"Why are we so angry at the Government and Nphet"

[Brendan Burgess]

This is an extraordinary headline in the Irish Times

Why are we so angry with the Government and Nphet?

Psychology can help us develop better responses to pandemic twists and turns

www.irishtimes.com

I am not angry with the government and nphet.

We have bailed out pubs, restaurants and other businesses and they are still complaining.

They might be angry, but I am not.

I understand that it's an ever-changing, unpredictable, messy situation.

Brendan

 

[Brendan Burgess]

OK, he didn't write the headline.

And I would not mind it if it had been "Why are some people, mainly business people, angry with the government?"

Brendan

 

[Purple]

We have bailed out pubs, restaurants and other businesses and they are still complaining.

We've actually bailed out their employees far more.

I'm not angry but I am frustrated that public servants are making all the decisions and those decisions are narrow, looking only at the short term impact and only in relation to Civid19, rather than broader public health. I'm not angry though. I miss Simon Harris. That's the biggest surprise to me in all of this.

 

[Sunny]

Maybe he just thinks a lot about about himself so was using the Royal 'We'........

 

[24601]

This is an extraordinary headline in the Irish Times

Why are we so angry with the Government and Nphet?

Psychology can help us develop better responses to pandemic twists and turns

www.irishtimes.com

I am not angry with the government and nphet.

We have bailed out pubs, restaurants and other businesses and they are still complaining.

They might be angry, but I am not.

I understand that it's an ever-changing, unpredictable, messy situation.

Brendan

I'm not sure how extraordinary it is. I think a fairly large portion of the population is angry with the Government and NPHET. You might not be, and that's fair enough, but plenty are. I would say that the overall mood has changed dramatically in the past few weeks.

 

[Paul O Mahoney]

This is an extraordinary headline in the Irish Times

Why are we so angry with the Government and Nphet?

Psychology can help us develop better responses to pandemic twists and turns

www.irishtimes.com

I am not angry with the government and nphet.

We have bailed out pubs, restaurants and other businesses and they are still complaining.

They might be angry, but I am not.

I understand that it's an ever-changing, unpredictable, messy situation.

Brendan

I find it so frustrating when I read some of the stuff , this has been very hard on everyone and businesses have suffered.

But from the personal attacks on members of NPHET and the ludicrous assertions being made on the policies it says an awful lot about the society we now have.

I appreciate that the majority have gotten on with things but it seems that the vocal minority seem to get the vox pops repeatedly and then they seem to operate in an echo chamber where facts , as much as they are known, are completely ignored.

Personally I think what has been done is above good, B+, and people need to understand that all this is brand new for everyone and there was and still will be issues but I'm very grateful of what has been done .

 

[Silvius]

It doesn't seem extraordinary to me. I'm very angry with them. For so many reasons, as Purple said because they're only looking at the short term impact of all this and only how it relates to covid, because I work in mental health and see what the impact of this is, because when compared to the approach taken by governments across the world so many aspects of governance here are inexplicable...because for some the last 16 months has mainly been a lovely, cosy family time albeit with some inconveniences while for others, particularly those who are living alone, working from home and isolated it has been pure hell. Because of the lack of empathy and understanding of all this. Honestly I find it hard to understand why more people aren't angry. Going to leave it there though as pretty soon I'll be in a debate about all of the above and then be even angrier....

 

[Purple]

@Silvius, I agree on the mental health issue. My friends father took him own life just after Christmas. He had struggled with depression for years and when Covid restrictions took his business it was the last straw. During the first lockdown we sent all employees over 65 home (on full pay). One man, in his mid 70's who lives alone, was on the phone crying asking if he could come back. His life was the pub, work and the gym. All of them were closed and he was totally isolated. And I work in a sector which has been largely unaffected by the lockdown.

 

[Sunny]

It's a nonsense article but you could also have written one titled 'Why do WE believe that NPHET and the Government are above criticism in relation to anything to do with COVID'. There are plenty of people who believe that being critical or questioning any decision is an Act of Treason. There has been plenty of great work done by thousands and thousands of people including NPHET, HSE and Government during this crisis. It doesn't mean that this pandemic has not exaggerated the inequalities in society. One of the greatest bit of rubbish ever written was 'we are all in this together'. We aren't. I like thousands of others have actually made money out of this pandemic. I got to spend time with my family that previously I could only ever dream of. I didn't get Covid. I don't know anyone personally that died of Covid. I haven't been able to do all the things I want but I can live with that.

However, there are thousands of others including immediate family members where there has been a huge mental health impact and financial stress imposed on them. There are thousands of people still waiting to mourn loved ones properly. That's not the Government's or NPHET's fault. But as he said in the article, it is harder to be angry at an invisible virus than the people making and announcing these measures of hardship while quoting poetry like that is going to make things better. So what if people are angry at NPHET or the Government. So what if it is irrational or you don't get it. So what if people need to vent and highly paid public health officials and politicians have to take the brunt. Personal abuse is never acceptable but people are allowed to be angry if they want. There is plenty to be angry about.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Again, I would say that the headline should say "some people" or "many people" but not we which implies that we are all of the same point of view.

