COVID predictions for 2022

franciscanpunk · 23-12-2021 5:50pm

I imagine the same rinse and repeat lockdown, variant,booster, etc for the last 2 years.

At the stage now where i hope the whole system just falls apart, protests etc be a welcome change of pace from the our usual misery

Cluedo Monopoly · 23-12-2021 6:03pm

I think we will be completely out of this by April/May. I am pretty confident about that.

Covid will just become another disease.- if you want a vaccine every 3-6 months, its available - just like the flu vaccine. Knock yourself out.

No more restrictions.

And the government will use any available money to increase hospital/ICU and A&E capacity - long overdue.

Richard Hillman · 24-12-2021 6:40pm

Covid Passes to remain throughout the year. Masks throughout the year. Light easing of restrictions in February. NPHET to remain throughout the year. The exact same restrictions next December.

It will be much different in Europe. Mass riots over the passport, police will stop turning up for work. A cocktail of events will turn Europe upside down. War in Ukraine. Vlad turning the gas pipes turned off/or Ukrainians sabotage them. Refugee crisis. Bosnia will kick off. More Refugees. Mass inflation. Energy crisis. French presidential election which turns into a Covid pass referendum. Boom. It's going to be wild.

Dr. Bre · 24-12-2021 6:46pm

It would be nice if they opened up in the summer considering restrictions from October to March every year .

eddie73 · 25-12-2021 6:15pm

Currently isolating due to covid infection.

Basing the future on the current strain of covid, I would say that this is the last hurrah of the virus. I am slightly congested, thats all. We should allow this thing to sweep the board and then be given a choice re boosters, as I honestly dont believe that they are needed for younger people having experienced what omricon's effects are.

Perseverance The Second · 25-12-2021 11:24pm

COVID cases will peak in late January as Omicron spreads like wildfire when schools reopen.

A new variant will emerge around April which will come out of a country with low vaccination levels.

The Irish government will be pressured to donate a huge number of vaccines to provide doses to the developing world.

All restrictions will still be lifted by May.

A COVID booster campaign will start to be implemented in time for shots to start in October-November period.

Del Griffith · 26-12-2021 2:27pm

Omicron turns out to be a big nothing, then finally people start to cop on that this is now just another bad virus, and similar to the flu if you are very unlucky or vulnerable and get a bad dose, it can be rough but for most it's just another short term ailment that comes and goes.

After 6 months, mid to late summer, most governments recognise this too and restrictions are relaxed and removed. Cowardly countries that live by "an abundance of caution" such as Ireland drag it out til early next year but as soon as an election is looming everything is finally fully restored.

Anti viral medicines those that do need treatment are well looked after, and from mid 2023 the vaccine pass is retired.

Irish Stones · 26-12-2021 5:50pm

In my opinion, 2022 will be just like 2021, with two or three more waves of infections, with two or three more variants, two boosters along the year required to renew the cert, same restrictions as now, on and off according to the moment.

Another Christmas of restrictions and panic.

Then, 2023, just like 2022. And so on!

Van.Bosch · 26-12-2021 6:03pm

I think the sheer number of cases we will have in Jan might change the outlook. We will likely hit 20,000 a day and it will only be that low due to testing limitations. That many people isolating is going to cause issues with health services, retail etc.

That happening globally might cause isolation periods to be reduced which means more cases in a way. I just can’t see how the current approach is sustainable.

Zebra3 · 26-12-2021 8:59pm

Varadkar was saying a couple of weeks ago that we have seen how Covid is barely an issue during the summer and we need to remove pretty much all restrictions during the summer (and I assume from some part of spring) like Denmark and Sweden.

And this was before the new scarient was looking like end game. FFFG will want this well out of the way before the next GE and the money isn’t there like 12 months ago to continue with locking down hard.

Life to be back to pretty much normal by April, with later in the year masks becoming optional.

Those whinging about the removal of restrictions will be able to console themselves by hugging Saint Tony’s recently released book.

rahmalec · 26-12-2021 10:32pm

A few guesses. Let’s see if any are right.

With Omicron being so infectious, but a good bit less severe, we will have a crazy amount of cases but hospitals won’t be overrun.

We will have rising hospital cases in January but more from incidental cases rather than people sick from COVID. This will cause problems as they will still have to isolate such patients because of vulnerable others, etc.

Similar to South Africa, current isolation rules will have to be changed to not crash the entire economy.

No lockdown in the next few months, but maybe some chickening out with closing indoor restaurants for a while, etc

There will be a big outbreak in China in the next one or two months

Omicron and Delta will co-circulate as opposed to one wiping the other out. Essentially two separate diseases. One mild that most people get once a year, the other more severe so that the need for annual boosters remains.

Combination of boosters and anti-viral pills will make COVID not such a problem in 2nd half of the year (at least in most of the EU).

Cluedo Monopoly · 26-12-2021 10:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118376073#Comment_118376073

I think you might be right with above.

Can you answer me this - if you contract Omicron, how long would it be before you were susceptible to Delta? I don't remember hearing anyone picking up 2 flu variants in one 'season'?

rahmalec · 26-12-2021 10:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118376103#Comment_118376103

No idea.

But I know two people who’ve gotten this twice (both in the last week). One year apart and 6 months apart.

Seems reason Omicron is spreading so crazily it’s sufficiently different from other variants so that it’s way easier to reinfect (and also dodge the vaccine, although seems risk of bad illness is still reduced)