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

The antigen tests sent out to asymptomatic close contacts are made by Siemens, a reputable company.

Not some upstart, obscure new company with no history of making medical devices.

Heres the full text,

Norris's Update. We hope you are well. With our inept government stumbling towards another lockdown this SUNDAY 21st may be our LAST 'LIVE' GIG THIS YEAR with TUCKER 6 to 8pm so get out while you can & Support Live Musicians ! Please remember to wear your mask when coming to the pub AND when standing or moving around in the pub. Thank you for your co-operation.

But antigen should not be a person's first port of call when they have symptoms. That's not just Irish advice, other countries have the same.

Because having symptoms with a negative antigen result would lead to people thinking its just a cold or another virus. Which can result in less cases being detected and further transmission.

Jaysus Luke o Neill on CNN with Hala gorani live right now. We're world headline makers,..... "Ireland with an 89.1% vaccination rate, sees cases rise". It's almost embarrassing☹️.

He's hoping the peak comes in the next three to four weeks......

Exactly. Antigen is just another tool. I had a close contact positive last week. I already had a cold and a negative test from those symptoms. But I booked one again. As I found out in the afternoon, I couldn't get one for that day or the next day at a center within reasonable distance. So ended up being a 4 day turn around. Ended up being negative. Apparently rhinovirus doesn't like letting covid in.

Out of the last six weeks we have had one full week Undisrupted of school with my two kids and husband all getting various illnesses. It’s a forty minute drive to nearest test centre and a three day wait from booking to results. We have made the trip several times and will continue to do so but antigen tests have a role to play as well. Especially for my son that reacts badly to the pcr swab being taken.

In my opinion I don't think any adult or child should go to work or school with cold, flu, respiratory symptoms until they subside.

In many cases, such symptoms take a few days to clear. From appointment to result may take 2 days, but if a person is still at home waiting for symptoms to lift, the timing of the result doesn't help a person get over their symptoms any quicker. I think it's worth waiting for a more accurate result than having a quick result that has a significant chance of being wrong.

That account of people going for pcr off an antigen result is one example. As these tests can produce many false negatives, what would have happened if the people with symptoms got a negative antigen result. Would they have gone for pcr. PCR was needed anyway as people had symptoms.

From that example of 3 households and 14 people, 11 got a false negative result from their antigen test.

Honestly I think we are moving to a different stage of pandemic now where we are not going to catch every case. Antigen tests should catch most of them no? Do they have to be 99.9% accurate?

I think most people know they need to isolate with symptoms anyway. As we are in our house.

Several PCR tests plus antigen tests in the last 6 weeks? I think you are doing your kids serious harm.

There could be something in that. I had a very bad rhinovirus infection on October bank holiday weekend 2020. Hospitalised for 4 days, that came after pneumonia, hospitalised for 5 days back on paddy's weekend 2020. Sick (pun intended) of hospitals!!! I'm an asthmatic so would be in the vulnerable but not severe category. I have had both shots of vaccine and haven't had so much of a sniffle since October 2020. Could be a fluke who knows

Edit: just to add I'm usually healthy enough & last visit to hospital was when I was a kid

Don't post lies and speculation, don't get called out......

How many pubs did you have to search before you found one with a negative twist?

But should or should not doesn't matter to a large number of people at this stage. Getting tested is a pain in the hole. I've had over 60 PCR tests since this began. And not one positive result. People get fatigued and the effect it can have is like the boy who cried wolf. So when they don't feel that ill and it's the equivalent to a head cold. Of course people will take the easier option of testing at home. People are just tired of the whole thing. Like will we still be here in December 2022 or in 2023 asking people to go for PCR tests a when they have cold like symptoms. Covid does not look to be going anywhere.

I reckon a lot of people's circles are mixing with other vaccinated people given the high percentage achieved. I know among my group of friends and family, there isn't much care given about mixing as everyone is vaccinated. The same level of risk evaluation that existed before vaccines is not there for a large cohort.