Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Changes we should make after C-19

  • 14-02-2021 11:57pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 12,941 ✭✭✭✭


    When we get back to "normal" and we have our freedom back, what changes would you like to see in society?
    What has this pandemic taught us is our weak spots in society?

    For me, I'd love to see access to hospitals overhauled.
    They're a melting pot of every illness and disease so it seems only logical that we should try and contain illness within the hospital.
    *I'd love to see all outpatients continue to wear masks while attending appointments/clinics.
    *I'd love to see visitors to patients curtailed to an absolute minimum eg- I think there should be absolutely no visiting to a maternity ward only the father/another adult if a single parent. Most mothers are discharged within 24 hours anyway so I don't see the need for grannys/friends etc to have to meet the new baby in hospital.
    If a mother is kept in for a few days, then the baby's siblings could be allowed in but not a cavalcade carrying balloons and flowers!
    I also think visiting regular wards should be restricted too.
    Give patients a number (say 2) to nominate to visit and noone only those 2 people can come into the hospital.
    If a patient is admitted for only 1 or 2 nights, again I don't see the need for visitors unless the patient is vulnerable or needs clothing etc.
    *In-patients should be discouraged from visiting other wards and should stay within their own ward/allocated bathroom, only if they wish to go outside for air, in which case they should put on a mask while using the stairs or elevator.

    I think such measures would go a long way to keep germs out of an already high risk environment.

    So, what changes in society would you like to see implemented?

    To thine own self be true



«1

Comments

  • Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,599 Mod ✭✭✭✭CIARAN_BOYLE


    That's an interesting thought process. You raise good points in some areas but go way too far in others.

    I do agree that many outpatients and A&E patients should be masked.

    I do not agree with restriction visitors to the level you are suggesting. I do agree that patients shouldn't be visiting other wards while in hospital. I would certainly support visitors in general being masked.

    I remember when my mother was in hospital for a mastectomy. Someone on her ward had her operation cancelled because of an infection. My mother (post op) would have been very vulnerable to infection. The patient whose operation was cancelled stayed on the ward. Surely she should have been transferred to another ward.

    Many years ago I was in hospital with a very bad knee injury. I received antibiotics by iv in case I had an infection. They weren't sure but didn't want to postpone knee surgery. I had a fever but they weren't sure if that was from general pain or an infection. I would assume they wouldn't need to go with antibiotics if infection control was a bit better.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,941 ✭✭✭✭Purple Mountain


    Your post reminds me, and I'm really ashamed to admit this- I caught a very bad vomiting bug while visiting a friend in a maternity ward.
    Walking into the hospital, there were notices saying there was an outbreak of the vomiting bug but being 20, I arrogantly thought this doesn't apply to me.
    A day later, I had the worst bug I've ever had (probably norovirus) where I had to crawl on my knees to the toilet bowl to be sick.
    I didn't need to visit her, I should have just waited until they came home and went to their house.

    To thine own self be true



  • Registered Users Posts: 25,594 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    That's an interesting thought process. You raise good points in some areas but go way too far in others.

    I do agree that many outpatients and A&E patients should be masked.

    I do not agree with restriction visitors to the level you are suggesting. I do agree that patients shouldn't be visiting other wards while in hospital. I would certainly support visitors in general being masked.

    I remember when my mother was in hospital for a mastectomy. Someone on her ward had her operation cancelled because of an infection. My mother (post op) would have been very vulnerable to infection. The patient whose operation was cancelled stayed on the ward. Surely she should have been transferred to another ward.

    Many years ago I was in hospital with a very bad knee injury. I received antibiotics by iv in case I had an infection. They weren't sure but didn't want to postpone knee surgery. I had a fever but they weren't sure if that was from general pain or an infection. I would assume they wouldn't need to go with antibiotics if infection control was a bit better.

    You are assuming that most infections are spread person to person via exhaled air. Plenty arrive in different ways, eg I've had a serious knee infection because a bacterial from the soil got into a tiny cut on my foot.

    Masks are useful in reducing spread for certain diseases, but they raises issues of their own, in terms of people having bacterial laden material externally on their faces.

