Coronavirus in Ireland/N Ireland

[beanaseireann]

The first case of Coronavirus has been confirmed in Northern Ireland.
A passenger travelled from Italy to the North via Dublin.
I don't know how we will cope in the Republic if we have large numbers ill with the virus as our health service is already at breaking point.

I believe the map is meaningless. It's rife in NI. There are thousands and thousands of cases.

@Myshitisreal thanks for clarifying that.

@KayakingOnDown that is scary. Like the other thread on here symptoms seem so varied. We 're not testing much. The testing is only 70% accurate. Doesn't add up to anything useful.

I'm seeing posts about making masks for staff & wanting baby monitors but can't see anything directly from hospitals.

There is a new app being used to record symptoms but not sure how they know if it's C19 or not....

Yeah I'm sure it is but its the first specific information of any kind we've had. I seen that gent on the news at lunch but it was clear they cut a lot of the interview so I didn't get to hear the rest. That's frightening

Kayak, how do you know it’s thousands and thousands?

Arlene, I don't, but if 60% of people who get it are asymptomatic (but able to spread it), it's one of the most contagious viruses scientists have ever encountered, and hardly anyone now is being tested (literally only those who are severely ill, and not even health care workers), it seems reasonable that it easily will be in the thousands. It'll be the same in ROI.

Add to that, anecdotally, I've heard of dozens of people with symptoms, who will never be tested. I myself have it, diagnosed by two GPs, but will (hopefully) not be ill enough to be tested. I'm hoping an antibody test will become available later.

I discovered today that I'm no good at painting anything. I knew I couldn't paint rooms although I try but today i was painting my cupboards and although they are okay, i can still see where the paint dripped. Ah well, not many people will see it and anything would look better than the peeling laminate that was there.

I'm feeling a bit lot pms-ey today and this made me well up a bit
www.thejournal.ie/an-post-services-5057083-Mar2020/

Pretty sure I've got it. No fever but pain in lungs. It's getting worse each day. Cant take a deep breath as I would normal. Tonight it's so sore I feel tearful.

Was taking to my doctor today - I won't be tested now - but if it's not Covid-19 I don't know what it is.

I'm sorry to hear that Squigean.

If it doesn't improve over night , you should ring your doctor again. Ordinary illnesses aren't taking time off for this - it may be something else that just needs a course of medication.

So sorry for you though it is shit to feel like that.
Have you tried steam inhalation, some people on the Symptoms thread were finding great relief from it

@Squigean hope you're feeling better soon. Do check out the lungs on fire thread for help x

Tony Holohan said that if your symptoms worsen to definitely keep in touch with your GP even if you don't qualify for testing.

If 94% of tests were negative, I agree that it needs to be tightened up cos that's a big waste of tests. But tightening up means a much bigger Spike in confirmed cases cos you're increasing the odds of getting a positive result.

Only 4 in our ICU at the moment. Not bad. Everyone seems really positive, loads of staff still, enough PPE, staff nurse interviews going on yesterday for contingency staff, loads of contingency beds being made free. Everyone feels we are due a surge but we have contingency plans for a surge.

Was talking to one of the Respitory Consultants yesterday and he said he was very pleased with the governments response so far. They have gotten everything they need to prepare without question. (Am in ROI btw)

Get better soon Squigean and Kayaking

Do you feel things are well organised Elspeth? My dd1 thinks so, management working very long hours, I hope the strategy is working.
A friend was recently diagnosed with pleurisy, I'm wondering about that now! I hope everyone is feeling better, it's a testing time.

It's exactly a month since I started the thread.
How life has changed.

I have to say, I think the HSE, Dept of Health and the government are doing a great job in dealing with this unprecedented crisis and I was very doubtful they could or would do a good job - see my post on 7th March.

Yeah I have to say they seem on the ball.

We have loads of PPE for example - it's all in new packaging and God knows what supplier or country they got it from, but it's here!

We have information emails every single day and have all had training. Lots of people all pulling in the same direction. Feels well organized from the top down. There are places in my hospital being concerted to corona units but they are at present just in case. But between all that work and the private hospitals being taken over by the HSE, I have a lot of confidence that we're becoming as well prepared as any country could be.

The thing that's not fast enough is results. But I know several private research labs around the country are being literally given over to testing so hopefully that'll get faster and faster.

That's really good to hear @ElspethFlashman thank you for that, and also a huge thank you for putting yourself in danger for us.

There were 2 hospital doctors on prime time last night, one from Wexford and one from Cork and they both said that hey felt the situation was under control which was really reassuring.

I just hope people can keep up the distancing and staying at home. It's hard especially on sunny days like today. We could do with some rain to keep people in! I live near the sea and there's a steady stream of people out for walks, so much so that we're going out early morning or late evening to try to avoid people.

They keep reiterating that the social distancing is working when they go to contact trace positive cases, and the average now is 5 contacts rather than the 20 at the beginning of all this. I hope that's an incentive to stick with it.

@beanaseireann I completely agree, I couldn't have imagined how much our lives would change in such a short time. Sometimes I forget and think I must do something really ordinary like go and buy cat food or do the recycling and then I remember. Strange times.

According to BBCNI hospital visiting is being ended, but it doesn't say when. Is visiting still happening in ROI?

Glad to hear you are more prepped, Elspeth. Best of luck in the coming weeks.

Kayak, I forgot to reply to you, sorry about that!

That's good news. My dd1's nurse colleagues are being moved into residential care settings, I'd worry disability work will become even more of a Cinderella after this. That's for another day.
I thought hospital visiting ended here, apart from end of life patients, a couple of weeks ago. MIL will be devastated if NI hospital visiting ends, it is her hobby!

Also want to mention that absolutely everyone who has gone through the car testing centres has had nothing but praise for how efficient they were. You don't have to get out of the car and are through in 10 mins. Very well set up service.

@elspeth it's great to see you're updates, they are very reassuring. Thank you.

I find myself that I'm not as worried about the virus as I was before. I feel like were in good hands and the government are doing everything they can. I guess the kids being off school and shops closing/ really implementing social distancing is helping.

This time last month there were some people laughing and joking about the virus, most of this is gone now thankfully.

My work is hell at the minute, I work for a global company and we are really feeling the repercussions of other lockdowns around the world.

Feeling guilty as the parents of the scouts group ds is in have been sending pics of these lovely scenic walks the kids have been on with their parents, whereas ds has just been home with me while I've been on the laptop working

According to BBCNI hospital visiting is being ended, but it doesn't say when.

Tbh I was shocked to hear this as I thought that had already stopped! I have no idea why it wasn’t stopped ages ago!

It was suspended this afternoon apparently. I was amazed it was still allowed.

ElspethFlashman
Are you working in a hospital in the RoI ?
Keep safe and well.

www.thejournal.ie/good-news-ireland-coronavirus-an-garda-siochana-5058726-Mar2020/
This is lovely. Pity they have taken away all the guards in rural areas!