SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)



This is much better than I was expecting.

This feels really significant.

most restrictions is basically where we were before.

It’s not enough. All restrictions should be removed. We will never be in a better position than we are right now. Without an end to restrictions we risk a perennial lifecycle of them adding them yearly whenever our shite health service comes under pressure.
 
Everything should be lifted by lunchtime tomorrow if the Irish government had any quick decision capabilities.
Masks will naturally die in the next few weeks regardless of what the guidelines are anyway.

I'm delighted covid passes are being done away with, I was really worried that was going to be some sort of a permanent thing.

Let's get back to living!
 
I can't find the info, but was your wife tested as well?

Yes. We went to get tested for the first time since the pandemic started because she had a slightly sire throat and I then got tested more for moral support than anything else - both negative. Luckily the queues for PCR testing have come down and instead of up to 6 hrs and many days for a result we only had to wait 10 mins and the result was back in 7 hrs. Pissing down with rain so that might have helped.
 
How long do people think we will have to wear masks? Will they stay forever given this will always be around like the flu.
 
I find it incredible people haven't even done lateral flow tests.

When we were going into work I'd do them at least twice a week. When going to big events, or group gatherings, I'd do one then. Seems a pretty selfless thing to do to make sure you're not asymptomatic and spreading it to others.

Very hard to get here and we have to pay for them at $15-30 a time.
 
:lol: First time I hear that word. I thought it was a dreadful pun. Sorry.

There is actually quite a bit of debate about using this name. A placebo and a nocebo are exactly the same thing only you are making a judgement that the effect is desirable or undesirable. The issue is where the effect could be desirable or undesirable to different people e.g. a lowering of blood pressure could be the effect which would be an adverse outcome for most but a positive outcome for someone with high blood pressure.
 
So 2 years of kicking the can down the street is coming to an end soon here in NZ. Omicron has snuck into the community, at this point just a couple of cases which we all have no doubt will take off quickly. the modelling is suggesting anywhere between 1000 to 10,000 case per day, some of it based on what we have seen with our friends in Aussie and also other countries with similar populations. Kids from 6 to 12 are able to be vaccinated if their parents choose and the push to get booster shots rolled out is in full swing. The modelling is also suggesting that we wont get down to 100 to 300 cases per day until about Sept once it kicks in here. People here are ready, fingers crossed our hospital system is. Sadly 30 or so years of various govts have left our health system lacking, we are by most estimates 2 hospitals short (which is a lot for a small country like ours) so this coming year is really going to stress our system.
 
Everything should be lifted by lunchtime tomorrow if the Irish government had any quick decision capabilities.
Masks will naturally die in the next few weeks regardless of what the guidelines are anyway.

I'm delighted covid passes are being done away with, I was really worried that was going to be some sort of a permanent thing.

Let's get back to living!
Can't wait till the masks are gone, my beard will be set free
 
I'm good but thanks for the offer and I'll let you know if I ever need any. Fully recovered now?

I still have a bit of a cough and some fatigue, but nothing too troubling really - thanks

yeah let me know if you need any, I've stocked up!
 
Never had a test and never had a jab. I had a sore throat a few days ago, perhaps it was Omicron, don't know, don't care. My immune system handled it like it always does.

I have read some things n here over the years but that is one of the .... least informed lets say.

Is the pandemic coming to an end? Will people who didn't get jabbed still be discriminated against even after the pandemic is over? For how long? Months? Years? Forever? If there is no pandemic do I still need to get the jab? How any jabs? If they bring out a new jab do I still need to take 2 doses of the obsolete jab?

If the pandemic is coming to an end why do you think that might be? And what do you mean obsolete?
 
So 2 years of kicking the can down the street is coming to an end soon here in NZ. Omicron has snuck into the community, at this point just a couple of cases which we all have no doubt will take off quickly. the modelling is suggesting anywhere between 1000 to 10,000 case per day, some of it based on what we have seen with our friends in Aussie and also other countries with similar populations. Kids from 6 to 12 are able to be vaccinated if their parents choose and the push to get booster shots rolled out is in full swing. The modelling is also suggesting that we wont get down to 100 to 300 cases per day until about Sept once it kicks in here. People here are ready, fingers crossed our hospital system is. Sadly 30 or so years of various govts have left our health system lacking, we are by most estimates 2 hospitals short (which is a lot for a small country like ours) so this coming year is really going to stress our system.
You have a good vaccination rate though so you should be fine.
 
