireland and maybe 4-5 weekends aw well. We would hike, cycle or hire kayaks.

Dakota Dan

_Brian wrote: »

I miss moving about.
We would usually holiday in Europe for 2-3 weeks, often a week in Ireland and maybe 4-5 weekends aw well. We would hike, cycle or hire kayaks.

Nothing stopping you sure aren’t they letting every Tom Dick and Harry into the country.

endainoz

From a world point of view, it's a lesson that intensive factory type farming has the potential to cause serious pandemics that can grind the whole world to a halt.

From a local point of view, although I did miss out of my part time job due to the restrictions, it did change my perspective on the more important things in life and my hope is that people used this time to learn more about where their food comes from. I know a good few who have started to grow their own food in raised beds/polytunnels and keep hens or other livestock.

I have also seen a big increase in veg box schemes and meat being sold directly to consumers from the farm. Long may it continue.

There was enough of negativity with lockdowns, it's important to focus on the positives, and considering the sector most of us are in, we haven't actually done too badly.

Dakota Dan

endainoz wrote: »

From a world point of view, it's a lesson that intensive factory type farming has the potential to cause serious pandemics that can grind the whole world to a halt.

From a local point of view, although I did miss out of my part time job due to the restrictions, it did change my perspective on the more important things in life and my hope is that people used this time to learn more about where their food comes from. I know a good few who have started to grow their own food in raised beds/polytunnels and keep hens or other livestock.

I have also seen a big increase in veg box schemes and meat being sold directly to consumers from the farm. Long may it continue.

There was enough of negativity with lockdowns, it's important to focus on the positives, and considering the sector most of us are in, we haven't actually done too badly.

How is a wet market in Wuhan intensive farming?

_Brian

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Nothing stopping you sure aren’t they letting every Tom Dick and Harry into the country.

Obviously the first thing is the lockdown rules which I respect.

But understanding covid and how it works and spreads I know morally less unnecessary travel is the right thing for the moment. We have staff in hospitals sacrificing allot to care for patients, we have at risk groups isolating themselves at great personal loss of freedom. So I believe we all need to do not just what the government are advising but what we know helps stop the spread until more permanent measures are available.

We did holiday in Achill for a week when the advisory allowed, sher didn’t we use all their water up. We were very lucky to get it when we did.

_Brian

Dakota Dan wrote: »

How is a wet market in Wuhan intensive farming?

The wet market was the site of a super spreader event. But these “wild animals” sold there are mostly farmed animals bred of captured specimens. Farmed under no regulations often farmed with many species in poor conditions. It’s this constant close contact over periods of time that allow virus to mutate and jump species. .

It’s not really thought the virus mutates and jumped through species actually there in the market.

endainoz

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2020/sep/15/covid-farm-animals-and-pandemics-diseases-that-changed-the-world?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

The sad thing is that it will likely happen again.

NcdJd

foxy farmer wrote: »

The most (maybe) intelligent organism on the planet is being held to ransom by an tiny invisible organism with no brain.
It has the potential to wipe out the human race. Never underestimate Mother Nature. We at her mercy.
Some people can't function on their own. They have to be in company having the craic and getting pissed. Feck public health and all the regulations.
I cant stand wearing a mask.

That's it. .mother nature will always find a way of correcting itself. People can talk about humans destroying the planet but the way I see it we are only destroying ourselves. Life will adapt and go on with or without us. We are important only to ourselves.

On a personal note I don't think anything will change after this is over. It will just be treated as a once off and we'll all just trundle along like before.

_Brian

NcdJd wrote: »

That's it. .mother nature will always find a way of correcting itself. People can talk about humans destroying the planet but the way I see it we are only destroying ourselves. Life will adapt and go on with or without us. We are important only to ourselves.

On a personal note I don't think anything will change after this is over. It will just be treated as a once off and we'll all just trundle along like before.

Much will go on as before no doubt.

