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

We all need to start getting comfortable with an acceptable level of deaths. The Irish notion that even 1 covid death is an unspeakable tragedy and any/all restrictions are justified if they save one life is not sustainable.

We are looking at 300k job losses next year. Suicides will increase. We are facing unknown amounts of deaths from missed diagnoses.

We cant keep destroying every other facet of irish life under the notion that we might prevent a single covid death.

You're reading WAAAAAAY too much into what I said, which was basically just to consider being a bit more tactful (irrespective of the number of deaths). Thats it.

Exactly, both Simon and Leo have been making noises the last couple of weeks going against the grain. Doesn't mean what they're saying isn't right though. The irony of course is, if it wasn't for Harris, we wouldn't be where we are now, it was the motion of no confidence against him that caused the election which gave us the shambles of 3 party government we have now.

I've no idea what your referring to. The only people getting a 4th dose currently are those who are immunocompromised. For example my uncle who's having cancer treatment got a booster a good while ago, if his consultant recommends then he'll be in line for a 4th dose, that's just because his immune system is shot with the treatment.

I'm not sure what your referring to by 2nd boosters and a 3 month vaccine cert expiry.

For a while I thought you were using reasoning for a lockdown when it really seems to be a level of panic or doom. As always the UK data needs to be taken with a mountain of salt. The Tories are really bigging up the whole spread of it for a variety of reasons to do with the state of their party and a need to justify Plan B. We are still at the don't know point with Omicron although more data out of SA is nudging us towards a lower risk. We should finally begin to see some conclusions on it in the next week or so.

Another lockdown here, apart from being completely pointless to stop a fast spreading variant, is up there with schools as a sacred cow for government. They will push back very hard against it and NPHET will need to come up with an awful more than grim made-up numbers to justify it. That kind of scenario is hospitals heading for 2,000 and above but not pessimistic projections that they will.

Where are you getting the 300k job losses figure from? In an economy that's growing nearly too fast and the likelihood of completely reopening next Spring, what will have 300k people on the dole?

Cabinet were briefed on it yesterday.

https://m.independent.ie/news/cabinet-secretly-briefed-on-massive-job-losses-41142255.html

This "fast growing economy " is massively and artificially jnflated by money the government borrowed, paid to hospitality and other businesses to stay shut who in turn had to return up to half that amount back to the government as taxes.

When those supports are removed up to 25k businesses could be going to the wall.

We are massively in debt, we have destroyed the service industry and to top it off have some of the highest covid infection rates in Europe (the world at various points). Not a great return.

It's not flooring many people at all.

I think the biggest issue will be staff. We already had that but with travel being so difficult now, might not get the foreign workers who went home back in. Some businesses will likely go to the wall, but ya, no chance it's all of them.

Ah yes Gauteng.

An area smaller than Munster but a with a population of 12 million people.

Lombardy is to far in the past to use it any more I suppose.

Pretty worrying indeed

70% against hospitalisation is quite decent tbh. Was expecting less with how much people were going on about it. If you're in a group that isn't likely to require hospitalisation anyway, 2 doses is fine there.

@landofthetree wrote

That's not what "70% protection against hospitalisation" means.

Eh what? That's not the case at all

Anyone panicing yet

I know MM alluded to the 40/60 detected/undetected split.

With the UK currently detecting 50k cases a day they assume a 25/75 split.

Thats not how efficacy works

70% less people need hospitalised than if they were unvaccinated - it does NOT mean 30% of people who catch it go to hospital!

If it were so mild that it didnt cause anyone unvaccinated to go to hospital, then the vaccine efficacy against same would be 0% - these figures cannot be taken in isolation to determine how many people will be admitted to hospital.