Five years on, what did COVID teach you?

The biggest fear-mongering came from the anti-vaxxers and associated ilk who were screeching from the rafters that the vaccines were dangerous, discouraging friends and family from taking common sense treatment against the virus, treatment that was reducing deaths

Closely orbited by those losing their minds over masks, Dunning Kruger types having meltdowns in airports and shops

Indeed none of them watch the news, nor listen to their doctors, nor consult proper information from health professionals - they ignore all that in favour of hysterical social media slop and validation feedback - hence their views.

It's always the same pattern for a reason.

Has anyone who was advocating for a "Zero-Covid" strategy ever come out and and admitted how spectacularly wrong they got it? At least 3 of our political parties pushed for it, helped by a populist movement in the media. Plenty on here were in favour of it.

The group calling themselves ISAG stand out most. A collection of absolute charlatans, who took both private and public funding and used it to, in their own words through leaked emails, “look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty“ amongst the general public. One of them has since been rewarded with a high profile governmental number. This group presented themselves as experts, and Zero Covid was their singular solution. We've seen the results

Because there was a national public health emergency, and nphet was the national public health emergency team? Where else would they go like?

I have very clear memories of constant press briefings led by the government...

It turns out I'm quite good at this "lockdown" malarkey - an antisocial bar-steward, and proud of it.

Funny to see this bumped again. I see there was a report saying there was no change in cancer outcomes during covid. This despite the expert views of the "anti" crowd who insisted lockdowns were killing cancer patients.

"Crude Estimates"

"Informal Estimates"

"Based on RIP.IE"

Maybe the data is just dodgy.

Maybe the health service hasn't kept pace with population increases.

IP_ie has been used by @CSOIreland to provide more timely estimates of mortality in Ireland to @eu _Eurostat. Eurostat publish a crude estimate of monthly excess mortality:

"Eu backed data"
What does that mean?

If it's a "crude" estimate, can you show where it was age adjusted for population changes and demographic changes in the population?

Varadkar is responding to "reports". Nowhere is it confirmed this is based on any real age adjusted reviewed data.

Good to see all the covid Karens survived though.

These individuals aren't into actual facts. They see that they are fine, no one they know died - so it was just a "little flu". 7 million people dying? Meh they must have been old or sick or something. Sure they know more than millions of health professionals and "Covid Karen" doctors. It's always the same mentality.

My neighbour was one of these, he shut up fairly fast when he got a bad bout and was in hospital for 4 weeks.

Am glad you didn't catch it at that time but once again there is the "I'm alright Jack" mentality.

I know people who died from Covid and struggled with it. Next time you speak to any doctor or nurse, the "Covid Karens", ask them how it was during that period.

Normal rational people may have disagreed with details of certain measures (I know I did) but weren't against them on principle. We know the type of individuals who were against them on principle.

The latest flu is very nasty, my friend got it and she described it as the worst flu she had ever had, by a long shot. Her whole family got it. If people want to avoid it or wear a mask they can, that's fine.

Nothing to do with 'I'm alright Jack' at all, I followed the guidelines and was fine, I had people at risk as mentioned, I couldn't see them as I had to be out and about during the whole thing.

Looking back we took the right precautions and we did better than most, but I can't help hating the absolute one-sided mentality we constantly ran into, once you create an 'us and them' mentality then you'll quickly populate both sides and then you'll have to decide which side you're on (want to or not), we gave some people one final 'good' Christamas, feck the begrudgers.

Lived through it.