We are not.

Covid has ruined a lot of lives. We might get angry with Covid.

But blaming the government and NPHET for it is misplaced.

Paul's B+ is about right.

Brendan

 

[Rosjohn]

I'm not angry either.

 

[michaelm]

Honestly I find it hard to understand why more people aren't angry.

I suspect that most people are pragmatic about all this, and many are sanguine. Hopefully the UK's (second) attempt at herd immunity, this time with a lot of people vaccinated, will work out okay re Covid hospitalisations and deaths, and then we can then do likewise.

 

[Silvius]

Covid has ruined a lot of lives. We might get angry with Covid.

But blaming the government and NPHET for it is misplaced.

Take the example of Purple's 70-year old man above. Were the restrictions to blame for his mental health problems or was the virus to blame? The virus is just a virus, the response to it is what counts. This has varied enormously in different countries. Arguably we got the worst of all worlds with one of the most prolonged lockdowns in the world and open borders. The restrictions which were intended to save lives ended up ruining alot of lives too in completely forseeable ways, including plenty of those in the most vulnerable category, including an elderly family member of mine who died as a result of physical and mental heath breakdown caused by the restrictions. The consequences of one-dimensional decisions taken by nphet and govt will be felt for a long time to come.

 

[demoivre]

Personally I think what has been done is above good, B+, and people need to understand that all this is brand new for everyone and there was and still will be issues but I'm very grateful of what has been done .

Paul's B+ is about right.

There aren't too many who had loved ones in care homes who would be grateful for what was done, and that's where most of the deaths occurred.

You don't get a B+ when you're at the bottom of the class. An E grade would be closer to the mark. Weekly data, updated today, shows us to be one of the worst performers in the EU/EEA despite one of the harshest lockdowns, with it's disastrous collateral damage.

The European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS)

This interactive dashboard provides a weekly integrated epidemiological summary for influenza, RSV and SARS-CoV-2.

www.ecdc.europa.eu

 

[odyssey06]

There aren't too many who had loved ones in care homes who would be grateful for what was done, and that's where most of the deaths occurred.

You don't get a B+ when you're at the bottom of the class. An E grade would be closer to the mark. Weekly data, updated today, shows us to be one of the worst performers in the EU/EEA despite one of the harshest lockdowns, with it's disastrous collateral damage.

It depends you define 'harsh'.
We never even really have a lockdown by the standards of what happened in Italy and France and Spain at times where you were under house arrest and needed a permission form to venture out.
We have had restrictions for longer than other countries but our measures were less severe.

 

[Firefly]

With such an unprecedented event as this there are always going to be winners and losers arising from any government decision. The government had a choice, either have hospitals swamped with Covid patients dying in tents and on wards or reducing/cancelling other services that have resulted in mental-health related deaths and domestic violence. It's a no-win really. I think on balance the first lock-down was justified as there were so many unknown-unknowns, however subsequent lock-downs were due to a woefully inadequate hospital capacity despite having one of the most expensive health systems in the world - this is where the spotlight needs to be shone. If we are really all in this together, the hidebound work practices need to change..

 

[Purple]

subsequent lockdowns were due to a woefully inadequate hospital capacity depsite having one of the most expensive health systems in the world - this is where the spotlight needs to be shone. If we are really all in this together, the hidebound work practices need to change..

How dare you criticise the heroes (that's every nurse and doctor, including the ones in management and administrative roles and the ones who have spent their working life resisting change). They are all front line staff (front line is exactly the same as being in the trenches during the First World War), including the ones who have no interaction with patients or the public.

 

[demoivre]

It depends you define 'harsh'.
We never even really have a lockdown by the standards of what happened in Italy and France and Spain at times where you were under house arrest and needed a permission form to venture out.
We have had restrictions for longer than other countries but our measures were less severe.

Arguing over Semantics won't move us up the table unfortunately.

 

[Firefly]

How dare you criticise the heroes (that's every nurse and doctor, including the ones in management and administrative roles and the ones who have spent their working life resisting change). They are all front line staff (front line is exactly the same as being in the trenches during the First World War), including the ones who have no interaction with patients or the public.

The missus is in that brigade now so I must be a little reticent round these here parts

 

[Paul O Mahoney]

There aren't too many who had loved ones in care homes who would be grateful for what was done, and that's where most of the deaths occurred.

You don't get a B+ when you're at the bottom of the class. An E grade would be closer to the mark. Weekly data, updated today, shows us to be one of the worst performers in the EU/EEA despite one of the harshest lockdowns, with it's disastrous collateral damage.

The European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS)

This interactive dashboard provides a weekly integrated epidemiological summary for influenza, RSV and SARS-CoV-2.

www.ecdc.europa.eu

Well my mother in law is in a care home and the staff have been tremendous.

What metrics exactly are you referring to that puts us at the bottom of the EU league?

" Harshest lockdown " laughable, countries in Europe have had curfews, one hour outside allowed in every 24, and people had to have documents to prove they were allowed to be outside,mass burials/cremations.

Some people think that pubs and restaurants not open for inside trade makes our restrictions "the worst in Europe " despite the facts saying otherwise.