It doesn't seem sustainable. Having Covid jabs alongside flu shots annually seems like a likely scenario assuming new variants keep coming up.

That is keeping being jabbed forever.

And new dominant variants will, at the least, arise less frequently as the world gets vaccinated and because any new dominant variant will have to be more infectious than the last.
 
most restrictions is basically where we were before.

It’s not enough. All restrictions should be removed. We will never be in a better position than we are right now. Without an end to restrictions we risk a perennial lifecycle of them adding them yearly whenever our shite health service comes under pressure.
"The advice does suggest that mask-wearing, isolation for symptomatic cases, and Covid passes for international travel will remain in place "

We've no say on passes for international travel, we're falling in line with the EU on that. Symptomatic cases isolating is how any virus should be handled anyway, but we all love a pint too much.

So it comes down to masks, are they really that big of a deal to people? Honestly don't think I'd have any issue come flu/cold season being asked to mask up for a few month over Christmas.
 
"The advice does suggest that mask-wearing, isolation for symptomatic cases, and Covid passes for international travel will remain in place "

We've no say on passes for international travel, we're falling in line with the EU on that. Symptomatic cases isolating is how any virus should be handled anyway, but we all love a pint too much.

So it comes down to masks, are they really that big of a deal to people? Honestly don't think I'd have any issue come flu/cold season being asked to mask up for a few month over Christmas.
That's NPHET's advice, not necessarily what the government will do straight away. We paid the price last summer for their stupidly slow easing of restrictions, let's hope it's not the same now. We're in an amazing position now, just open everything up. I agree masks aren't a big deal, by the way, no problem wearing them in shops etc. for the foreseeable.

The journos seem a bit more confident today than yesterday that they'll go for a sweeping end to restrictions rather than the usual phased approach, though, which is good. https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0121/1274965-covid-restrictions/
 
That's NPHET's advice, not necessarily what the government will do straight away. We paid the price last summer for their stupidly slow easing of restrictions, let's hope it's not the same now. We're in an amazing position now, just open everything up. I agree masks aren't a big deal, by the way, no problem wearing them in shops etc. for the foreseeable.

The journos seem a bit more confident today than yesterday that they'll go for a sweeping end to restrictions rather than the usual phased approach, though, which is good. https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0121/1274965-covid-restrictions/
Ah I get ya, misunderstood your angle. Yeah, up to the gov now to just say, lets go for it.
 
So 2 years of kicking the can down the street is coming to an end soon here in NZ. Omicron has snuck into the community, at this point just a couple of cases which we all have no doubt will take off quickly. the modelling is suggesting anywhere between 1000 to 10,000 case per day, some of it based on what we have seen with our friends in Aussie and also other countries with similar populations. Kids from 6 to 12 are able to be vaccinated if their parents choose and the push to get booster shots rolled out is in full swing. The modelling is also suggesting that we wont get down to 100 to 300 cases per day until about Sept once it kicks in here. People here are ready, fingers crossed our hospital system is. Sadly 30 or so years of various govts have left our health system lacking, we are by most estimates 2 hospitals short (which is a lot for a small country like ours) so this coming year is really going to stress our system.
You say kicking the can down the street, but in reality what you've done is manage to avoid the nastiest variants of the virus. If your population all get omicron while being heavily vaccinated, you're going to see far better outcomes than the rest of the world, probably.
 
You say kicking the can down the street, but in reality what you've done is manage to avoid the nastiest variants of the virus. If your population all get omicron while being heavily vaccinated, you're going to see far better outcomes than the rest of the world, probably.
I think you're right.

The tough issue is that Omicron spreads so fast, and so widely, that it will hospitalise and kill a lot of people - in a country where only 50 or so have died so far. It's going to be hard on people, not just on those whose friends/families suffer directly, but others who will see the deaths as failure, but hopefully they're ready for it.

Hopefully they've also prepared their most vulnerable people with the best weapons they've got - boosters. If they can back that up with making testing readily available and the right warnings to the most vulnerable, which might include staying away from crowded places and indoor activities until this first wave passes - they'll have done a lot.
 
