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ONE IN FIVE people in Ireland have distanced themselves from family or friends due to a disagreement about the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new poll.
An opinion poll carried out for The Journal by Red C Research found found 39% of people had disagreements with friends or family about how to behave during the pandemic and 39% had disagreements about Covid-19 vaccines.
Those in younger age groups were more likely to have had a disagreement about the pandemic or Covid vaccines.
More than half of those aged 18-24 had a disagreement with family or friends about how to behave during the pandemic and 30% of people in this group have distanced themselves from family or friends as a result.
Almost half of those aged 35-44 said they had disagreements with a family member or friend about Covid vaccines.
Just 10% of those aged over 65 have distanced themselves from family or friends due to disagreements about the pandemic.
There was little difference between male and female responses, with 20% of both males and females who were surveyed stating that they had distanced themselves from a loved one.
Women were slightly more likely to have had a disagreement about Covid vaccines with a friend or family member.
This month a more significant period of easing restrictions began, with the return of live music and larger indoor events – albeit with capacity limits in place and a requirement to show proof of immunity in indoor settings.
The next significant date for the easing of restrictions is 20 September, when organised indoor group activities such as sports and dance classes can resume.
This date will also signal the return to workplaces on a phased and staggered basis.
According to the latest Amárach public opinion survey, carried out in conjunction with the Department of Health and published last week, 61% of people believe the reaction of the government to the pandemic is appropriate, while 22% believe it is insufficient and 17% believe it is too extreme.
One third of people surveyed said they think Ireland is trying to return to normal too quickly, with 45% stating they thought easing was moving at about the right pace and 23% said the return to normal was moving too slowly.
From 22 October onwards, the majority of remaining Covid restrictions will be lifted including the requirements for physical distancing and wearing masks in indoor private settings.
There will be no limits on numbers at either indoor or outdoor events and there will no longer be a need to present certification of vaccination, immunity or testing in any setting other than for international travel.
Although most restrictions will be lifted, people will still be expected to self-isolate and get tested if they have symptoms and there will still be a requirement to wear masks in healthcare settings, indoor retail and on public transport.
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Fortunately none of my friends or family are anti vsxers and all have had their jabs. so I havent had to deal with it. My nieces in laws are anti vsxers though and she has told them they can’t visit their grand kids indoors in either home or hold the kids outdoors until they are fully vaccinated. They don’t care. They’re completely down the rabbit hole, micro chips in the vaccine etc… . Fortunately these people are a minority here.
@Ger: Having a question makes you an anti-vaxer? You have been programmed if you think this level of censorship and discrimination is normal and acceptable.
@Blue Avians: Asking questions doesn’t make one an ‘anti-vaxxer’, but being unwilling to accept an evidence-based answer that doesn’t conform to a prior expectation for psuedo-scientific reasons goes a long way towards doing just that. Apart from which, everyone has been programmed; but some people’s current program has some data defined as ‘const’ instead of ‘var’, and therefore cannot adjust their views no matter what the evidence.
@Blue Avians: Where in the comment does it say they just ‘had a question’? You know anti-vaxxers exist, yes? They existed before Covid, there are even more of them now. No, not everyone who has questions or is hesitant is an anti-vaxxer but there are legitimately people who are against all vaccines. You’ve made up your own info there that wasn’t in the comment – that’s familiar.
@Ger: It’s not just antivax people. For example, my husband and I disagree re handwashing. He thinks I’m overzealous by washing my hands returning home. I think he should have listened more during his science master’s days. We are both vaccinated.
@Blue Avians: he/she never said that ..
@Blue Avians:
@Blue Avians:
@Martin O’Brien: Lol. “Big pharma have our best interests at heart”. Nothing to do with the Billions for shareholders no? You cannot be that nieve!
@Shay Redmond.: The vaccine is literally free.
