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Fascinating. Could have sworn I saw something broadly identical on Gemma's page.
The 4 'scandals' you listed below:
-2 are not scandals at all
-2 are sadly very common international outcomes in a pandemic
Not everything is a scandal or conspiracy, Paddy. https://twitter.com/paddycosgrave/status/1263816445030531072
The 4 'scandals' you listed below:
-2 are not scandals at all
-2 are sadly very common international outcomes in a pandemic
Not everything is a scandal or conspiracy, Paddy. https://twitter.com/paddycosgrave/status/1263816445030531072
1. Care homes.
Definitely a scandal that the world cared so little about old people pre-pandemic but the Irish outcome in this regard is common.
Countries that show how difficult care homes are to protect are Australia and New Zealand, because of their location and strategy.
Definitely a scandal that the world cared so little about old people pre-pandemic but the Irish outcome in this regard is common.
Countries that show how difficult care homes are to protect are Australia and New Zealand, because of their location and strategy.
Care home deaths as a % of overall deaths
Canada - 82%
New Zealand - 80%
Minnesota - 80%
Rhode Island - 73%
Pennsylvania - 66%
Spain* - 66%
Ireland - 62.3%
Norway - 62.1%
Belgium - 51%
France* - 50%
Sweden* - 50%
Germany* - 37%
*Govt-acknowledged-underestimates
Canada - 82%
New Zealand - 80%
Minnesota - 80%
Rhode Island - 73%
Pennsylvania - 66%
Spain* - 66%
Ireland - 62.3%
Norway - 62.1%
Belgium - 51%
France* - 50%
Sweden* - 50%
Germany* - 37%
*Govt-acknowledged-underestimates
5 weeks ago WHO said 50% of deaths in Europe were in Care Homes but it's likely closer to ~75% than 50%.
Why? Hospital deaths are accounted for. The huge Excess Mortality in UK, Spain, France, Italy comes outside hospital i.e. care homes & homes.
50% = sizeable underestimate.
Why? Hospital deaths are accounted for. The huge Excess Mortality in UK, Spain, France, Italy comes outside hospital i.e. care homes & homes.
50% = sizeable underestimate.
I'm sure you noticed Rhode Island is not a country.
American Federal Government weren't even counting nursing home deaths, you have to rely on the New York Times for that.
Relying on journalists to try count them is the case in dozens of countries, including Brazil & Ecuador.
American Federal Government weren't even counting nursing home deaths, you have to rely on the New York Times for that.
Relying on journalists to try count them is the case in dozens of countries, including Brazil & Ecuador.
Notwithstanding NZ (80%) and Australia (29%) being in the middle of nowhere, and executing Elimination and Suppression strategies very well, they *still* weren't able to protect their care homes.
What all of the above highlights is care homes are exceptionally hard to protect.
What all of the above highlights is care homes are exceptionally hard to protect.
Care home staff underpaid, understaffed, underappreciated and overworked everywhere from Sydney to Seattle, from Dunedin to Dublin.
Those settings are impossible to keep all viruses out and are decimated annually by respiratory viruses such as flu - everywhere.
Global issue.
Those settings are impossible to keep all viruses out and are decimated annually by respiratory viruses such as flu - everywhere.
Global issue.
2. Meat Factories
Outbreaks everywhere, in large part due to the nature of the work - a lot of people cramped into relatively small spaces.
USA and Brazil getting hit worst of all in meat factories but countries with good responses like Germany are getting smashed too.
Outbreaks everywhere, in large part due to the nature of the work - a lot of people cramped into relatively small spaces.
USA and Brazil getting hit worst of all in meat factories but countries with good responses like Germany are getting smashed too.
This article on German meat factories is illustrative.
400 of the 1100 workforce in one Baden-Württemberg meat factory tested positive. Half of one factory in Münster tested positive and even had to go to court to ask them to close it for a few weeks. https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2020/05/14/German-slaughterhouses-under-fire-over-COVID-19-spread
400 of the 1100 workforce in one Baden-Württemberg meat factory tested positive. Half of one factory in Münster tested positive and even had to go to court to ask them to close it for a few weeks. https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2020/05/14/German-slaughterhouses-under-fire-over-COVID-19-spread
French clusters in meat factories - https://www.just-food.com/news/france-sees-three-covid-19-clusters-at-meat-plants_id143705.aspx
Australia outbreaks in meat factories - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/09/cedar-meats-cluster-why-abattoir-workers-are-on-the-coronavirus-frontline
At least 220 outbreaks infecting 19,000 meat workers in America and this is a huge underestimate due to low testing levels - https://thefern.org/2020/04/mapping-covid-19-in-meat-and-food-processing-plants/
Australia outbreaks in meat factories - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/09/cedar-meats-cluster-why-abattoir-workers-are-on-the-coronavirus-frontline
At least 220 outbreaks infecting 19,000 meat workers in America and this is a huge underestimate due to low testing levels - https://thefern.org/2020/04/mapping-covid-19-in-meat-and-food-processing-plants/
1. It's impossible to socially distance in meat factory settings
2. Workforce's are underpaid and overworked
3. Nobody cared before the Pandemic
That's another of your "Irish scandals" actually being a very common outcome of a pandemic, that is being replicated globally.