I bet when China report their next outbreak, the west will sit up and take note much quicker. Prior to this virus outbreaks were seen as an Asian problem, but it’s a human problem

Say my name

K.G. wrote: »

What have we as an industry or as on a personal basis learned from covid 19 crsis.

That government, information technology and social media now can control through a new phenomenon called 'Social License'.

That from the outset the public was being manipulated in this country against animal farming. Via meat factories getting the attention first when outbreaks in other factories received no media attention. That thanks be to God we have the Gaa that took the attention away.

893bet

foxy farmer wrote: »

The most (maybe) intelligent organism on the planet is being held to ransom by an tiny invisible organism with no brain.
It has the potential to wipe out the human race. Never underestimate Mother Nature. We at her mercy.

I think a little over stated.

We are held ransom by choice.

Wipe out the human race? Covid? It’s kill rate is miniscule.

I think most people here are underestimating the human race. Move and adapt.

Pandemics have changed since the last one 100 years ago. Improvements in healthcare etc limit transmission, better treatment, better detection etc. but then our current human nature regarding travel and mass gatherings increase its transmission.

bogman_bass

All the jobs you said you would do if you “had more time”? Nah you were never going to do them

Reggie.

bogman_bass wrote: »

All the jobs you said you would do if you “had more time”? Nah you were never going to do them

Got a few 2min jobs done today that I was putting off......

So proud of myself

_Brian

893bet wrote: »

I think a little over stated.

We are held ransom by choice.

Wipe out the human race? Covid? It’s kill rate is miniscule.

I think most people here are underestimating the human race. Move and adapt.

Pandemics have changed since the last one 100 years ago. Improvements in healthcare etc limit transmission, better treatment, better detection etc. but then our current human nature regarding travel and mass gatherings increase its transmission.

If this virus had the potential to kill like MERS amd the Covid19 ability to spread we would have been in serious trouble. Not an apocalypse but serious trouble.

With any of these virus emerging anywhere in the world it’s a roll of the dice, the more times we roll the closer we are to snake eyes coming up.

I think after this we will be better at reacting.

K.G.

Maybe business s might move away from the bare minimum stock and relying on just in time delivery.
Maybe those couple of days when people worried about food on shelves might mean that they and government might value food security a little higher .
Thing can change so quickly.
Maybe we realized how useless and one dimensional we have become skill wise.
Finally it has really bought home to me how anxious and vulnerable a high proportion of the population has become. There is very little self reliance out there.this really came home to me after one weekend when the contact tracing service crashed and the week after was filled with people complaining about it.gwiss you know who you had contact with, ring them yourself.not rocket science.

whelan2

Ah but you're not being paid to do the contact tracing, people dont do things for free anymore, even if they are going nothing at the time

kerryjack

Well the roundabout of life we are all on is still the same with lots of exits. Lost 2 young people, one family member late 50s cancer, one very good friend late 40s work accident and have a BIL fighting for his life just gone 50. He is a self made man would be considered very wealthy, nice lad worked savage hard ,would have the best of health insurance and he had to cue up like everyone else in A&E, private hospital wouldn't look at him. Yes they have put another exit on the roundabout the covid exit but I don't know anyone that has died from covid.

CloughCasey1

Lessons from covid
Try and be at home more often and spend time with the kids and boss lady. We are running around killing ourselves and missing out on what is the most important thing we have, our family.
Spend more time with parents and close relatives. (Socially distant of course)
Remember nobody outside that family bubble (bar your closest friends) really gives a fcuk about ya and when and if the **** hits the fan, they will be there for ya.
Ya don't know whats around the corner and no amount of money, land, cows, bullocks, heifers or shiny metal will matter when you're gone.
Your health is your wealth.
We only have one life. Its not a practise run. Step back a small bit and enjoy it. Dont let it pass you by worrying about stuff that's out of your control.
Also I've learned I am in a privileged position to be able to be go out and farm when so many people are stuck at home and confined between 4 walls.