@Shay Redmond.: Try to imagine a society where everything is not for profit, let me know how it works out
@R: I’m no anti vaxxer, but it’s hardly free now. People pay nothing now to receive it but our government has paid plenty. They’re not charities we’re dealing with.
@R: It’s free to you. Governments are paying the pharma companies for them. How is this not understood?
@JedBartlett: Is there some big charity out there that can produce vaccines on a global scale, manufacture and distribute all not for profit ???
@R: free to you. 20 Euro a dose for the state. Which comes from tax revenue, which comes from your pocket and mine which makes it far from free.
@Captain Unsensible: I’m pointing out that the vaccine isn’t free, so I’m agreeing with you.
@Captain Unsensible: And you end up in a world where 97% of the wealth is owned by 3% of the population. Enjoy your iced latte. You paid enough for it..
@Shay Redmond.: I was being sarcastic. It’s funny how the Journal deleted my comment. I hear that they do this quite a bit. Here’s my initial comment. Why would they take this down? Maybe they didn’t agree with me.
“I’m amazed that people would ever question the science and the news at this point. Huge pharmaceutical companies, media conglomerates and tech moguls obviously have our best interests at heart. As do out governments. We should listen to them because they care about all of us little people. I love how they’ve all come together to help us. Fact checks are also super necessary for us all. I love how comments are disabled on the fact check articles on the Journal. It keeps the trolls at bay. Thank you Journal for being so, so true and not steamrolling a narrative”
@R: it’s not free the government pays for it.
@Shay Redmond.: I beg to differ the big pharma only really care about profits and shares, take a look what is being done these companies are not giving the vaccines for free, they also have in place legal sources of impunity to make sure they do not get sued, they also have paid media to push their narrative, and have stopped any info of adverse affects from be made public, so who is actually nieve when everything that is happening is based on greed.
@R: It’s not free countries who have given the vaccine have had to pay for it, so all it can be classed as is a big money game.
@R: Pfizer reported $3.5 billion in revenue from the vaccine in the first three months of this year, resulting in roughly $900 million profit in just one quarter. The vaccine has been by far Pfizer’s biggest earner.
You hardly think they’re just giving it away for free. Covid vaccines are big business. Bring on the boosters!
@R: To citizens, but counties are purchasing them.
@Shay Redmond.: so, all you do is whine and moan. Sounds productive.
@Martin O’Brien: They didn’t remove your comment, you just posted it outside this particular thread.
@Conrad Shields: They did actually delete it. I just rewrote it this morning.
I have friends on every data point on the spectrum LOL and have managed to not lose any friends yet. There are certain subjects that we have explicitly agreed not to discuss but we are still friends. That for me feels like a real win at the moment!!
@Seeking Truth: I’d say it’s a win for all parties involved.
@Chris Gaffney: you really are fully out of the authoritarian closet aren’t you
@JedBartlett: Absolutely!
Wow, lots of seemingly harmless comments being removed here today. From people pushing for more restrictions for unvaccinated to those mentioning Covid fact check articles, all gone because they don’t align with some interns opinion I’d imagine.
I’m amazed that people would ever question the science and the news at this point. Huge pharmaceutical companies, media conglomerates and tech moguls obviously have our best interests at heart. As do out governments. We should listen to them because they care about all of us little people. I love how they’ve all come together to help us. Fact checks are also super necessary for us all. I love how comments are disabled on the fact check articles on the Journal. It keeps the trolls at bay. Thank you Journal for being so, so true and not steamrolling a narrative.
I had an argument with my sibling, they were living at home with our parents and were out meeting friends a lot and not taking it seriously, right in the height of the first lockdown when things were particularly bad. My mother would ring me and say she was worried about them bringing it into the house, I text them to ask them to limit their contacts for mam and dads sake, no reply..when I did see them in person a couple of months later, they were so off with me, when I asked what was wrong, they jumped down my throat about the text, saying I had no right to tell them who they could meet.. I hadn’t, I just asked them to be careful about mixing but they were so defensive and then I got angry and we had a blow out argument, probably the worst we’d ever had. We didn’t speak for months, that was last summer and things are only beginning to thaw out now between us, I was really surprised they reacted so badly to my text, which was polite but just reminding them of mam and dad who both, while not seriously ill, have underlying conditions. I mean over the years, we’ve had tiffs where we’ve said way worse but for some reason, this topic gets under people’s skin. It’s not that they think it is a hoax and they are not anti-vax at all, just hate being told what to do and stubborn AF!
