🇮🇪 #Covid19 It’s been one year since the LongForgottenDublinPandemicExperimentOf2020™️
If we had paid attention, 2021 could have been much, much better. Here’s why..
[we didn’t learn, but it’s never too late!] 1/
On 13 Sept 2020 the national 7-day average was 187 cases/day (it’s currently 1,300 almost 7 times amount)
In context of summer 2020, there were concerns. So govt brought in new restrictions ~for Dublin only~
Most significant was a ban on indoor dining & pubs ~in Dublin only~ 2/
[+ an inter-county travel ban, limits on gatherings, closure of museums, & limits on some other not-so-high risk activities]
Most significant difference between Dublin & the Rest of Ireland was that indoor dining & pubs were open outside Dublin 3/ assets.gov.ie/87604/405b1065…
(rough maths)
HEPA filtration €400 per classroom is < weekly cost of 1 contact tracer
We pay *900* contact tracers
HEPA for EVERY classroom ~as permanent protection for EVERY variant, virus & pollution~ would cost <6 more months of 900 contact tracers irishexaminer.com/news/arid-4069…
(rough maths #2)
HEPA for EVERY classroom would be < cost of hospitalising 1,800 children (for average 1 week each)
1,800 schoolchildren is the number that would be expected to be hospitalised if 1 in 4 of all schoolchildren were infected in the coming months (0.25%)
(rough maths #3)
HEPA filtration for EVERY classroom as permanent protection would cost less than the *increase* in funding to horse & greyhound racing this year (up from €84m to €96m in 2021) rte.ie/sport/racing/2…
🇮🇪 Ireland: isolation of ‘close contacts’ if not vaccinated
🏴 England: no isolation of any under 18s for any reason
🇫🇷 France #schools “masks, mandatory from age 6.. classrooms regularly ventilated… In primary schools, if one child tests positive, class will close for 7 days.. In high schools children positive & not vaccinated placed into isolation for at least 1 week” amp.france24.com/en/france/2021…
🇮🇹 Italy ‘masks for everyone aged over six, staggered entrance/exit times, quarantine rules for classes with positive cases & some classes taught online, depending on the health situation in local area’ thelocal.it/20210831/expla…
😷 Many people WFH are concerned about risks in offices, schools, colleges & other buildings
🏢Workplace safety is regulated in EU (& other places). Virus is a biological agent & that requires precautions @EU_OSHA 1/ osha.europa.eu/en/themes/covi…
‘identification & assessment of risks is starting point for managing occupational safety & health.. Employers are obliged to revise risk assessment when there is change, to consider all risks, including affecting mental health..& to make an action plan’ 2/ oshwiki.eu/wiki/COVID-19:…
In Ireland, workplace safety is the responsibility of the Health & Safety Authority @TheHSAhsa.ie/eng/
🇻🇳 Vietnam ‘modern field hospital for 500 #Covid19 patients’, let’s look at INFECTION CONTROL in Asia
thread with Google Translate, HT @DzungLeVN for link) 1/ zingnews.vn/benh-vien-da-c…
‘Hospitals use ventilation one-way to avoid cross infection’ 2/
‘This is considered one of most modern facilities in Vietnam to treat #Covid19 patients. The hospital is in 3 zones
🟩 Green area- administration
🟨 Yellow area- dormitory, canteen, testing & equipment
🟥 Red area- treatment’ 3/
(rough maths)
Let’s say 6,000 cases/day by late Sept..& let’s say 1/3 are children..so that’s 14,000 kids/week.. that’s 1 infected child in half all classrooms in Ireland..& then add close-contacts, siblings, teachers… & add parents off work, minding kids & isolating.. & worse..
.. let’s say 1 in 100 have to go to hospital, that’s 140 children/week.. & if only 10% of them need ICU that’s 14 children.. in a country where there are only 31 ICU beds for all sick children
This crisis was foreseeable.
[6,000 cases/day is NPHET Central1 range, 14 Jul slide)
.. so if 14 in ICU (say €2,500/night) & 126 in hospital (say €1,000).. that’s €1 million/wk cost.. & add deferred treatments & surgeries for other sick children.. & the other 13,860/wk kids with ‘mild illness’ (not hospitalised)?
Over 1,500 will likely get Long Covid (>5 wks)