How long do people think we will have to wear masks? Will they stay forever given this will always be around like the flu.
I would hope that people use a bit of sense when they are travelling on public transport and have a cold/cough that they use them then. That would be a good thing to come out off it. A bit of respect for others
 
That's NPHET's advice, not necessarily what the government will do straight away. We paid the price last summer for their stupidly slow easing of restrictions, let's hope it's not the same now. We're in an amazing position now, just open everything up. I agree masks aren't a big deal, by the way, no problem wearing them in shops etc. for the foreseeable.

The journos seem a bit more confident today than yesterday that they'll go for a sweeping end to restrictions rather than the usual phased approach, though, which is good. https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0121/1274965-covid-restrictions/
It's a choice every country will have to go through. I think we're going to see debate raging across Europe over the next few months on vaccine passports and vaccine mandates in particular. I hope we'll see some of the political heat come out of that as time goes on, it's easy for the science and the public health message to drown in the rhetoric.

Fortunately Ireland has very high vaccination rates, particularly in the older and more vulnerable groups. I think this is the phase where it's going to be about people looking at their own risks and those around them, and deciding if that means it's back to business as usual for them. Fingers crossed we make the right choices for ourselves and each other.
 
I would hope that people use a bit of sense when they are travelling on public transport and have a cold/cough that they use them then. That would be a good thing to come out off it. A bit of respect for others

No chance of that happening unfortunately. It's such an obvious benefit but it just doesn't fit in with the Western mind frame.
 
It's a choice every country will have to go through. I think we're going to see debate raging across Europe over the next few months on vaccine passports and vaccine mandates in particular. I hope we'll see some of the political heat come out of that as time goes on, it's easy for the science and the public health message to drown in the rhetoric.

Fortunately Ireland has very high vaccination rates, particularly in the older and more vulnerable groups. I think this is the phase where it's going to be about people looking at their own risks and those around them, and deciding if that means it's back to business as usual for them. Fingers crossed we make the right choices for ourselves and each other.
Yeah all very good points.

I think it’s a mix of people being sensible and also businesses. If hospitality just goes completely loosey goosey again without adhering to mask advice and some distancing and such that will be an issue. Likewise if when WFH restrictions go, employers start forcing people back into offices who might not need to be there etc.

I guess at some point you have to trust people and we are a country with an insanely high vaccination rate who haven’t had any rioting during our restrictions so you’d hope we have a bit of sense!
 
They should have mask dispensers at public transport stations and the likes going forward.
 
Overall I'd say I'm fairly gucci with masking up, definitely on public transport anyway.

And this is as someone who wears glasses and looks like a complete dweeb every time I enter a building and my glassies fog up.

If you're a non-glasses wearing person then I can't imagine what your issue would be at all.
 
Overall I'd say I'm fairly gucci with masking up, definitely on public transport anyway.

And this is as someone who wears glasses and looks like a complete dweeb every time I enter a building and my glassies fog up.

If you're a non-glasses wearing person then I can't imagine what your issue would be at all.
Yeah it's a pain in the hole with glasses, people without them just don't know our pain. Thankfully my eyesight isn't too bad so I can cope without the glasses on for the most part but feck knows how anyone who needs to keep them on can see a thing!
 
I would hope that people use a bit of sense when they are travelling on public transport and have a cold/cough that they use them then. That would be a good thing to come out off it. A bit of respect for others

I pretty much intend wearing mine for a good while.
 
Yeah it's a pain in the hole with glasses, people without them just don't know our pain. Thankfully my eyesight isn't too bad so I can cope without the glasses on for the most part but feck knows how anyone who needs to keep them on can see a thing!
I started wearing new Man Utd masks I got for Christmas. Unfortunately they steam up more than the ones I used to wear. I’m at the stage now where I need to wear my glasses all the time, my eyesight is awful
 
I started wearing new Man Utd masks I got for Christmas. Unfortunately they steam up more than the ones I used to wear. I’m at the stage now where I need to wear my glasses all the time, my eyesight is awful
I use a silicon "cage" under my masks. At first it was a bit annoying but now I am used to it I hate using a mask without it. I still get some fogging rarely from time to time but its easily dealt with. This sort of thing. https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Homemade-Comfortable-Breathing-Washable/dp/B08931ZQZC
 
I started wearing new Man Utd masks I got for Christmas. Unfortunately they steam up more than the ones I used to wear. I’m at the stage now where I need to wear my glasses all the time, my eyesight is awful

Maybe just wear it when you're playing?