Coronavirus - Here come the variants

[glasagusban]

In their heads they are following the science, they are limiting circulation etc and that is doing their job, but there is an incredible patronising bang of we know best off public health doctors that sickens my hole.

[Batigol]

Themselves and many politicians have taken a “teacher speaking to naughty children” tone to this whole thing

[Heyyoubehindthebushes]

Itll all come out I the wash in 10 years during a multi million euro tribunal. While we all will say we saw it while it happened.

Like the great fingerton said I picked a figure out of my hole

[Heyyoubehindthebushes]

Maybe that’s why teacher bashing is so popular on here. Reminds me of my school days

[Arthur]

‘like a new virus’ is the epedemiology version of ‘like a new signing’.

[tallback]

@Batigol

Themselves and many politicians have taken a “teacher speaking to naughty children” tone to this whole thing

Why?

Because I said so

[tallback]

@glasagusban

Even if you’re going to give them the benefit of the doubt that age is the most important factor, why was their initial assessment different and why are they changing now?

There is another issue at play for me here and that’s the social contract and fairness. We’ve decided having schools open and in person is a priority and so teachers will be required to attend schools, and we need Gardaí to do a job that may of necessity bring them into contact with the virus (literally, we want them to arrest people who have tested positive in some cases). We have told everyone else to stay at home. In those circumstances where we are asking more of these workers than we are of the general population is it fair to prioritise them for vaccination? In my view absolutely yes. Special needs workers, carers and home help assistants too. And yes I think the same reasoning applies to taxi drivers and retail workers, although the risk is along way of a lower order to what teachers and Gardaí are required to do.

Another thing I found interesting was Denmark’s age based system of prioritisation. Once they get down as far as 50 or 40 they skip down to the youngest people and work their way back up. Something to do with the numbers of close contacts and it being the most effective way to prevent spread. That appears smart to me. We appear to have taken the most simplistic approad with the least nuance and argued it’s supported by age being the most important factor. I’m entirely unconvinced by the rationale being offered, I think we’re taking the simplest approach because it’s the simplest approach.

Now, it may be that getting the vaccine out faster is the best approach full stop, and this is the way to doing that. I’m not convinced by that either, but I’d buy it. I don’t buy the age based approach because for me it ignores too many other factors.

I agree that it’s poor that they changed their advice so drastically. That being said - were guards/teachers ever explicitly called out as priority - I seem to remember them agitating from early on to be bumped up the queue.

I don’t agree with your assertion that guards/teachers have been been asked to go to work while “everyone else is told to stay at home” or that there risk levels are dramatically higher. Maybe in terms of public servants but not when you include the private sector. There are hundreds of thousands of workers who have not been at home during this crisis.You assert the risk is lower for all these workers. I presume this is a guess/assumption on your side or do you have data to back that up?

On a similar note did NIAC ever publish the data/analysis behind their recommendation as that would be informative?

[glasagusban]

If NIAC published their data in sure all my quibbles would be blown out of the water. Why don’t they I wonder…

I don’t think there’s anyone in the private sector that is required to be in a room with 30 adults as secondary school teachers are, or in a room with 30 kids with no masks like primary school teachers. I’d be more concerned about Gardaí though, I don’t think anyone in any other job has to anything like what they have to.

What private sector workers are exposed to similar risks? Maybe I have a blind spot but I can’t think of any other jobs that people are being required to do that are ongoing that involve similar levels of risk. Carers and home help perhaps?

[the_man_himself]

A lot more outbreaks in meat plants than schools I would’ve thought

[tallback]

@glasagusban

If NIAC published their data in sure all my quibbles would be blown out of the water. Why don’t they I wonder…

I don’t think there’s anyone in the private sector that is required to be in a room with 30 adults as secondary school teachers are, or in a room with 30 kids with no masks like primary school teachers. I’d be more concerned about Gardaí though, I don’t think anyone in any other job has to anything like what they have to.

What private sector workers are exposed to similar risks? Maybe I have a blind spot but I can’t think of any other jobs that people are being required to do that are ongoing that involve similar levels of risk. Carers and home help perhaps?

Surely at this stage, a year later, there’s data reflecting this substantially increased risk in terms of increased likelihood of getting it?

A quick Google found this - suggesting comparable levels of risk - which would back up the NIAC position.

Covid: Teachers' risk 'similar' to other under-65s

[tallback]

Also noteworthy how many groups parrot the line “follow the experts advice” when it aligns with their interests but are quick to rubbish the advice when it doesn’t

[backinatracksuit]

True,
Similarly, reversing the decision to vaccinate teachers seems to have been the first thing the government have got right in 14 months

[glasagusban]

Do you not see a massive difference between workers required to return to work, as a priority, while everyone else is told to work from home?

[TheUlteriorMotive]

It’s another example of NPHET taking the option that exposes them to less risk. Trying to vaccinate by job type would be a fucking car crash and they know it.

[dodgy_keeper]

@Fulvio_From_Aughnacloy

That Henry fella is an absolute clown.

Which member of NPHET infuriates you the most? It could make a TFK poll.

Henry is normally wheeled out on Saturday or Sunday morning by the river in Cork, preaching even more caution.

Glynn is pure harmless. When he was slaughtered the other week for asking “people to do more” he was like a rabbit in the headlights. A real substitute teacher vibe off him and nobody really takes him seriously.

De Gascun’s media appearances seem to have been curtailed lately.

Holohan hasn’t been seen in a while but I view him as a bit of a Bond villain, at home stroking the cat, a brandy in the other hand and telling Glynn on zoom what to say at that evening’s press briefing. Maintain lockdown, I repeat maintain lockdown.

Nolan is the worst of them IMO. Real whiff of academic snobbery off him, he enjoys lecturing the plebs. If only they were as smart as me, vibe. Regularly does the media rounds about what we can “expect” for the summer etc, before it’s even discussed by the cabinet.

I’d imagine he’s a thundering bollix off camera and widely disliked at Maynooth.

[Massey]

Set up a pole there lad

[tallback]

@glasagusban

Do you not see a massive difference between workers required to return to work, as a priority, while everyone else is told to work from home?

There’s a difference - I’m not sure I’d say “massive” without data but either way guards/teachers are a small minority of “workers required to return to work” and that point only addresses likelihood to get infected, not severity of infection

[Tim_Riggins]

Nolan and it ain’t close. I despise the way they wheel out Mary Favier when they want a member of NPHET not to speak for NPHET but from a personal capacity, which also just so happen to reflect the views of NPHET. She’s harmless enough though.

If you broadened it out to the ISAG crowd it would be a serious competition.

[glasagusban]

I’d group special needs workers and SNAs in wit teacher. Who else is required to return to work? Whose condition are even vaguely comparable to teachers or Gardaí?

[Spidey]

Who was the evil fucker they rolled out 6 weeks ago who said people should avoid saying final goodbyes to their dying loved ones in case they got covid?