@Del Bear: Why didn’t your parents put a stop to it? I’d say your siblings need a dose of living elsewhere.
@Del Bear: Your parents should have insisted they stop mixing with others or find somewhere else to live. Their house, their rules.
@Contrary Mary: Yes, but I’d say it’s easy to drive each other up the wall when no one’s going out. Besides, it’s probably a relief to know that the parents weren’t on their own during lockdown. I’d say they could all do with a holiday from each other by now!
@Contrary Mary: They don’t usually live at home but moved home as their apartment was tiny and in a rough area so would not have been pleasant to be stuck there all the time during lockdown. My mam mentioned it in passing to me about feeling a bit worried about the amount of socialising they were doing but didn’t want my sibling to feel guilty. I was more worried about my parents health than making my sibling feel bad and frankly I thought they needed to cop on (I’m the older sibling in case its not obvious :D) so I took it upon myself to say it. When my parents saw us arguing though, to keep the peace, they downplayed their concerns and I looked like I was overreacting even though my mam said afterwards she agreed with me! To be some way fair to my sibling, I think they were a bit depressed at the time and my mam said that was part of the reason she didn’t say anything as she felt my sibling meeting friends was one of the few things keeping them going.. but personally I think my parents were being a bit soft on them!
Sample size of the poll: 5. Gary Kearney was one of the 5, no doubt. LOLs!
@Chris Gaffney: Adolf os that you?
@Jason: No. I just don’t like the ultra intelligent types!
Very sad to hear. Hopefully people can reconcile after all this and realise that differences in opinions are ok in relationships.
@Podge: have to say podge as someone with an underlying condition listening to some of the bull my “friends” have come out with and seeing how they really see me and others with underly conditions, like that say it was OK that young ppl died as they had underlying conditions once they were not restricted in their day to day activities or inconvenienced etc. I can say with confidence there are some “friends” I will be let’s say a little more selfish around!
@Sarah Lou: It’s sad that you’re losing connection with some people. I hope you can reconcile this and try to understand where they’re coming from.
@Podge: I dont think its particularly sad, Covid just really highlighted some people true self. I dont particularly wish to try to understand where they were coming from. Hopefully in time they will realise that they are lucky not to have an underlying illness rather than superior.
Agree. No is always a perfectly acceptable answer. I can think of a couple of people who couldn’t agree to differ at all – to the point of persistently wanting to meet up during lockdown. While we haven’t fallen out, there are loads of other people I’m looking forward to meeting again, and they come first for me.
@Podge: Knowing Ireland, it’s probably a case of family members physically unable to say something nice about the other’s hair. Sometimes that makes all the difference!
Events like this show you who people really are and you’re probably better off without them in your life anyway.
If you have fallen out with a family member or a friend based on a difference of opinion regarding COVID and are not speaking anymore, chances are, you’re both as thick as yesterdays porridge.
I can understand this but at the same time it’s very sad. Anti vaxxers disowning family and friends because they weren’t able to call to their houses during lock down and afterwards. People should be more understanding. It wasn’t a personal snub but unfortunately some have very high horses.
It’s a flu. I’ve decided against taking the second dose of the Vaccine because of my age weight and health condition. I am in the very low risk category. A common sense approach needs to prevail.
In fairness, more people are probably short of money and not going out for that reason. When one person is doing well, it’s really hard to understand that the others need their own space and place and their focus is on saving hard towards that.
Liars
Com’n the vaccines are working
have your say