CoVid19 Part X - 1,564 cases ROI (9 deaths) 209 in NI (7 deaths) (25 March) *Read OP*

techdiver wrote: »

What is the solution? I do not know. How "technical" is the analysis of tests?
1. Can people from other disciplines be quickly retrained to perform this task?
2. From a screening point of view, I don't see a valid reason for the staff performing the swabs needing to be health professionals. To me, anyone could perform that task. This is an unprecedented time in our history and we cannot view this from the perspective of what we previously understood to be normal. With that in mind we need to approach this crisis with a different mindset. I'm sure this is what is/will happen hopefully.

1. No, only personnel qualified to work in clincial labs can process the tests.

2. Some helthcare professionals have their work suspended. Off the top of my head, staff that primarily worked in outpatient departments can be redeployed at testing centres to take the swabs.

You would think taking a swab is a simple task but it still has to be done correctly. 2 swabs are taken, 1 from the throat, 1 from the nose.
If you don't swab the correct area i.e right at the back of the throat and right up the nasal cavity then you won't get a good sample. The quality of the sample is so important.

This task cannot be just left to the public to do themselves as they may not take the swabs correctly. I say that because I see urine and feces specimens sent into the lab in every container you can imagine; 7up bottles, jam jars, pill bottles. Any specimen not taken correctly has to be rejected.

is_that_so wrote: »

Meanwhile in Sweden!

https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0324/1126094-coronavirus-sweden-restaurants/

'"We cannot allow the human desperation in Wuhan and Bergamo to be repeated in Sweden. That would be a gamble that violates society's most fundamental principle: that every person has an inherent value," the editor-in-chief of Sweden's biggest newspaper, Dagens Nyheter, wrote on Sunday'

um what?

Heres my first hand experience. My mother in law has tested positive following being admitted to hospital for existing issues. Unfortunately she has severe underlying conditions, cancer, needs oxygen at home normally, so prognosis is not good for her now unfortunately. Currently stable in hospital, but awful for family as they have no contact, and no idea when the virus should fully take hold etc...

Did her best to isolate, but lives in a house with husband, 2 adult children and all of their kids (house of 9 in total)

2 of the adult children (30s and 40s) along with her husband are sick, but all have different symptoms. They contacted HSE to organise tests, also via GP but they simply cannot get tested. This is despite being in a house where there was high risk patient. They have just more or less been told to lay low and see what happens pretty much.

Don't think the capacity is there to process the tests, one of the members of the household was tested last Monday (16th March) but no sign of results yet.

1800_Ladladlad wrote: »

Keep your MrPrice advice

What makes you think I wasn't minding own business It was an observation on peoples behaviours who live next to me or on my road, peoples houses in which I have to pass in order to go for a walk or go to get food. It's not that hard to comprehend. Their actions have an impact on the people that they have around them and to the greater public.

Like the many we have seen in the past few days, they are consciously ignoring government recommendations regarding social distancing etc and are not taking this situation seriously. I couldn't give a fiddlers fart what people do in their own homes as that's none of my business but when adults openly display irresponsible and selfish behaviour, when in
the time of a global pandemic that has the potential to impact the public and those who are vulnerable, through community transmission, it becomes my business! Talking about it on a public discussion forum and highlighting the utter disregard shown by adults towards public health, simply does not equate to being a "curtain-twitcher", its selfish and dangerous!!!

You're right - you should shout at them through your letterbox the next time they are passing

wakka12 wrote: »

'"We cannot allow the human desperation in Wuhan and Bergamo to be repeated in Sweden. That would be a gamble that violates society's most fundamental principle: that every person has an inherent value," the editor-in-chief of Sweden's biggest newspaper, Dagens Nyheter, wrote on Sunday'

um what?

The Swedes are just different! They do have a WHO bod advising them though.

https://twitter.com/farmersjournal/status/1242075118186180611

The simple calculator for how much toilet paper you need to survive the pandemic
https://howmuchtoiletpaper.com/

Rte News Now have a special on now

skimpydoo wrote: »

India has just gone into full lockdown. if 1.6 Billion people are being put in lockdown. Why cant the Irish Govt do the fuking same.

From my limited experience of rural India, I suspect that outside of the very few wealthy areas, their 'lockdown' will not be well adhered to/enforced.
I think that our own current procedures are realistically more limiting than their lockdown.

Martina1991 wrote: »

Is this the article you're referring to?
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/coronavirus-test-backlog-how-did-it-emerge-and-can-it-be-controlled-1.4210269

I don't see where is mentions only 33% of 4,500 tests awill be carried out. 33% of 4,500 is 1,350, and we're currently getting through ~2,000 a day as it is.

You said that the extra hospital labs are tied up processing internal testing. That means the plan is hospital labs will process Covid samples from patients that are in the hospital and its healthcare workers. Samples from the community will be sent to the NVRL.

The samples can also be frozen and stored if required to prevent sample degradation.

No, it wasn't. cf absence of any reference of 'to hospital labs' or 'sample degradation' in report you quoted.

skimpydoo wrote: »

India has just gone into full lockdown. if 1.6 Billion people are being put in lockdown. Why cant the Irish Govt do the fuking same?

Irish government would have no authority to put India into lockdown.

skimpydoo wrote: »

India has just gone into full lockdown. if 1.6 Billion people are being put in lockdown. Why cant the Irish Govt do the fuking same?

Can you not see the difference with population density with 1.6bn in India and Ireland.

Have you seen Indian trains as an example.

Really, why is everybody screaming for a lockdown?