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

57.5% of statistics are made up on the spot

If you're being facetious we may as well be pedantic and point out it's an extra 30 at a given point and not over a 2 month period.

Have you been in a packed to capacity stadium ? a packed bar where you can rove around and mix with people in a proper atmosphere? have you been shopping without a mask? Many have to wear masks at work for 8 hours a day . I have to do it myself . Maybe none of these things affect or interest you whatsoever and that’s fine but they do interest many many people . You can do all this in the Uk . So I’m afraid no matter how much you pretend otherwise normality has not returned in Ireland at all and if restrictions are upheld the only way for many to feel normal life again is to get out of this dump for temporary relief across the water . Then it will be back to the bland homeland again for watered down life to resume .

A major schism in public opinion appears to be happening between the conservative side of the population and the more liberal side on this.

Conservatives want to continue mask usage in shops, even though most people are wearing filthy masks and they want arrows on shop floors and the like.

Liberals seem to have noticed that most of this rubbish isn't necessary.

Yeah I'm very curious about the figures. Of course nobody in the media is stopping to question the narrative

A population of 50,000 unvaccinated over 40s is responsible for most of those in ICU if they are to be believed

That is an extraordinary case rate, hospitilasition rate & subsequently ICU rate for positive cases in that small group of people if true

At that rate if we had no vaccines now,(even with all the current mitigation measure) the ICU rate of over 40s would be at about 2200 when adjusted for total over 40 population. But there is only 280 ICU beds in the country I believe

I think the national 2 week incidence rate is about 350 cases per 100k population.

So that group of 50,000 unvaccinated over 40s is having about 180 positive cases over 2 weeks, or 360 a month, but there is 55 of them in ICU. That's an ICU rate of about 1 in 4 positive cases over a month.

They either aren't in ICU for Covid (more likely something else), or there is a group of very unlucky, unhealthy & obese vaccine dodgers

You're assuming the incidence rate for the unvaccinated to be the same as vaccinated. It would be helpful if we had detailed figures on that, but in its absence, I think it's reasonable to conclude from what we know of the vaccines you are less likely to be a positive case if vaccinated.

It also may be reasonable to consider that people who don't get vaccinated may also be less likely to be wary of covid in general.

For both reasons, therefore the cases are more likely to be concentrated in that cohort.

Also, people under 40 can end up in ICU with covid, especially if they are other health issues (or say alcohol or drug issues impairing immune response).

Against that, I'm curious as to what % of the adult population cannot take any of the vaccines for medical reasons.

Hospitals down by 2 on yesterday. Following a similar pattern to last week, where numbers stabilise at the end of the week and then surge over the weekend.

Overall looking pretty positive, runaway growth does not look like a factor. Last week hospital numbers rose by 31 (9.3%) from Monday to Friday. This week they rose by just 13 (3.3%) between Monday & Friday.

The weekend is always the wildcard. Hospital numbers in total are up 59 on last week. But 47 of that 59 occurred over the previous weekend. It is inevitable that hospital numbers will rise over the weekend because of so few discharges.

Looking at previous weekend surges - over the last weekend in August, numbers increased by 58 - a net 60 admissions this weekend would be no cause for concern at all. Anything less would indicate that numbers are stabilising back to late-August levels.

In the last two weeks of August (Friday 13 - Friday 27th), hospital numbers rose by 105 - 47.5% - before plateauing. ICU cases grew by 13.

In the last two weeks (Friday 1st - Friday 15th), hospitals numbers have again risen by 105 - 34%. ICU cases have increased by 11.

I'll accept the use of the word "concerning", because like share prices past virus patterns are no guarantee of future ones. But this is absolutely, 100%, not growing out of control. It is most likely that plateau is inevitable as discharges catch up with admissions.

I am not sure if the schism is down such easy lines. In fact, in real life some of the most vicious people I know throughout this whole thing are people who would consider themselves to be very liberal. Some of the more conservative people I know are starting to get very uneasy with what has been going on for the last week or so.

Having a look through the various discussion sites and comment sections, I have noticed that the tide is turning on both Reddit and twitter, with even the journal.ie comments getting more and more argumentative.

What is happening now in the Irish media and in government circles is the creation of a campaign to pit people against a small group in an attempt to deflect from their own failings.

It is nasty, manipulative and dangerous.

I have said before that trying to force people who have not availed of the vaccine by now to take it will involve crossing a very serious line regards coercion and demonisation. A line that no liberal democracy should consider.

Looks like we are going to try cross that line.

The ICU figures are reported in the daily report update, but not broken down by vaccination status.

It's not reported like that, most likely just a legacy issue, and why does it need to be.

The suggestion that senior figures like Butler and Varadkar and making these numbers up and reporting them to the media is utterly without foundation.

The source is the HSE, as for example below, relayed in a press conference.

ICU rise in Covid admissions driven by unvaccinated patients, HSE boss says (irishexaminer.com)

Is that what she said, or did she say:

"If we look at them, who is ending up in ICU? 80% of the people ending up in ICU are not fully vaccinated and of the others, most of them, 98% have underlying conditions - primarily conditions that impact on their ability to respond to the vaccine.” 

This is why I asked for a source.

You are the one who said "Or are they pulling the figures out of their holes", which carries an implication they are making the figures up and that's the 'message' I'm shooting, calling 'conspiracy' on. If you meant, what's going on with the figures, lots of different ones being bandied about, some clarity would be good, they should be in the official daily reports, that's a different story.

Reopening society: 'It is a time for caution' says Niac chief (irishexaminer.com)