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Has there been a policy change?

All things COVID
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knownunknown
Posts: 1872
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2021 6:55 pm

Has there been a policy change?

#1

Post by knownunknown »

At a time when we are recording the highest case numbers the government are advising people against pcr tests and reducing the quarantine times dramatically. 92% of cases are now the Omnicron variant and is far less severe. It looks like we’re just allowing this variant to just burn through the population, a clear deviation from previous strategy. Thoughts?
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Del.Monte
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Location: The Sunny South East

Re: Has there been a policy change?

#2

Post by Del.Monte »

What policy? The government are just bumbling along hoping that something will turn up to save the situation.
'no more blah blah blah'
490808
Posts: 1487
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2021 1:10 pm

Re: Has there been a policy change?

#3

Post by 490808 »

Thats what I thought and nearly posted something similar but then I read up on the subject.

Explained: What are the changes to Covid testing and isolation rules?
People aged between four and 39 who have symptoms should self-isolate and take regular antigen tests which they will receive in the post after contacting the HSE. If an antigen test returns a positive result then the person should book a PCR test to confirm the result. If the antigen tests return negative/not detected results, they should continue to isolate for a further 48 hours after their symptoms subside.
So you can still get a PCR tests but you should have a positive antigen test first.
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peasant
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Re: Has there been a policy change?

#4

Post by peasant »

It's definitely a policy change ...otherwise everybody would ring up work, sniffle down the phone a bit and extend the Christmas holliers for another 10 days "self isolating"...I know, I'd love to :mrgreen:
marhay70
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Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2021 4:18 pm

Re: Has there been a policy change?

#5

Post by marhay70 »

The learned amongst us, which does not include me, are of the opinion that Omicron could signal the end of the Pandemic. The virus could have mutated to be a much more lethal force or a much more contagious force and it has "chosen" the latter. Although Omicron is running rampant in those countries where it has taken hold, it is not causing anything like the severity of illness of previous variants and current restrictions are just a damage limiting exercise. Future variants, it is hoped, will follow the same course in which case Covid will just be one more Coronavirus among the many we already live with. Let's hope they're right.
Samson
Posts: 99
Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2021 6:20 pm

Re: Has there been a policy change?

#6

Post by Samson »

Would seem hypochondriacs have been removed from making policy decisions, South Africa removing Covid restrictions and getting back to normal, we need some leadership to follow their lead, Omicron is a busted flush, nobody gives a damn about covid any more, it over for all but the bedwetters.
Hairy-Joe
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Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2021 3:33 pm

Re: Has there been a policy change?

#7

Post by Hairy-Joe »

Don't forget that the testing capacity is full. They can't do any more tests if they wanted to. Having antigen test beforehand looks to me that it's being used to screen to reduce the hypochondriac taking up valuable testing capacity
PogMoThoin
Posts: 192
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2021 5:33 am

Re: Has there been a policy change?

#8

Post by PogMoThoin »

Policy? The next thing to expect is advising we try flat 7-up
BrianD3
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Re: Has there been a policy change?

#9

Post by BrianD3 »

Looks like the "narrative" has changed considerably. On both Sky News and RTE the main stories are now about staff absences and isolation rules being relaxed.

There is little about deaths, nursing homes, ventilators.

There are apparently 400 Mater hospital staff off for Covid reasons. The vast majority will be asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms. If these staff come into work while being potentially contagious, what will happen? Covid seems to cause mild symptoms even in vulnerable people. The risk of those 400 healthcare staff not going to work may be higher than that associated with them going to work

With Omicron so transmissible yet mild, it has never been more important to categorise hospitalisations/ICU cases/deaths as with or from. Personally, I think things are looking good now and we might not have to endure Holohan advising us to wash our hands (to protect against an airborne, respiratory virus) for much longer.
knownunknown
Posts: 1872
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2021 6:55 pm

Re: Has there been a policy change?

#10

Post by knownunknown »

I just read on politico that the science behind the reduced quarantine periods comes from a study in the u.s. that is not peer reviewed yet. Crazy stuff.

The head of the cdc says it was partly a political decision because only 1/3 people were following the health guidance. Trust the politics folks!
However the study, which has not been peer-reviewed, looked at infectivity from the Alpha and Delta variants of concern, and was carried out before Omicron was dominant.
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