You have a good vaccination rate though so you should be fine.
SARS CoV-2 coronavirus / Covid-19 (No tin foil hat silliness please)
- Thread starter Don't Kill Bill
- Start date
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.
Australia has a high vaccination rate but it hasn't been at all fine. We had 80 deaths yesterday.
"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/
Ah I get ya, misunderstood your angle. Yeah, up to the gov now to just say, lets go for it.
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.
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
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.
No chance of that happening unfortunately. It's such an obvious benefit but it just doesn't fit in with the Western mind frame.
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!
Sadly I think you’re right. Back to people sneezing and coughing on the back of my head on busses
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.
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 pretty much intend wearing mine for a good while.
Good man.
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
In Asian countries they have been wearing them for a good while.
It will be interesting to see who keeps wearing them and who doesnt.
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
Maybe just wear it when you're playing?
Actually did try something like that and they didn’t work for us previously. Have also tried sprays that are supposedly anti-fog
I don’t know, sometimes it’s nice to be able to see people’s faces. I look forward to the day we don’t need them.
Bugger. We all have different shaped faces so finding the right solution can be hard. Get someone to smash your nose in and give the cage thing another go.
The missus tested positive on Saturday, still positive as of today. We haven't isolated her in the house, being somewhat cautious of hand hygiene, only change to anything is that we we aren't kissing essentially. I'm still negative.
Am I invincible?
Am I invincible?
I can one up you on that. My ex had it last year and we didn't even bother separating in any way whatsoever since we were in a small flat and I didn't get it.
Had it twice in the last 4 months though, oops.
Ah bollox. Not invincible so.
How the hell did we in Ireland switch from the mooted possibility of mandatory vaccines a week ago from NPHET to all restrictions gone today?!
Cause about 10% of our population were getting it every week and it still didn’t put a dent in our crappy health service. The surge in hospitalisations and ICUs that was predicted never happened, basically.
I also think they’re being quite clever in actively hoping an absolute shit load of people catch omicron in February/March. The usual winter pressure on hospitals tends to ease off a bit after January and we now know that omicron is sufficiently mild (in a population as vaccinated as ours) that we can let it rip fairly safely. Which will give our population a nice immunity boost before the next covid wave (if there is another covid wave) To be honest, I think they should ditch masks too.
Who even are you anymore?
i would probably agree but as someone who hasn’t had Covid I’m also feeling a bit selfish and thinking feck that, it’s not much hassle for people and I don’t want to get it in the supermarket! It’s just til the end of February anyway as far as I’m aware right?
I also feel like a lot of people will still wear masks after. Seemingly a lot did in the UK.
At this stage I’m desperate to catch the fecking thing so I can recover in time for my snowboarding holiday in February. May need to start licking faces.
@Big-Red Any chance you could pimp out your other half?
@Big-Red Any chance you could pimp out your other half?
So the pubs are open till 2am, time for a mad session
@Massive Spanner @GDaly95 @golden_blunder
Get yourself some of these, just give them a wipe every morning and you are all good for the day.
Hoya Clear-It Anti Fog Wipes : Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care
Get yourself some of these, just give them a wipe every morning and you are all good for the day.
Hoya Clear-It Anti Fog Wipes : Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care
You still kiss ?
I’m hoping I already did and my amazing immune system that has never had a flu said feck off to it.
I'm in the same boat. She tested positive Monday after spending the weekend coughing in my face. I'm still negative.
Either the booster works or I've got it and nothing showing up on an antigen test.
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Sensible decision (and explanation) in Ireland re masks in pubs/clubs vs shops and public transport.