Bog Man 1

Learnt that the Health Board made decisions that left up to a 1000 people die in nursing homes with very little support for the people looking after them . During the first outbreak less than 100 people died in ICU because most people that needed it where not let into ICU .
There have been no consequences for the Administrators that made these decisions . Hospitals wasted the summer not doing procedures and screenings which may have long term adverse consequences for a significant number of people .
Private Health insurance is very little use to you when the private operators sell their soul to the HSE
The HSE costs every man woman and child €4000 and if you take the millions of people who pay on average €2000 insurance . The health system is costing at least €10000 per household for very restricted access .
One of my relatives deals with a person who studies Morbidity for the insurance industry in Ireland and Britain . He found that after the initial surge of deaths that during the summer the death rate dropped to below normal . Many reasons for this but one of them because of less operations there were less deaths . Also lots of other reasons like less cars on the road and despite what was perceived 30% less alcohol consumption .
The Lockdowns has been very agenda driven . An example of this is not to allow the hunting season to commence because the lily livered liberals are anti blood sports. The only thing you will encounter in a field is trench foot not covid . Hairdressers should have been allowed stay open with restrictions . Peoples well being and self esteem are very important and it continues the anti women bias of the Leo Veradkar led Fine Gael . The reluctance to lock down Dublin in early September when Laois Offaly and Kildare were being scapegoated as Covid hotspots . I knew in September that Covid had got into the Nursing homes in Dublin but there was a critical delay in acting because Dublin was too big to touch .
. West Dublin, Donegal, Travelers and Romanians have more Covid and the rest of us and we are suffering lockdowns because of their behavior .
The teachers have done a great job in processing the Leaving Cert and opening the schools but their unions are up to their usual tactics .
There are a lot of things that we used to rely on that have disappeared or are gone because of Covid . Our third level institutions reliance on foreign students to fund the Colleges is finished for the foreseeable future . They should have been educating our own not going on Junkets to China .
Cheap flights because some businessman was paying €700 for a seat in the front six rows .
The bed blockers and the queues in A&E disappeared without hiring any extra nurses or hospital beds . The queues were a tool of the Medical Unions to get more power . Every A&E should have a Covid patient to shorten the Queues .

kerryjack

Hopefully we might get a referendum on the dying with dignity bill, nursing homes are full of stroke victims that are only waiting around for there big day. Most of them bed ridden and can't feed themselves, I have experience of this as my father was one of them poor souls, but he never set foot in a nursing home luckily for him he didn't last that long.

endainoz

kerryjack wrote: »

Hopefully we might get a referendum on the dying with dignity bill, nursing homes are full of stroke victims that are only waiting around for there big day. Most of them bed ridden and can't feed themselves, I have experience of this as my father was one of them poor souls, but he never set foot in a nursing home luckily for him he didn't last that long.

That's unfortunately something I'm quite familiar with myself Jack. I'd be all for a similar bill as well but I wouldn't be so sure of a referendum like that passing easily. We'll live in hope though, it's absolutely the right thing to do.

_Brian

endainoz wrote: »

That's unfortunately something I'm quite familiar with myself Jack. I'd be all for a similar bill as well but I wouldn't be so sure of a referendum like that passing easily. We'll live in hope though, it's absolutely the right thing to do.

It’s more when than if. Be a struggle though like the divorce or abortion struggle.

Mad_maxx

kerryjack wrote: »

Hopefully we might get a referendum on the dying with dignity bill, nursing homes are full of stroke victims that are only waiting around for there big day. Most of them bed ridden and can't feed themselves, I have experience of this as my father was one of them poor souls, but he never set foot in a nursing home luckily for him he didn't last that long.

i abstained from voting in the abortion referendum as there were too many unanswered questions for me but id without hesitation vote in support for euthenasia , they are not the same at all in my view , allowing someone to chose to die if they are terminally ill and suffering is an act of mercy and kindness

im a conservative myself ( though not religious ) but too many religious conservatives believe " suffering is good for the soul " , it isnt

_Brian

bogman_bass wrote: »

All the jobs you said you would do if you “had more time”? Nah you were never going to do them

This is quite accurate really.

