Covid 19 Part XXXV-956,720 ROI (5,952 deaths) 452,946 NI (3,002 deaths) (08/01) Read OP

Are we really naive enough to think a person in ICU for "some reason" that gets COVID-19 isn't serious?

I recall reading earlier in this thread that someone who has major surgery and develops COVID-19 shouldn't be considered either. They're in hospital for the surgery the Covids probably just sniffles.

I really wish people would stop and think. Please just think. Covid or any infection brings potential for complications and further infection to vulnerable patients. A person isn't going to be kept in hospital if there's no medical need to be there. An ICU case with Covid or any other infection is a very serious issue and should not be dismissed as anything else.

I also wish people would stop and think about why we still treat COVID as if it's outside of what a hospital is made to treat. It should be treated the same way we treat other contagious diseases and stop acting like it is some sort of standalone issue. We don't get a breakdown of any other disease in this way, apart from bad flu seasons and even then it's not plastered all over the daily news. Vaccinations now have it at completely manageable levels and treatments seem to be improving outcomes for those that do need to be admitted.

We also had a big issue with "bed blockers" (a term I always hated), where usually elderly people are left in wards far longer than they need be because stepdown facitilies are as rare as hens teeth.

Is there any way to know how many were in hospital & ICU, say, this time two years ago? It’s all very well knowing how many are in hospital with Covid, but it would be interesting to know the excess hospital numbers because of it.

Anyone remember Brendan Gleeson on the Late Late Show getting emotional and passionate about the state of the hospitals, and what his parents experienced about being left on trolleys? I had to look it up there, it was actually in 2006. That was 15 years ago and has anything changed since then? 2006 was the height of the boom, fgs! There is absolutely no excuse for our hospitals to still be in the state they’re in, so much so that we’re keeping sectors of the economy closed to as not to overwhelm them, and therefore expose the health system for the absolute shambles than it is. Except for the second year now since 2006 (and so much earlier than that), they have a compliant population who are happy to sacrifice so much to protect the health system, when this problem should’ve been solved years ago.

This week compared to last week

73 more cases (12641 v 12714)

30 more in hospital (229 v 259)

11 more in ICU (43 v 54)

So when is Ireland going to step up testing, because they have to sometime very soon. Probably might of been better when they saw all those bodies being set on fire on the TV in India in the spring and thinking maybe that could be heading our way next, but still better late than never.

A bit of a double edged sword now though, because the more tests you do it will mean cases go up.

Exactly, it actually makes things look better, but it does take a lot of people out of commission who otherwise would be passing it on.

A third of the people who tested positive for Delta were asymptomatic do you know that ?

Probably, hopefully the people they maybe infected were also.

I can't help but feel that the reluctance to embrace antigen testing has contributed to delta continuing to spread. By putting all our eggs in the vaccine basket, it has failed to nip the spread in the bud.

At least if people had the option to require a negative antigen test to enter hospitality settings, they would be picking up on more cases and breaking the chains of infections. At present 1,000s of vaccinated people are blissfully unaware they either have or are spreading the virus albeit at a lower rate than if unvaccinated. But at least we could have been picking up cases over the last few months and getting the people who needed to self isolate to do so.

Too little too late, they should have been introduced and encouraged a long time ago.

We have one of the highest vaccine rates, one of if not the harshest remaining restrictions and yet we have one if the highest covid rates and rising. The question needs to be asked why, but of course such an obvious question is beyond our media and journalists. Obvious answer to me is the complete lack of antigen testing here. Government should be providing antigen tests to every household every week. Everyone taking 2 or 3 tests a week would be so easy, cost efficient and effective it's actually criminal at this stage.

The Beaumont issue was not through the Board apparently, but a clinical decision unilaterally made by the 2 transplant surgeons.

It was not a public statement / letter at all AFAIK but to regional medical and nursing teams regarding their patients on the list, but was leaked to the right wing Irish Freedom Party by someone to stir it up.

The hospital released a statement while we were discussing it that nobody would be removed from the transplant list, however every patient will have to be assessed and deemed suitable, by the transplant team.

So no change there really!

Those patients like any other immunocompromised patients have to have all their vaccinations up to date to stay safe never mind to have transplant surgery.

On the other issues I have as you know always believed that the best way to deal with vaccine hesitancy is being open and honest about all side effects and issues.

However there are a vocal minority everywhere, who appear to listen only to whatever information plays to their bias. That would be I think what you are referring to?

On the tragic death, I think the factual information that would come from a post mortem is essential before discussion as otherwise it is pure conjecture. That is not coming from a position of cover up, just too serious to be talking out of turn about it.

Not sure what you meant by the last part about click bait articles.

I don't tend to read the media clips much. Try to go to the studies but appreciate that as I have a science background that is easier said than done.

The vaccine effectiveness is not altered by the fact that it was reported vaccinated can transmit the same as unvaccinated.

It is widely reported from USA / CDC where less of the total population is currently vaccinated.

If more of a population is vaccinated then less people will pick the virus up in the first place.

The danger is with pockets of unvaccinated is that they can be infected and spread to others vaccinated who may be so confident in their status that that they are unaware that they are a risk to others.

From what I understand, the viral load of Delta can be much higher than other strains and vaccinated people can carry it in their nasal mucosa and transmit it quite easily. If in contact with those who are more at risk/ underlying conditions who can get a breakthrough infection, and become severely ill.

This is why the US has gone back to advising mask wearing for fully vaccinated in high risk indoor situations.

Again their vaccine situation is different to ours.

This is not a negative against the vaccine, but it is why there is such a push to get so many including low risk teens and preteens vaccinated ASAP