    Personally I think that shared wards should be abolished: every patient should have their own room and toilet, with actual walls around it not just silly curtains. I hated being in hospital and hearing the full medical history of the other women in the ward. Every room should have controlled access, so that every Tom, Dick and Harry cannot just wander in to a sick person's room.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Absolutely nothing because I long for everything to return to as it was. That's the my emotional self. My rational self would like to see choice given to those who work in an office environments to do so from home. Also masks in hospital settings can only be a good thing.

    Fùcking "social distancing" though. If I never hear the term again it will be too soon.


  • Registered Users Posts: 695 ✭✭✭DaSilva


    I hope that following this crisis there will be a boom in biotech as governments seek to be better equipped for a future pandemics. Its probably a purely sci-fi idea but I'm hoping we get to a point where we can detect infection in people without having to take samples from them. I remember after the original sars outbreak it was common to see thermal cameras in use at airports, if we get to a stage where we realise there is something visible (maybe not to a human eye, but to a computer) then we might be able to get a handle on these things. The speed of development of the vaccine is amazing, but it will always be limited by having to run the necessary trials, but if we can quickly identify sick people even in crowds in real time, we might be able to shut these things down quick enough to not even need vaccines. Anyway... back to the lab... :pac:


  • Advertisement
  • Posts: 14,344 ✭✭✭✭[Deleted User]


    It doesn't affect me, but I reckon the Leaving Cert should be scrapped in favour of a newly implemented continuous assessment style of grading.


    A change should be made to A+E. What exactly that change is, I'm not sure, but I have been in A+E more than once, and it's always full of knackers that abuse everyone and end up leaving before being seen because there's nothing wrong with them in the first place. Either that, or people in who got hurt being idiots and caused self-inflicted injuries (like the muppets I seen come in one time, one with an arm covered in blood because they were drunk and racing each other in shopping trolleys. Spent the whole time there talking about what great craic it was).

    A+E is abused beyond belief. But Covid (and pubs being closed?) seems to have quietened it down a good bit. Lately it seems (from what I hear) people are going to A+E because they actually need to be in A+E and not just because they want to post it on Facebook to look for sympathy/attention.


    I think it'd be a good idea to look at reforming Social Welfare into the Universal Basic Income style of welfare, instead of the current system, too. Although no one in government has mentioned this, so I don't see it happening.

    A ramping-up of the speed in which the National Broadband Plan is being carried out should be looked at, too, to encourage work from home (although, if I'm honest, I don't see work from home being a thing in the future at all - just wishful thinking from many corners).


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,567 ✭✭✭Risteard81


    There should be no stupid masks for patients. Catch a grip of yourselves.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,629 ✭✭✭The J Stands for Jay


    (although, if I'm honest, I don't see work from home being a thing in the future at all - just wishful thinking from many corners).

    My employer is embracing WFH. They're already looking for a new, smaller office as they expect everyone will only be on the office about 2 days a week when this is all over.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,023 ✭✭✭Gruffalux


    I was thinking back to life before this dystopia and a day or so before the first lockdown I was in the queue for a till at a Spar shop. The older woman in front of me hacked and spluttered wetly into her hand then rummaged in her purse with the same hand to produce coins and notes which she counted into the hand of the girl at the till. So could we still regard that as completely disgusting after this is over, please, and keep putting wrappers on baked goods and breads forever? Thanks.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,328 ✭✭✭Banana Republic 1


    When we get back to "normal" and we have our freedom back, what changes would you like to see in society?
    What has this pandemic taught us is our weak spots in society?

    For me, I'd love to see access to hospitals overhauled.
    They're a melting pot of every illness and disease so it seems only logical that we should try and contain illness within the hospital.
    *I'd love to see all outpatients continue to wear masks while attending appointments/clinics.
    *I'd love to see visitors to patients curtailed to an absolute minimum eg- I think there should be absolutely no visiting to a maternity ward only the father/another adult if a single parent. Most mothers are discharged within 24 hours anyway so I don't see the need for grannys/friends etc to have to meet the new baby in hospital.
    If a mother is kept in for a few days, then the baby's siblings could be allowed in but not a cavalcade carrying balloons and flowers!
    I also think visiting regular wards should be restricted too.
    Give patients a number (say 2) to nominate to visit and noone only those 2 people can come into the hospital.
    If a patient is admitted for only 1 or 2 nights, again I don't see the need for visitors unless the patient is vulnerable or needs clothing etc.
    *In-patients should be discouraged from visiting other wards and should stay within their own ward/allocated bathroom, only if they wish to go outside for air, in which case they should put on a mask while using the stairs or elevator.