2. Workforce's are underpaid and overworked
3. Nobody cared before the Pandemic
That's another of your "Irish scandals" actually being a very common outcome of a pandemic, that is being replicated globally.
3. Cancer screenings
Mammograms & colon cancer screenings down nearly 100% in April across the world.
I wrote a thread on the tens of millions canceled electives & cancer screenings in US, UK, NZ, Australia, Ireland, France, Spain, Germany and Canada: https://twitter.com/Care2much18/status/1263456988413005825
Mammograms & colon cancer screenings down nearly 100% in April across the world.
I wrote a thread on the tens of millions canceled electives & cancer screenings in US, UK, NZ, Australia, Ireland, France, Spain, Germany and Canada: https://twitter.com/Care2much18/status/1263456988413005825
It's not a "scandal" to cancel cancer screenings during a pandemic.
It's a tough decision by Public Health Experts across world, driven by science, that the risk of proceeding was too high and to postpone until the risk is lower.
Ireland followed international best practice.
It's a tough decision by Public Health Experts across world, driven by science, that the risk of proceeding was too high and to postpone until the risk is lower.
Ireland followed international best practice.
4. PPE
I've got a "PPE shortage" article bookmarked for 65 different countries.
Not a scandal that the entire world experienced problems in PPE procurement and deployment.
It's called a pandemic. PPE shortages happened in H1N1 and Ebola epidemics too. Demand skyrockets.
I've got a "PPE shortage" article bookmarked for 65 different countries.
Not a scandal that the entire world experienced problems in PPE procurement and deployment.
It's called a pandemic. PPE shortages happened in H1N1 and Ebola epidemics too. Demand skyrockets.
Neither was it a scandal that bulk of limited PPE went to hospitals early on.
If community infection is high, Italy-esque overload in ICU occurs - but estimates of ~80% of Italy deaths being in care homes, shows high community infection correlates to higher care home deaths.
If community infection is high, Italy-esque overload in ICU occurs - but estimates of ~80% of Italy deaths being in care homes, shows high community infection correlates to higher care home deaths.
You didn't mention asylum-seekers.
IMO that's actually a very weak point of Ireland's generally strong response - failing to protect migrants.
This virus attacks people clustered together in cramped spaces. Communal kitchens/bedrooms simply won't cut it in a pandemic.
IMO that's actually a very weak point of Ireland's generally strong response - failing to protect migrants.
This virus attacks people clustered together in cramped spaces. Communal kitchens/bedrooms simply won't cut it in a pandemic.
Neither will €38 a week.
Covering basic needs before €38 kicks in doesn't take account of how a pandemic changes those basic needs. I've read hours of studies on the ways a Pandemic disproportionately impacts poor-people in the long term.
Countries must help the poor.
Covering basic needs before €38 kicks in doesn't take account of how a pandemic changes those basic needs. I've read hours of studies on the ways a Pandemic disproportionately impacts poor-people in the long term.
Countries must help the poor.
What I'm trying to do with these boring threads is to inform people.
You can have better debates when you properly frame the challenges Ireland face, rather than just going around like Gemma saying everything is an Irish-failure and vast conspiracy waiting to be uncovered.
You can have better debates when you properly frame the challenges Ireland face, rather than just going around like Gemma saying everything is an Irish-failure and vast conspiracy waiting to be uncovered.
What you're doing is spinning common international outcomes of a pandemic into distinctly Irish failings.
You're also dismissing "Covid19" as a factor in anything.
That virus is insanely transmissible and spreads lightning fast but you wouldn't know it from the way you talk.
You're also dismissing "Covid19" as a factor in anything.
That virus is insanely transmissible and spreads lightning fast but you wouldn't know it from the way you talk.
Lots we can learn from other countries.
Jordan showed innovation in nursing homes. Portugal showed innovation in migrant citizenship. Denmark are showing innovation in schools.
Presenting everything as a "SCANDAL" isn't productive or innovative - it just highlights ignorance.
Jordan showed innovation in nursing homes. Portugal showed innovation in migrant citizenship. Denmark are showing innovation in schools.
Presenting everything as a "SCANDAL" isn't productive or innovative - it just highlights ignorance.
