Coronavirus

[Trev]

It's a horrendous situation to be in for the maternity hospitals. Heard about it a while ago because my sister is due the end of the month and has been emailing her TDs trying to get something sorted, but just getting the usual "we are monitoring the situation" bullshit replies

The media outlets just seem to be completely ignoring it

[astfgyl]

There is of course a bit of a rise in "proper" cases as is inevitable for the time of year

Yes, as we all know, coronaviruses "inevitably" have a huge spike in autumn, but also spring, but depending on the country, since some follow a different pattern, but either way, it's all very simple once you ignore the epidemiological details, which of course you're allowed to do because the politicians are messing up their response and communication 

Yeah I suppose inevitable wasn't the right word. There is, however evidence of seasonality for the other common types of coronavirus as shown here: https://clinical-virology.net/en/charts/chart/ctype/activity/network/resp/section/viruses/virus/hcovocpos This one also appears to be following a trend of sorts, although not identical to the other types of coronavirus, it seems to be comparable. So nothing to do with anti-political bias this time.

So hopefully the pattern will be similar to what the lad there was predicting. In the northern hemisphere, it is common for respiratory viruses to fall away in summer, only to make a return in the winter months. That is the logic there I suppose. Probably something to do with the vitamin D deficiency during the darker days and more time spent indoors. So more likely to have "proper" cases in the winter months than Viral fragments picked up by testing with no symptoms.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

But there was no summer drop off to speak of in the US.

[astfgyl]

That could be explained by the differences in latitudes, with the northern states experiencing a different seasonality than the southern states. The graph of the whole US does not account for this difference.

[Grim Reality]

On the maternity thing, I understand your distress man, I had a niece born a few weeks ago under similar restrictions, but there is probably a sound medical basis for such severe measures.

Settings like hospitals (and nursing homes) have to keep the virus out at all costs. The working environment is very conducive to spread and those inside are the most vulnerable and likely to die prematurely. I'm in a pharmacy and we lost 4 regulars to covid, all linked to hospital transmission. All 4 had underlying conditions as well. But they have to do absolutely everything to try and keep it out of that setting. If even one prospective dad is positive, visits and introduces a cluster into a hospital setting that is a risk they cannot take.

Totally shit, and again I do feel for you, being a dad/husband myself.

Despite all that I would have a lot of sympathy for astfygl's reading of things. How history judges these times will be very interesting.

Some old and sick die prematurely from this. Most of the rest have had their lives put on hold. But how do you justify choosing death to allow freedom?

[Giggles]

Some old and sick die prematurely from this. Most of the rest have had their lives put on hold. But how do you justify choosing death to allow freedom?

Probably the same way we justify choosing to buy smart phones and cheap clothes, when we know that some poor cunts on the other side of the world are suffering for our luxeries. I'd also add "Many have had their lives destroyed as a result of anti-covid measures" to your quote there.

How old were your 4 regulars, if you don't mind me asking?

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Govt has rejected NPHET level 5 recommendation. What is it all a show astfygl? It may well have been and all!
https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/1005/1169652-covid-19/

[astfgyl]

Ah no lads, I fully understand that people have died and that people have suffered and whatever bollix I do say, I won't ever make light of the effect this has had on people. It is not in any way worthy of taking the piss. Sure ye can all see the effect the whole thing has had on my own brain and I don't even know anyone with it (well me cousin has it but he is the finest, young healthy etc) but the situation is unlike anything any of us has ever seen before so no denying that. the reason I'm digging so hard into it is that I'm looking for a way out tbh.

In more positive news, Mike Ryan of the WHO says that they estimate 750 million infections so far. Given a million reported deaths, and even doubling that to allow for uncertainty, that gives a fatality rate of 0.00266666666. Fuck even I didn't think it was that low. Let's quadruple it just to be sure... 0.00533333333. That can't be fucking right and I'm not even joking now saying that.

Edit: Wait I made a right fuck of those maths. Forgot to multiply it by 100. well that makes it 0.1% rate. Well I won't be quadrupling that then... and still I have a nagging feeling that it is lower again. No substance to that though

My honest opinion on NPHET and the carry on of them is another story altogether. Back to the public floggings perhaps?

[The Butcher]

Govt has rejected NPHET level 5 recommendation. What is it all a show astfygl? It may well have been and all!
https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/1005/1169652-covid-19/

Bit of a gamble..if it doesn't pay off, easy for opposition to point towards them ignoring NPHET recommendations, going on solo run and probably being forced to go to level 5 at a later date running the risk of....RUINING CHRISTMAS....which in Ireland would result in severe  serious note though...if our hospitals start to get overrun...FF/FG/Greens will be in huge trouble.

On the maternity side of things, wife was kept in from 34 weeks, wasn't allowed in to see her, had to meet her in the car park, then she had to get an emergency c-section, I was allowed in for the surgery but I wasn't allowed back to the ward with her after recovery which sucked...we had to take turns going to NICU, they wouldn't let us both on the same 12 hour shift so she's go up during the morning or afternoon and I'd have to go late at night. Not ideal but can't fault the brilliant staff, they are working under tough conditions and covid doesn't help with all that. I feel for anyone having to deal with the restrictions like this and for weddings/funerals. What strange times.

[Giggles]

Did any of our hospitals actually get overrun at any stage of this pandemic, with people being stuck for emergency treatment?

[astfgyl]

When my last 2 were born, we had to go in shifts to the hospital for a month due to having other kids to look after and it was rough. I can't imagine doing it all under the current conditions. I genuinely hope ye are all getting on ok with it. It certainly isn't any fault of the staff who have to play with the hand they have been dealt.

Govt has rejected NPHET level 5 recommendation. What is it all a show astfygl? It may well have been and all!
https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/1005/1169652-covid-19/

Like the budget or something, say the tax is going up 10% and then hit us for 5% type of thing? I hope it isn't that sort of silly stuff and instead the government have copped on a bit that there is more than one game in town.

[astfgyl]

Here have a read of this. Some of you might even sign it.. No bums on here, either. All proper.

https://gbdeclaration.org/

[The Butcher]

Did any of our hospitals actually get overrun at any stage of this pandemic, with people being stuck for emergency treatment?

There was a big drop in the number of people attending/being admitted to hospital with non-Covid illnesses back in March-May and I know hospitals cancelled elective surgeries and were able to increase ICU capacity at that time...but looks like now we are back to original ICU capacity that we had pre-pandemic which is scandalous in itself considering we had 6 months to improve this situation...and if it was actually improved properly, maybe we wouldn't have had panic recommendations to jump straight to level 5 nationwide for fear of overrunning the health system because this time around we don't have the same fear we did at the start and people are going to hospital instead of postponing. Read we only have 39 ICU beds left and most are taken up by non-covid patients. As I said, big risk for government doing this solo run if we start seeing decisions on who to save...when we saw this in Italy I believe this is what kicked Leo/Harris into gear back in mid-March. The comms from this government has been a bit of a shambles.

[Emphyrio]

That capacity hasn't increased greatly in the last 6 months is scandalous.

[Kurt Cocaine]

Govt has rejected NPHET level 5 recommendation. What is it all a show astfygl? It may well have been and all!
https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/1005/1169652-covid-19/

Getting quite feisty too....

https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-40060064.html