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

Wife has had a number of shifts over the past 2 weeks as has covered for colleagues out in her Dublin hospital. Was only talking to her this morning and she was saying she hasn't treated a patient for covid in 10 days. Still having to manage with covid protocols and all the time and resources that goes with it. But none of the care or treatment she has been administering for almost 2 years now.

She said loads of people turning up that shouldn't be remotely near a hospital because they're simply not sick. And are not being admitted. Think there is an element of people panicking with a positive antigen or something. And also people are coming in at night and gone by morning. Admitted for observation and quickly discharged.

All positive signs. The covid topic rarely comes up between us now. I don't think there should be any need to wait until end of January. Remove restrictions from this weekend or Monday. No need to give places notice. If a restaurant or pub wants to open with normal trading hours, let them. Those that need time to prepare, then that's their own doing. Open in their own time. Absolutely no need in keeping these restrictions. Doubt they are keeping cases lower by much anyways. People are just mixing more earlier. I couldn't get into loads of pubs last weekend in the early afternoon as no seats left.

Its Dr Holohan, Dr Glynn and Donnelly who keep promoting the fact that antigen tests are open to manipulation, something I wouldn't have even known if it hadn't been promoted by NPHET and the Government.

Cop on

You wanted people trapped in a room for their safety but then you give out about them being on the internet. If you want people to get on with their lives how about let them get on with their lives.

Haha

Seen those jibes before.

Think it was near the end of Novemeber that Tony gave his assurances that NPHET didn't recommend any restrictions only to recommend restrictions a few days later.

An egg on face moment

The irony is you and your ilk want restrictions more than anyone, just for something to shout about. Even now everyone seems happy this is coming to an end except you.

Devil is in the details. No major indicator yet of any increase in deaths in Ireland due to Omicron.

Most recent HPSC report on deaths has December deaths 25% lower than November at around 6/day. January so far coming in below that again at 3/day. Bearing in mind though that death reports can take a long time to come in so we won't know the real numbers for 2-4 months. Last week we still had some Covid deaths from January 2021 first reported to the HPSC.

Other countries count deaths differently. The UK counts all deaths within 28 days of a positive covid test. That was OK when they were pulling in a few thousand cases/day. But when 5% of your population has had a positive test in the last 28 days, you can see how counting deaths this way becomes very problematic.

Denmark count all deaths within 30 days of a positive result.

Don't know about the rest. But on the face of it, you can see that DK & UK now have a flawed counting system because it was never considered to deal with this level of infection. Our is probably pretty accurate if unfortunately too slow.

It's time to move on.

They will be writing an alternative history where they'll tell everyone they were right all along.. about something. There will be a lot of "Like I said back in 2020"'s and "Anyone with common sense knew x, but they were not listened to"'s.

Different people lead different lives.

Let me take just one example:

Theatre groups in Ireland still have to meet up over Zoom or other internet interactions - yet the West End in London is wide open.

If you are an actor and you cannot act, and you cannot even rehearse properly, then can you go about your daily business normally?

Some people can live normal lives in this quasi-lockdown and some people can't. Some people are forced out of work and onto the dole while other people can go to work.

It seems to be lost on you that not everyone has your exact circumstances or that of your social circle (other middle-aged office workers?). Loads of people in different walks of life are caught in a bind.

Covid is no longer a threat to the health service. NPHET can be wound up at the end of the month.

re restrictions, they really need to be asked thow much will keeping the restrictions in place for the next 2 weeks will cost the tax payer (its probably €100m odd), and could this cash be put to better use, i.e. invested in hospital cap x? There's been a serious disconnect between cost / benefit in the entire response.

Not sure really - only way to measure that is basically how many people are dying now vs during delta wave. Anecdotally I'd say less, but we won't really know until the death registrations are finalised in a few months time (assuming omicron wave is mostly over by then)

We would be jumping the gun somewhat to decide to just drop all restrictions now. Most countries are planning no major rule changes till the end of the month.

We could however, very easily, return closing hours back to normal practically overnight. I don't think, "Oh NPHET aren't meeting till X date" is really good enough. Light a fire there lads.

Thank God the schools weren't closed by the bedwetters. It would be getting all the credit for falling numbers.