Relaxation of Restrictions, Part XII *Read OP For Mod Warnings*

There’s no doubt about that. My mother is one of them. I heard that J. McNulty ( brother of Fran McNullty) on the radio the other day slamming the government over the easing of restrictions. She’s a cystic fibrosis campaigner. Saying she’s vulnerable and scared. She expects society and businesses to remain closed just for little old her. She also claims by March we will be in a bad way because of the easing.

i know her personally and always got the impression that it’s all about herself.

Leaving out a hell of a lot of reality there kaiser

Masks are not only "cheap cloth masks". I reckon one in three people regularly wore medical type masks. Others I know wore multiple layer cloth masks which come with filters. But yes no maybe a number just wore "cheap cloth masks" and some of those only because they were a "legal requirement" without any concern for anyone else.

You know what else is a legal requirement? Seatbelts and I'd be fairly certain some also bizarrely believe that they only provide a "false sense of security".

We know Face masks combined with other preventive measures, such as vaccination, frequent hand-washing and physical distancing, can help reduce the risk of infection.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-mask/art-20485449

We also know that the Omicron variant was many times more infectious than previous strains. That doesn't mean that you get to throw all caution to the wind.

Look we get it - you don't like masks despite the scientific evidence that they and other measures help reduce the risk of infection.

And you seem to believe everyone should act like selfish morons Fine. Can we move on now that we've esestablished you believe that?

The one constant through all this is how upset the pro-maskers get when their worldview is challenged ("selfish morons" indeed!) Prams... toys everywhere... springs to mind!

Anyway, the reality is that mask wearing has done little if anything to slow Omicron, but as it's so mild that's not a problem and indeed may be a benefit as it increases the rate of herd immunity in the population - unlike earlier variants, almost everyone knows someone who's had Covid over the last 2 months.

The effectiveness generally has to be questioned considering most people don't wear them properly or maintain/clean them properly. Sure, there are some with higher grade masks but these are a minority I'd say from what I see around the shops. Speaking of shops, there were no outbreaks in those settings in early 2020 when we had no masks at all and more "deadly" variants, and masks did little to stop significant increases in cases through the latter half of 2020 when there was almost universal compliance - funny that! Maybe they're just not that effective after all? Luckily though, the OUTCOME of cases is what matters and they have always continued to be overwhelmingly positive regardless.

But I admit, I don't get why retaining masks has become the new pearl-clutching of 2022. No-one is stopping (or will stop) anyone from wearing a mask if they feel safer doing so, or feel that they are "protecting others" by doing so - but you cannot force people to accept what is an unnatural state of living and limits on their social interactions because you personally may feel there's sufficient risk in not doing so.

Covid does not affect everyone equally - many don't even realise they have it unless tested - and you can't make someone behave like a plague carrier for something that doesn't significant affect them or almost everyone around them.

That is the reality!

There was always going to win though. Covid certs weren't going to last forever. Omicron sped the process up.

To be fair Kaiser - it was yourself that suggested in the midst of a pandemic that "People ...should absolutely be responsible for their own safety and activities based on what their medical advice and history dictates" and everyone else should be free to do their own thing and implied that they were being selfish to those wanting to who want to do their own thing or wtte if they didn't

Yes a good well fitted face mask combined with other preventive measures, such as getting vaccinated, frequent hand-washing and physical distancing, has been shown to help reduce the risk of infection by the corona virus even from Omicron.

That some eejits may not use facemasks correctly is not an argument for disregarding public health regulations.

And without exception the only ones I see biatching about masks generally are the same anti masker / anti vaxers and generally anti everything related to any management of the pandemic. No change there then.

"None of them knew the vax pass would be vanquished 22/02/22"

"Vanquished"? where was the battle to defeat this arch enemy? I think I must have missed it

And no the covid passport hasn't fully gone away. Its still needed in certain circumstances at least for a while yet and definitely is still required for international travel.

So for anyone wishing to avoid reality there are plenty of opportunities still.

And exactly how have you aligned those totals to your opinion that "(mask wearing) has virtually zero effect on case numbers"?

Again does it really need repeated that the use of masks Face combined with other preventive measures, such as getting vaccinated, frequent hand-washing and physical distancing, can help reduce the risk of infection?

Why not blame the vaccinations? Or people not handwashing or people not distancing? Or maybe we should point out that people are perhaps mixing and socialising more than was the case with other strains at this time of the year or indeed this strain is much more infectious?

Otherwise please quote and reference the study which shows that masks in combination with other measures have "virtually zero effect on case numbers"

Denmark scrapping all restrictions. Masks & Covid pass the whole lot !

It seems the analysis has been sanctioned,however,given the background of those analyzing I would not be holding my breath behind my two N95's....https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2022/0125/1275755-coronavirus-ireland/

First recommendation....? How about "Put NPHET on a permanent footing" ....sure as night follows day....😉

With the Chairman coming from Imperial College London,the home of scary interpretations and modelling heaven,it can be seen that the "Strengthen Health Protection Generally" bit will allow plenty of room for a slam-dunk on top of yet more "freedoms".

If Mr Donnelly was minded to set up a meaningfully "Independent" review group,he might have started looking well outside our usual box of suspects for these things.

I have not seen any formal declaration that the pandemic is "over". Maybe some of us simply weren't privy to that memo.

Understanding the use of face masks and other preventive measures as recommended, whilst covid is still circulating at fairly high (albeit decreasing) levels is hardly rocket science. If only to reduce the numbers / help to starve the virus of additional hosts and to bring about a quicker return to normality.

As to the last part - your comments here do come across with some fairly enthusiastic anti mask rhetoric especially where you conflated all face masks with "cheap cloth masks" in your earlier comments or suggesting all masks were worthless because some fail to use them properly

And its not so much as you suggest "masking up to feel better/ safer" rather simply following public heath advise and understanding that personal responsibility for the management of the spread of covid infections is not the sole reserve of the "old and sick". We all have a role to play there.

Btw the "label" thing you referred to. That was simply following your lead with regard to the "pro maskers" type terminology in your previous comment.

People can do with masks as they see fit. We are probably 4 weeks off the end of them save in very specific areas so I really don't get why there is a need for a rerun of a 2020 argument at this very late stage.

Covid isn't gone, it's just most people don't care about it anymore.

It's no longer something to be feared, now it's more of an inconvenience.

Life returning to normal for the normal.

For the paranoid or neurotic.... don't drag us down to your level

Anyone for pints?