    I think such measures would go a long way to keep germs out of an already high risk environment.

    So, what changes in society would you like to see implemented?

    Tackle vested interest and lobby groups.


  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 47,998 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    The national broadband plans plan should be scrapped. If you want to live in down the end of a boreen miles from anywhere, that's on you. We should not be subsiding the filing up of the countryside with yet more one off houses.


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,703 ✭✭✭✭Wanderer78


    The national broadband plans plan should be scrapped. If you want to live in down the end of a boreen miles from anywhere, that's on you. We should not be subsiding the filing up of the countryside with yet more one off houses.

    Or better still, make sure the infrastructure is state owned at the end of the process


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,328 ✭✭✭Banana Republic 1


    The national broadband plans plan should be scrapped. If you want to live in down the end of a boreen miles from anywhere, that's on you. We should not be subsiding the filing up of the countryside with yet more one off houses.

    We should not be subsidising city slickers fresh drinking water.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,023 ✭✭✭Gruffalux


    We should not be subsidising city slickers fresh drinking water.

    Burn :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,629 ✭✭✭The J Stands for Jay


    We should not be subsidising city slickers fresh drinking water.

    We should not be allowing the sons and daughters of culchies to abandon their water infrastructure and move to the cities.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,941 ✭✭✭✭Purple Mountain


    The national broadband plans plan should be scrapped. If you want to live in down the end of a boreen miles from anywhere, that's on you. We should not be subsiding the filing up of the countryside with yet more one off houses.

    Just have us all euthenised.

    To thine own self be true



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,629 ✭✭✭The J Stands for Jay


    McGaggs wrote: »
    We should not be allowing the sons and daughters of culchies to abandon their water infrastructure and move to the cities.

    I'll correct myself, they should be allowed only if they bring water pipelines with them.


  • Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    I want no particular changes enforced once this virus blows over.
    I do hope though that Europeans, like Asians, volunteer to wear a mask when they feel poorly, as to not pass it on to others.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,434 ✭✭✭✭For Forks Sake


    Have Joe Duffy fired out a cannon into the Atlantic


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,045 ✭✭✭witchgirl26


    When we get back to "normal" and we have our freedom back, what changes would you like to see in society?
    What has this pandemic taught us is our weak spots in society?

    Quite honestly I'd like if people kept a bit of a distance in shops. I don't mean staying the full 2 metres away but it has been nice shopping without people crowding in on top of you. Bit of a respect for personal space.

    Also I'd really like to see some of the community spirit of helping to look out for older or more vulnerable members in the community that I've seen in a few places.
    For me, I'd love to see access to hospitals overhauled.
    They're a melting pot of every illness and disease so it seems only logical that we should try and contain illness within the hospital.
    *I'd love to see all outpatients continue to wear masks while attending appointments/clinics.
    *I'd love to see visitors to patients curtailed to an absolute minimum eg- I think there should be absolutely no visiting to a maternity ward only the father/another adult if a single parent. Most mothers are discharged within 24 hours anyway so I don't see the need for grannys/friends etc to have to meet the new baby in hospital.
    If a mother is kept in for a few days, then the baby's siblings could be allowed in but not a cavalcade carrying balloons and flowers!
    I also think visiting regular wards should be restricted too.
    Give patients a number (say 2) to nominate to visit and noone only those 2 people can come into the hospital.
    If a patient is admitted for only 1 or 2 nights, again I don't see the need for visitors unless the patient is vulnerable or needs clothing etc.
    *In-patients should be discouraged from visiting other wards and should stay within their own ward/allocated bathroom, only if they wish to go outside for air, in which case they should put on a mask while using the stairs or elevator.

    Ah I think you're going a bit far on the visitor restrictions. In terms of maternity - I was one of those mothers who left after 24 hours (I could have stayed in but got the community care instead). However I have to say, seeing my mam, my sister & a couple of others (other than my other half) the evening I was in there was a flipping godsend. I was a first time mum who was a bit overwhelmed & in a room full of people I didn't know. That support for a couple of hours before my first ever night with a baby kept me going.

