To be fair I donât see how public health messaging now can be anything but hopeless.
We are close to no restrictions and in that situation the virus will spread. But you cannot blame people for going to pubs and nightclubs and doing whatever else they do, when it is allowed.
Economics has won over public health. Public health practitioners, especially those affiliated to the state through NPHET, have been put in an impossible position. The regulations now are a two fingers to public health yet NPHET have been put in a position where they are expected to justify stuff they clearly donât believe in.
So how can public health practitioners come up with cogent messaging in this situation? How can they tell people not to do things that were previously everyday things, and that are once again classed as perfectly fine under the guidelines? I donât think they can.
Telling people they can do something - but then telling them they shouldnât - it doesnât work.
At the same time, I think the messaging has been hampered by management speak. Management speak exists to a large extent because every person in the public eye is now petrified of saying the wrong thing, and being crucified for it, so they say nothing of meaning. This type of management speak also means never admitting to mistakes, and boy have mistakes been made all through.
What I do think should be continually voiced and reinforced is the precarity of the situation, and that we are at serious risk of backsliding into proper lockdown.
But the Government and NPHET wonât do that because to do so means they have to admit they are (at best) gambling, and they canât be seen to admit to that.
Somewhat of their own making I suppose. What contingencies did they advise that were ignored that might have mitigated against our current position? Their set against and active obstruction of use of antigen testing has been bizarre. What I find odd also is that nphet didnât recommend the curfew that was introduced either.
So the Guardians 53% was a cynical misrepresentation of the facts? What is it with these freaks need for lying and misrepresentations to push the control agenda. Disturbing.
Roughly translated. If you are near someone who has Covid you are safe for 10 minutes if you have a mask versus 9 minutes without a mask. Resist the urge to have that second pint.
Whether widespread or not, but doctors wont see you or prescribe anything without a test if the symptoms are covid symptoms. That was the case for our daughter, so we had to have the test done before we could get anything arranged.
Secondly, is it not better to know you are safe or not from transmitting it further if you have symptoms? At least if it is negative you have that so you dont have to worry about spreading it.
Plus if you do have it, you may need the cert for time off work.
But if asymptomatic and have no symptoms, unless being a close contact there would be zero reason to test yourself.
Iâve never had a PCR test myself, never a reason to. Only did my first antigen test this week as it was the first time Iâve been a close contact. But there are still many reasons to get tested, albeit the obsession with some just to keep doing it randomly is a bit weird. At this stage, if you have a concern, you should do an antigen test and should only go to a testing centre if you have a positive antigen.
If you are worried about spreading it and thatâs why you are getting tested I donât think your logic makes sense. You can spread covid while symptomatic or asymptomatic.
Youâre symptomatic (have sniffles etc), you get tested - phew, negative result. Go about your business.
Two days later you pick up covid, youâre asymptomatic so you donât go for a test, but go about your business and end up passing it on.
If your logic is you get tested to stop the spread you need to be getting tested once a week regardless of symptoms.
hence why I said there was a few reasons to still go about getting tested and not just one. I also said if you were worried about spreading it âwith symptomsâ.
Of course you can spread with no symptoms. And unless you were that worried about it you would just end up testing yourself endlessly.
I also said if you were worried about it you should do an antigen test rather than doing PCR testing.
Why would some only be worried about spreading it âwith symptomsâ? You spread it either way. If youâre worried about one you should be worried about the other. May as well be shoving a swab up your nose daily if thatâs the case. Otherwise someone is just kidding themselves.
Iâm shoving a swab up my nose daily at the moment. Iâm in and out of schools every day at present and want to know if I get it so I donât pass it on. Iâm getting quite good at it. My test speed, swabbing and dropping are improving untold. I feel now I can really open up my nostrils and express myself.