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

400 staff out of the Mater hospital of which 250 are covid positive. Mad, they'll really need to look at isolation time frames for healthcare staff.

Well, someone should have told me that at the time, because I worked them all like an idiot then.

I see your point and I understand why you are saying it, but as someone who actually worked more hours remotely than I would have if the schools had stayed open, it bugs me to read it (my issue, I know) and it will never not bug me to read it.

I fully expect that to be the next step to be honest.

Apologies, I did mean to reply to you but then I went to sleep and today was busy!

I never meant to give off the impression that I think or believe that schools are safe. I do, however, believe that they are - for a lot of students - safer places to be than being left to their own devices at home.

Closing the schools and having them all at home isolating would be grand, IF they actually did that. But they won't and it isn't fair to expect parents to be able to police that when they're trying to work themselves.

From what I've heard from friends of mine who work in the private sector, there was a veneer of 'we understand the WFH isn't ideal' followed by a deeper undertone of 'but...' during the first lockdown (ie: employers don't care that your kids are at home under your feet - they still want you doing your job as productively as you were when you were in the office.) so I couldn't imagine them being any more understanding this time around.

In fairness, it's easy to forget 🤣

I got my booster today. Never really thought about it the first two times I went to get jabbed, but felt a bit surreal (even 2 years on) walking into Punchestown and seeing it completely transformed, the army etc there. The fact that it was empty, except for me and two others, made it feel even more grim. I know some are well used to the centres, but I've been lucky enough to not have needed them for anything other than vaccines.

In and out for the booster. Really efficient. The queue for PCR tests on the other hand was crazy. I felt sorry for those waiting - desperately long lines, maybe they move fast enough.

That would imply that 5% of adults are consuming a majority of testing capacity, which doesn't seem correct.

My family are driving me mad.

The dynamic is myself and the fiancé live in a self-contained flat cut off from the family home- my parents, two brothers and one of their GF's live in the main house (one of the brothers is home from the States for Christmas).

The brother's GF had a positive antigen test on Tuesday, and it has sparked paranoia ever since. One of the brothers and my Dad tested positive too, but every antigen test has been negative since (including every subsequent one they took). Brother's GF's PCR test was positive too and she has been isolating since and has a very mild infection. Two other PCR tests came back negative. Everyone in the house has been sleeping in separate rooms, keeping distance etc (thankfully big enough house to do so).

Meanwhile, my fiancé had a positive antigen test on Wednesday, and has congestion and a head cold really since then but improving day-to-day. Her PCR test isn't until Monday evening, by which stage it'll probably be negative. Every antigen test I have taken have all come back negative. We are sleeping in different rooms (I have a crick in my neck from my temporary sofa bed), distancing as best we can and keeping windows open.

Yet I was scolded for going shopping, apparently they should be doing it on my behalf. Even though, in theory, their living space is more "infectious" (two people living together vs four plus one in isolation). My brother doesn't want to risk getting infected and thus affect his travel, so then why is he being the goody-two shoes volunteering to do the shopping for everyone? My mother has been a hypochondriac my whole life, but the rest of them were generally level-headed. Absolutely paranoid now. It's rampant in the community anyway, but they aren't doing anything more preventative than I am.

Incidentally, the one person in the household who has a positive PCR test is out mingling with her whole family because all of them are infected. I should stay inside and starve myself sure

Accuses poster of pseudoscience.

Follows up with their own pseudoscience.

Nobody gives a damn if it is pleasant or not.

We are restricting millions and mortgaging our childrens futures because of this virus, so if it isn't killing anybody or putting people into ICU then who gives a damn about headaches or sniffles. Get some flat lemonade and suck it up.

Id say the Irish obsession with alcohol has a worse effect. No mention of that though, all buried under the carpet.

Its to stop unvaccinated people catching it in congregated areas and taken up hospital beds.

Apologies if already mentioned but this brand of tests seems to be causing false positives .. one proper line and a faint line so it looks like a positive.

Had friend get two positives on these and a negative PCR and negative on other brands but this was after isolating for 3 days .

if you Google the brand it’s seems to be a own issue and I think they are sold in Dunnes.

Naw.

Thats what you think but the reality is that unless you have had a booster then you are unvaccinated (from and antibody point of view) and the covid cert doesn't differentiate between either.

So the second shot people had last summer is enough to get into the pub, but it offers no protection, and the person who tested positive yesterday, or ignored the symptoms they have and feels like having a pint is scanned and shown to their table. The cert is a joke.

I heard this earlier from someone else. Couldn't find anything online or in the news about it though, id take it with a pinch of salt. Its EU certified so a legitimate product

Edit: Just seen this appears to have been an Instagram sharing thing that's got no basis in truth. Apparently not even sold in Dunnes. Who knows

The UK NHS antigen tests require a swab from the throat and the nose.