Testing Megathread Part 4 - See OP for threadbans

corcaigh07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118224933#Comment_118224933

Enfer and NVRL got paid for testing, didn't they? As well as the Germans of course.

corcaigh07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118225149#Comment_118225149

Thanks for the condescending lesson!

Just seeing if anyone has info or opinions on this matter. Were the contracts awarded in a fair manner? Does anyone in Cabinet or NPHET benefit directly or indirectly from those contracts?

faceman

Did you try googling OP?

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/d2821-how-to-get-a-digital-covid-certificate-after-a-negative-covid-test/

whippet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118225189#Comment_118225189

what contracts? There wasn't time to do a full on public tender process for something which was required in an emergency. I have lots of experience tendering for public contracts and the usual lead in time is from 6months to 12 months depending on the size.

I haven't heard of any issue with the contracts - the numbers / values are in the public domain. If you can point to any conflicts / corruption please do.

Peregrinus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118225189#Comment_118225189

Why are you especially concerned about these contracts? Do you think that the normal public procurement rules don't apply to them, or that there is some feature in these contracts which means that the normal public procurement rules won't operate to detect and prevent conflicts of interest like the ones you are concerned about?

I'm reading it in context of the last couple of years and it fits a pattern.

The notion of moving quickly without endless consultation and trying things seems to be an anathema to our medical community. We seem to end up with the most conservative outcome, implemented with extreme caution.

When the pandemic arrived they were slow to implement basic things like masking, and seemed to be pandering to some debate that was going on in the USA that wasn’t even an issue here. I don’t think anyone had a significant issue with masking in Ireland, yet there were stories of nurses who took initiative being sent home and all sorts of things.

We’ve had magical thinking about “schools are safe” when it made absolutely no logical sense whatsoever that they could possibly be safe. 30 kids in a room with poor ventilation, no vaccines and no masks. You don’t need to be a public health expert or be a doctor to know that does not add up and never did.

They kept wiping the tables and cleaning hands and spent tens of millions on surface cleaning mitigation measures for what has been known for months to be an primarily airborne virus.

Then when it comes to use of antigen tests, once again we saw the medical community going into some weird freeze mode and becoming more concerned about their comparatively lower accuracy and some notion that your average member of the public would probably stick the swab into their ear hole, or we’d all lose the run of ourselves using them as an excuse to go to the pub with covid symptoms.

We've done an excellent job on vaccines. That deserves credit and I think by and large the Irish public has been very sensible.

However, let’s not get carried away with some imagination that we’ve an outstanding public health response. It’s at best been slow and reactive when it should have been fast and proactive and all the problems with capacity and bad planning haven’t gone away. We’ve a historically under resourced system in many key areas that are relevant to this, and that has not changed.

The antigen testing seems to have been rolled out, under political pressure from the government, because we are so far out of step with the rest of Europe, the U.K. and other international peers on this and because of genuine public concern. The public have been using antigen tests for months at this stage, without any policy in place. It’s the medical hierarchy here that’s been moving at a snails pace.

I also think that because of the small, crazy element of extremely aggressive anti vaxxers / anti maskers online, a lot of sensible questions were not being asked because nobody wanted to be seen as undermining a public health messages in a massive crisis, and I think that goes beyond just media people. There’s been a lot of just donning the green jersey even if it had holes in it and was 4 sizes too small.

corcaigh07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118225910#Comment_118225910

Excellent post and not aggressively defensive as some of the others so far.

Sensible questions need to be asked as to why it has taken so so long for rapid testing to come on board. NPHET and Fianna Fail seem to be pushing PCR very hard in recent advice and tweets.

apache

No appointments to be had in Dublin. Got symptoms since yesterday so feel I should have a PCR test. Tried yesterday and today but no appointments available. Supposed to be back in work tomorrow after having a week off. Bad timing.

I wonder would my GP be able to get one sorted for me on Monday?

