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

Discussing the subtleties is no fun, can't raise the blood pressure with it.

Hospital-wise, last week was promising. We saw a rise of just 13 from Monday to Monday.

In last night's HSE report, we also saw that hospital admissions rose by just 3 people during the day, despite few discharges due to the bank holiday.

There was also an indication that the bigger outbreaks appear to be under control.

ICU number had a fairly big jump, but that's expected given the jump in hospital admissions over the previous 10 days. There's nothing particularly scary in it.

I speak both Russian and Chinese so I can confirm my statement is factually correct.

More context around hospital numbers this AM. The average number of new cases in hospital has been dropping fairly rapidly over the last week. This is new cases + admissions.

Hospital admissions seem to have peaked around the weekend before last.

The forecast I put in is crude, but we can see that this isn't a blip, the numbers are dropping fairly sharply. If it continued like this, we'll be back to September levels in a week.

There is too much focus on covid pass certs and mask wearing in retail especially when over 90% of the adult population is vaccinated. There should be a new public health message pushed and drummed into the population for the winter. The most important aspect in my imo is isolation or reducing close contacts when you feel unwell.

There's people moving around in work and within my social setting with coughs. Not tested and claiming its not covid as if the vaccines is a magic bullet that makes covid disappear. I think covid can still appear after vaccines and show up as colds and sometimes flu.

I think the most important message this winter is to reduce close contacts and reduce social settings if you feel unwell and showing symptoms of cough and cold.

Very few people are actually buying and using their own antigen tests. You give the average person far too much credit.

Adding a q3... There's broad acknowledgement, even by the media, that the vaccine does not inhibit transmission. (E.g. CDC website has deleted the statement "COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of people spreading the virus that causes COVID-19." from its Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines section.)

What then is the rationale for forcing vaccination of people younger than 55? Anyone vulnerable due to underlying conditions will already have understood the benefits and taken the vaccine.

Many people especially younger adults have a thinking that covid will pass them by easily and without issues. It's not the case. A friend of a friend is an antivaxer and he got covid. He's 30 years old and he went onto a ventilator over the weekend. He's young and got.

The vaccines reduces the need for hospitalisation and serious disease.

Ah, it's often not that simple. Had my 9 year old in for a test this morning, his third now, and only once was it a gentle swab. Other time and today they went pretty deep. He's not been bothered, and sees it as a bit of a tickle challenge to not react, but it was enough to make him grimace, his eyes water and bring on sneezing.

Lol. The CDC is a pretty heavyweight and conservative medical institution for you to be refuting them so nonchalantly. You are going to need more than just the weight of your 2008 avatar to do so ;-)

Snake oil. Why would the average person take it on themselves to use antigen tests when personal responsibility has been completely and utterly not been given throughout the pandemic by the authorities? In Ireland, to try to put responsibility on the individual now after locking them up until 90% were vaccinated is not going to happen as we have not been allowed to live with covid, hence our multiple lockdowns.

The NHS gives free antigen tests to the UK population regularly, it is incredible. And the UK is many weeks ahead of us, clearly living with covid far better than we are. Unfortunately, in Ireland I think that people will just live their lives as normal within the government rules and not invent their own (eg buy a few antigen tests and use them).

It's worth qualifying this and noting that, statistically, those under 40 who ended up in ICU with covid were in such a minority that the general claim that covid isn't harmful to younger people holds strength.

Over the last few weeks with colds rampant, basically everyone I have talked to that has experienced the slightest sniffle, has done at least one antigen test. Nobody wants the hassle of a PCR test, but they also don't want to just ignore their symptoms.

Anyone who thinks nobody is using antigen tests must be living under a rock. They're fairly regularly sold out anywhere you go.