I got loads done during the first lockdown. Not so much this time.

endainoz

_Brian wrote: »

This is quite accurate really.

I got loads done during the first lockdown. Not so much this time.

I'd be the same but I'd say it was the general optimism and good weather of the spring that helped things rather than the depressing weather and darkness we currently have!

alps

I know that without Covid, Trump would still be in power and Boris would be on his high horse right now..

endainoz

alps wrote: »

I know that without Covid, Trump would still be in power and Boris would be on his high horse right now..

That's an interesting point actually, he probably would have been re elected quite easily. Boris is probably on the way out too, but he'll just be replaced with another tory idiot.

paddysdream

What have I learned ?

That my life must be extremely boring as all these various lockdowns and restrictions have had minimal impact on my day to day life.

That travel (foreign) was very much a big part of people's lives as its attraction is totally lost on me.

That an awful lot of people on social media are borderline fruitcakes (if they actually are sincere in what they post).Not on this forum though.

That Ireland has become a nation of anxious ,can't tie my own shoelaces ,who will butter my bread people.

That some take a great deal of notice of whats trending on RTE and in the national newspapers (its the fault of ;rugby tourists,strawberry pickers ,pubs ,US tourists,Cheltenham,house parties,Larry Goodman etc etc with nary a mention of hospitals or nursing homes.

That the Health Service is a joke .Well kinda knew this already but suppose it just reaffirmed that belief.

That the definition of an expert as "one who brings his lunch in a briefcase" is truer than ever.

That the Civil Service mentality is so ingrained in our public sector that it trumps even Covid 19.

That hospital managers would rather any nurse etc displaying no obvious symptoms of Covid avoid testing at all costs as they are afraid if all health service personnel were tested entire hospitals would close due to staff"isolating"

That Irish tradition of adhering to the letter (and finding every excuse not to ) rather than the spirit of the law is alive and well.

That the Government really sees us as recalcitrant children who need a good telling off on a regular basis.

That the old adage of rising to your level of incompetence is proudly reinforced every time another covid press briefing is aired.

That its just not my bad luck in life but its indeed a fact that many doctors are as thick as sh1t. Know personally,went to school with and have dealt with a good number over the years and would trust my vet over the vast majority of them.

That I really, really, really wouldn't mind a pint tonight (not a drop since Friday night before Patrick's Day.)

And finally (thank you Covid for a year of lifelong learning crammed into a bare 9 months) that a remote Bord Bia inspection is a thing of beauty.

Oh and if lamb trade is anything to go by then roll on Covid 20 Covid 21 etc.

MickeyShtyles

_Brian wrote: »

This is quite accurate really.

I got loads done during the first lockdown. Not so much this time.

I had two weeks off and got sfa done. I had absolutely no want to do anything but still had a list as long as my arm to do.
I can’t begin to imagine what’d would have been like if I was in an apartment looking at four walls. :O

What have I learned?

Mostly that the rest of the world looking down on Irish people as a nation of alcoholics is justified.

Pre-covid I would have defended that, but not any more.

kerryjack

It's all right loueze we soon be as boring as the rest of Europe. What do you think bought millions of people to the southwest of Ireland every year, OK we have the scenery but we have the crack and to have the crack you need the pints flowing. We have **** whether in this country so sitting out with a glasine of wine is not an option so they come in to a public house and they try what the natives are having a big black pint of Guinness and they fuucking love it. So blame Mr Guinness for our drinking culture for making that stuff too fuccking good.

youllbemine

I’ve learned that I thrive off being around other people when working an office job. I find working from home extremely difficult. No motivation to get my work done. I also realised that what I really want to do is farm. Now to figure out how to turn a profit on 40 acres of rushes!!

Donegalforever

youllbemine wrote: »

I’ve learned that I thrive off being around other people when working an office job. I find working from home extremely difficult. No motivation to get my work done. I also realised that what I really want to do is farm. Now to figure out how to turn a profit on 40 acres of rushes!!

Think of the challenge of making farming profitable !