Coronavirus Thread (Markey hates Immigrants )

[Heyyoubehindthebushes]

Let’s look at the HSE systems for covid. HSE live, mass PCR testing and contact tracing. These systems at the coalface have sub contracted out to private company’s to carry out the work under the HSE banner. These companies employee a substantial volume of part time workers who are students on minimum wage to do the work. Training consists of maybe a 1 day of demonstration and paperwork instructions that are signed at the end to say you are trained. These are not medical professionals but effective at following protocols they are trained in (reading instructions) and signed a sheet at the end.

I’m waiting on @chesty to suggest it has to be medically trained personal

[glasagusban]

No pal, you’re telling lies.

I’ve pointed out how.

Stop telling lies and misrepresenting facts to suit your argument. Or if it was innocent, inform yourself better.

[TheUlteriorMotive]

@Cheasty

I’ve asked you a question. Answer it.

And now you think you’re Jeremy Paxman

[Cheasty]

@TheUlteriorMotive

And now you think you’re Jeremy Paxman

You think you’re Jeremy Kyle.

[balbec]

If you want to have extensive Antigen testing, fine. But for it to have any credibility I would think that has to be done at approved locations. And that will require investment to set up centres. It probably should have been considered earlier as being another tool to use together with vaccines. It’s a bit late in the day to talk about getting it set up in a couple of weeks in July.

[carryharry]

Is there any info of the cost of the Antigen tests in these countries? Is it affordable to the average Joe to test themselves 356 days a year for example?

[Tierneevin1979]

@carryharry

Is this not a very simple method?

Yes but you can’t trust Paddy to do the test honestly. He would fake it just to get into a pub for pints.

[glasagusban]

Exactly. You use widespread home testing, any positive result is confirmed with a PCR test. It catches hundreds of cases that would otherwise not be caught and more importantly stops them spreading.

It’s hugely useful and children can do it.

If you wanted to use antigen tests for other purposes, such as to access hospitality, you don’t differently and require it to be done in a supervised setting.

It’s really simple, and it’s quite effective. (Sid would rather tell lies and say it’s impossible though.)

[carryharry]

My original thought was exactly that but if you had to log results online via PPS number for example, contact GP and then take a PCR test?

If you take a home antigen test and it’s positive, can that test be kept for inspection afterwards?

[Biff_Egan]

Gavan Reilly (gavreilly)

[Cheasty]

@tallback

I don’t recall any credible calls for this - could you post links please. Any of the calls I’ve seen for Antigen testing for travel, events, workplaces etc was on the basis of it being performed by trained persons.

There you go @tallback, another one.

@glasagusban

In countries across Europe they’ve trained schoolchildren to self test. Every child tests themselves each week. This picks up hundreds of cases and prevents further infection.

So in this instance, a trained purpose is a schoolchild.

[carryharry]

It’s reliant on honesty though….

[tallback]

@Cheasty

I’ve asked you a question. Answer it.

You ask questions the same way some bore does at a conference.

“This is more of a comment than a question….”

FWIW - There actually isn’t a question (or question mark) in your last comment

[glasagusban]

Generally retailing at five euro a go across Europe. States operating home test systems provide them free to be used once or twice a week.

[Cheasty]

I didn’t say it’s impossible. It’s obviously possible given what Denmark have done. So that’s a clear lie on your part.

Disingenuousness and bad faith ahoy.

[glasagusban]

It isn’t. Home testing is about picking up cases that aren’t otherwise picked up.

Say schools are all open. You can work away with that.

Or, use home testing as well, pick up a bunch of cases and take them out of circulation.

Schools are open either way, using home testing takes a rake of cases across a country out of schools and slows spread.

[tallback]

@balbec

If you want to have extensive Antigen testing, fine. But for it to have any credibility I would think that has to be done at approved locations. And that will require investment to set up centres. It probably should have been considered earlier as being another tool to use together with vaccines. It’s a bit late in the day to talk about getting it set up in a couple of weeks in July.

I’d agree and thats kinda the point. The reason there isn’t such an infrastructure is due to a unique public health viewpoint put forward in Ireland. Fair enough but as a result of that choice their subsequent overnight suggestion of vaccine passes for the population is unnecessarily divisive - possibly causing its failure.

These are all a series of connected policy choices by the same group.

[balbec]

All the more reason not to be bounced into a decision and take your time to ask for more data.

[tallback]

@Cheasty

@tallback

I don’t recall any credible calls for this - could you post links please. Any of the calls I’ve seen for Antigen testing for travel, events, workplaces etc was on the basis of it being performed by trained persons.

There you go @tallback, another one.

@glasagusban

In countries across Europe they’ve trained schoolchildren to self test. Every child tests themselves each week. This picks up hundreds of cases and prevents further infection.

So in this instance, a trained purpose is a schoolchild.

Post his follow up point about official tests for purposes such as travel etc there like a good lad

[Cheasty]

I asked you - given you say antigen testing should be on the table - what would be the precise requirements for its roll out?

Who would do it, where would it be done, how much of it would be needed.

These are not unreasonable requests to ask of anybody who is in favour of it.

And indeed I am not against it myself.

The reason I say antigen testing has become a “buzzphrase” is precisely because when I have asked people here what exactly it would entail they go silent or sarky.

I think @balbec has made a very reasonable post there on the same topic.

Wide scale antigen testing, which would also require a large upscaling of PCR testing, would require considerable investment. It can’t just be rolled put overnight. It has to be serious, it has to be comprehensive, and it has to be above board.