SourSessions

I've had symptoms since Monday. Can't get a test. Been doing antigen tests that have all been negative.

fits

Either phone your gps or try book a test after midnight.

odyssey06

I haven't been able to find good info online, but what's the false positive rate on antigen tests?

As in if someone tested posted on antigen - a professionally taken swab... is a PCR really needed?

Geuze

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118227973#Comment_118227973

https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/healthprotection/hse-covid-19-antigen-test-validation-report-june-2021.pdf

Supercell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118227820#Comment_118227820

~700 Tests available this morning in Dublin and Wicklow at 6:28

Supercell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118227973#Comment_118227973

Antigens are a bit like pregnancy tests, lots of false negatives but a positive usually means positive. Accuracy in the high 90's% range depending where you read.

fits

My husband had three positive antigen tests but two negative pcrs over the course of five days two weeks ago. GP told him to isolate anyway. No one else in the house had a positive antigen or pcr. But I think he must have had covid.

DubLad69

What is the situation with the covid tracker app after a positive test? Have text to say positive, and updated close contacts online. But no option anywhere to update people through the app

BanditLuke

The lack of test availability is a joke. Our company paid for private testing after an outbreak in work stemming from a Xmas party as no slots during the week.

josip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231039#Comment_118231039

So, a company pushes ahead with their Christmas party, with cases numbers across the country very high and an outbreak results.

Yet the bad guys here are the HSE who are getting through 30,000 tests per day?

SJFly

Does anyone know how long results are taking for the PCR tests these days? I'd imagine the labs are very busy and could be backlogs? Any recent experiences appreciated

bettyoleary

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231039#Comment_118231039

your a joke for going to party. Tests arnt for you to do what you like and then get a free test and a few days off.

Mimikyu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240688#Comment_118240688

Next day for me last week. Test on Monday morning, result text came through on Tuesday evening.

bettyoleary

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118232562#Comment_118232562

ignore him. As always ther are so many people who will use the situation to their advantage despite the pressure they are putting on the health care workers. They will get a bit brave for the nose swab so they can have the normal life and a few days off paid. You see them coming.😍

bettyoleary

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240771#Comment_118240771

they are usually the big ugly heads that ...t themselves during the test.

Martina1991

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240688#Comment_118240688

I don't think turnaround from swab to result is causing backlogs. It's the more or less the same as before despite increasing numbers.

The problem is the availability of swab appointments. But there are a certain number available for GP referrals on top of self referrals.

josip

Speaking of swab component shortages, but not directly related. In the RDS and Ballally, they gave us a 2 pack of masks in a plastic bag when we entered the buildings.

But in Wicklow the last time at the drive through, they handed me a box of 60 😐️ The 2 cars in front of me got boxes also.

fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240965#Comment_118240965

We’ve stopped accepting the boxes as have more than we need now.

fritzelly

Bought an antigen test last Friday after 9 days of a cold - was positive

Bought more today and the other half's was positive as well - impossible to get a PCR test and the nearest one is a long way for someone who doesn't drive, of course I could get on a bus and maybe infect everyone else...

How many more thousands of cases is there every day that just give up trying to get a PCR test

Is there any point even going for a PCR test bar you become part of the statistics

Mimikyu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118242556#Comment_118242556

Try at midnight or else give your GP a call (AFAIK any GP, including out of hours, can refer you if you can’t get in touch with your own GP).

If you get a PCR test done you can know for definite if you have it or not and save you self isolating if you don’t. You can also apply for a certificate of recovery if you are positive.

fritzelly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118242695#Comment_118242695

But none near me unless I walk an hour to the nearest one in D3 - really don't understand why there is none south city for people to go to

Anyway I thought a positive antigen test is pretty much 100% accurate

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118242724#Comment_118242724

I had to walk 20km round trip to get PCR a few weeks ago. No choice, required for work. And I was quite sick (but negative)! It's ridiculous. Hope you're all feeling better soon.