Ireland on goals to control coronavirus

Green sprouts in winter are a rare sight, but they can certainly be seen in the current battle with the coronavirus.

There is definitely something new in the air right now.

It’s obvious and uplifting.

And it’s not the November weather transition from autumn to winter.

This week marks the beginning of Ireland’s turning point and maintaining it will be a major challenge.

But the early signs are very encouraging.

The battle to curb Covid-19 is working across all key indicators.

But big wars usually win through many small wars, not just one big victory.

Level 5 restrictions are strict.

But it also felt different from the previous one.

This time the school is open, more companies are running, and as a result, more people are moving around.

Of course, unlike earlier this year, it’s dark, cold and wet.

However, the shock associated with the initial blockade has disappeared.

People knew what to expect this time, even if they didn’t like it.

There are also big awards that are at stake.

The Christmas / New Year period is less than 7 weeks.

Most people want it to be as good as possible and are clearly making an effort.

It was such a desperate year that there were so many hopes for a wonderful Christmas with a loved one.

This probably helped reunite people and renewed a sense of solidarity between generations.

The battle for wearing masks, what the rules of best social distance should be, and what statistics teach us is currently predominant.

This week, a dramatic reduction in the incidence of Covid-19 among people between the ages of 19 and 24 was noticeable. It is also a testament to the commitment of young people who have received a lot of criticism. This age group has halved their contacts in the last five weeks. That’s a great achievement.

It is also worth noting that Ireland and Finland are the only European countries in the EU that have seen a 14-day decline in the incidence of Covid-19.

Only a few weeks ago, more than 1,200 cases were reported daily.

This is a cool lesson about how quickly the direction of this virus changes.

The mood of the country has changed. We look like we’re together again, at least for a while.

The coronavirus emergency ends at some point.

It will take some time for the virus to gradually decrease, but we hope that the time scale will be later next year.

If that happens, there is definitely a boom period. People will want to travel, buy new clothes, eat out, and spend time again.

After the coronavirus, we never see life exactly the same. It taught us to cherish precious things. There is a future in the future, and there is a reason to get well while overcoming what we are facing now.

The view from NPHET is that we are achieving our goals. It makes changes from the target NPHET itself.

The virus trajectory is close to where experts want at this point to reach the expected reductions by early December.

At that point, the government has decided to reopen the country.

NPHET hopes that the daily number of cases will decrease by 6-8% by the end of this month.

A statement from some NPHET members is that in December the level of discretionary indoor high-risk social contact people engage in needs to be kept low, indoors pubs and restaurants, including hotels, at Christmas. You can think of it as an early warning that you don’t want to open it with. If the case trends improve significantly by then, it can be a serious problem.

At this stage, no one can predict where we will be in late December.

Indeed, the various levels 1 to 5 set out in the government’s Covid-19 life plan can be a bit blurry if new conditions are added during the Christmas / New Year period.

Christmas is an economically, socially and spiritually important time.

For hotels, restaurants and pubs, it’s also one of their peak periods.

At the depths of late December in Ireland, eating outside is not a viable option.

Therefore, a delicate balance needs to be made not only to allow society and the economy to function during this period, but also to prevent the virus from building a new foothold.

During the initial blockade, hospital attendance and hospitalization decreased dramatically. Most non-essential medical services have been suspended. As a result, there were concerns about delays in care, such as the suspension of screening services.

This time it’s different. Given the need for coronavirus precautions, many services other than Covid-19 continue, albeit at a slightly reduced rate. But again, the concern is that the number of patients going to the emergency department and being hospitalized is declining. Delays in care by people can be very serious.

At the peak of the coronavirus here in April, the number of emergency department patients dropped to 13,444 in a week. There are more than 26,000 participants in a normal week.

According to the latest HSE figures, the number of emergency department attendance has dropped to 20,729 during the week leading up to early November. This has reduced admission fees.

The message from HSE is that hospitals are open and safe for Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 care. GP is also running. Delayed care can mean that health interventions may need to be more important when the patient finally participates. Delays can also be fatal.

In addition to the threat of Covid-19, there are also campaigns to vaccinate many people in the at-risk group with the flu. So far, no confirmed cases of influenza have been detected here. In Europe, influenza cases are rare and this is probably aided by social distance and hygiene practices for Covid-19.

HSE is campaigning to acquire endangered groups, including children vaccinated with influencea. Approximately 1.2 million vaccinations were given to adults. This is more than the 2019/20 and 2018/19 seasons and much faster than the previous year. Approximately 600,000 doses using nasal drops are provided to children.

It was difficult for some people who were not in the group at risk of wanting to get the flu vaccine. Many chemists report that vaccines are not available due to demand shortages. The international demand was that it was frustrating for those who wanted to get the vaccine personally. If unresolved, it can compromise the entire influenza vaccination program.

There has been much debate about the relevance of the underlying conditions of people infected with Covid-19. According to the latest report from the Health Protection Surveillance Center, just under 94% of people who died from Covid-19 were in an underlying condition. People with underlying illness are much more likely to require hospitalization and intensive care.

The most common underlying illnesses in those who die are chronic heart disease (44%), chronic neurological disease (35%), hypertension (18.7%), and chronic respiratory disease (18.3%).

At a Ministry of Health briefing Thursday evening, there was an important point raised by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan on the underlying situation.

He said in one quarter there was a story that people of a certain age, or people with an underlying illness who die of Covid-19, are not as important as others. It is a proposal that a certain amount of death in this category is acceptable. Dr. Holohan described the story as unpleasant.

All life is important. Designating one life as less valuable than another is a slippery slope. The job of doctors and society is to do everything possible to prevent as many deaths as possible from this virus.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said late last week that the Covid-19 test method was being tested and could be ready within a few weeks. He said they could be game changers if they were as good as claimed by the manufacturer. You need to be careful here.

The current “gold standard” for testing is PCR. Identify the genetic material of the virus. Currently, this is the most sensitive and concrete test.

There is an antigen test, but it is not very sensitive and one in five cases can be missed. The World Health Organization emphasizes that rapid antigen testing is not suitable for screening asymptomatic populations such as arriving passengers. Optimal deployment in areas with high positive rates.

It has applications for antigen testing. Many European countries use this system. One of the benefits is the speed of this test. At this stage, work is underway to validate the test and find the best place to use it.

In addition to the ongoing work to find safe and effective vaccines, better and faster testing methods must be another important area that will help repel viruses and free society and business. It will not be.

From tomorrow night, the EU traffic light system will be introduced.

The color is based on a 14-day case incidence of every 100,000 people.

People from the Green Area do not have to restrict their travel for 14 days after arriving here.

People from the EU Orange region can come to Ireland without restriction if the PCR test is negative 3 days before arrival.

If you arrive from the Red Region, you will be asked to limit your travel for 14 days. However, if the PCR test is negative 5 days after arriving here, this is exempt. The practical details of the change and where the approved tests will take place have not yet been determined.

Coronaviruses have disrupted our daily lives.

And it exposed a rift among society, doctors, scientists and politicians.

It makes deep use of people’s reserves and will require more.

The virus reminded people of the importance of freedom, unity, and calm in the face of great threats.

The fight against the coronavirus has demanded a new way of life, a different way of thinking, and resilience.

Now I’m more prepared and more focused than before.

And while no work is being done.

Now you can see the target.