    In terms of other hospitals & visiting - most I know operate a 2 at a time maximum anyway but having 2 only & only those isn't exactly good for patients or families. My mam was in hospital for a couple of weeks the year before last. She has 3 children in Ireland - which one of us should not have been allowed visit under your proposed rules? We usually only went in 1 at a time due to our different schedules but we all brought her in things that she needed or even just were there for a chat.

    I would have thought one thing this pandemic has thought us all is that while video & phone chats are great - nothing can best actual person to person contact.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,029 ✭✭✭um7y1h83ge06nx


    I think there is a great opportunity for people to make positive changes, even it is just on a personal level.

    My wife and I were saying recently that it was gas that we used to, on the occasional weekend, spend about 25 minutes each way driving to our nearest big shopping centre to aimlessly wander around for a few hours, with no specific items on our shopping list. Now it would be nice to do that again for a novelty but it made us think about how we spend our free time.

    I hope we all appreciate friends and family a bit more and not take them for granted.

    As someone else said better etiquette around coughing, better handwashing and other hygiene routines could help us reduce various colds and other minor illnesses.

    My 3 year really got into gardening last year as my wife used planting seeds etc. as a form of entertainment for the toddler when she was on maternity leave with our second. In normal times they would have spent far more time out shopping and visiting people.

    That said I really do long for a holiday away where I can sit in a pub having a few quiet pints while reading a magazine or book and watch the world go by.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,469 ✭✭✭ShyMets


    Keep the Pubs closed:)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,709 ✭✭✭c68zapdsm5i1ru


    More focus on family and community and less on crazy commutes and ever lengthening working hours

    WFH easing pressure on housing in towns and cities and bringing life back into rural communities.

    More awareness of hygiene including not sneezing and coughing over people.


  • Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    The national broadband plans plan should be scrapped. If you want to live in down the end of a boreen miles from anywhere, that's on you. We should not be subsiding the filing up of the countryside with yet more one off houses.

    Interesting. But what about those already living in remote areas all their lives? Part of farming communities etc.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 299 ✭✭DessieJames


    Disband NPHET should be number one


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 299 ✭✭DessieJames


    ShyMets wrote: »
    Keep the Pubs closed:)

    ffs :rolleyes:


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,434 ✭✭✭✭For Forks Sake


    ShyMets wrote: »
    Keep the Pubs closed:)

    giphy.gif


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,236 ✭✭✭Sanjuro


    McGaggs wrote: »
    My employer is embracing WFH. They're already looking for a new, smaller office as they expect everyone will only be on the office about 2 days a week when this is all over.

    Same. Our return to office plan is entirely based on a hybrid system, and since the stress on the IT system is reduced, they're looking at taking on more projects. I've a lot of issues with the company I work for, but I have to say, how they've handled WFH, and the staff, my respect for them has grown a lot.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 40,061 ✭✭✭✭Harry Palmr


    There is no question the public hospitals need radical overhaul but there's no chance the vested interests at so dug in. Treating them as a hostel for ner-do-wells is unacceptable.

    They should be for the sick and 1 visitor. No one else bar immediate likelihood of death.

    Public health has been massively exposed by Covid, our habits are appalling as we wipe snotty noses on our hands and then handle money, press buttons on machines & shake hands! :eek: The old mentality of "what harm? it won't hurt you" needs to end.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 12,941 ✭✭✭✭Purple Mountain


    There is no question the public hospitals need radical overhaul but there's no chance the vested interests at so dug in. Treating them as a hostel for ner-do-wells is unacceptable.

    They should be for the sick and 1 visitor. No one else bar immediate likelihood of death.

    Public health has been massively exposed by Covid, our habits are appalling as we wipe snotty noses on our hands and then handle money, press buttons on machines & shake hands! :eek: The old mentality of "what harm? it won't hurt you" needs to end.

    I remember as a child in the 80s, our local hospital was run by the nuns.
    It was immaculate. Smell of disinfectant would hit you walking in the door.
    They had a zero policy on children been allowed up to wards to visit.
    I can remember waiting in the corridor down stairs with one parent while the other went upstairs to visit someone, then they'd swop over.
    When visiting time ended, you were turned out, no arguments.

    To thine own self be true



Advertisement