This week, the nightmare has become reality.
It sometimes seemed hard to imagine over recent months that the worst warnings of politicians and public health bosses would ever actually come to pass.
But Covid-19 infections have exploded across the country over the festive period – to the point where our hospitals are now very definitely in the throes of a capacity crisis.
Yesterday, the Department of Health announced a bone-chilling 6,110 new infections, as the number of patients in ICU swelled to 70.
Even at the height of the first wave, we didn't see figures that came anywhere close to the ones we're seeing in recent days – and it's not clear that the spread will slow down anytime soon.
Here are the five scariest warnings you need to know about when it comes to the third wave of Covid-19.
Hospitals are having to curtail non-essential services
During Ireland's first two lockdowns, the rationale from public health experts was that an explosion in cases had to be avoided at all costs.
The rationale? Among other things, that soaring case numbers could and would threaten the ability of Ireland's health service to do its job.
Now we're seeing that become reality.
Yesterday, the national director of acute operations with the HSE, Liam Woods, said hospitals are "introducing curtailments in non-essential services in adult hospitals in order to cope with increasing COVID-19 admissions."
Terrifying.
You're now more likely to have Covid-19 than the flu
The Chief Medical Officer yesterday warned that anyone with flu-like symptoms should self-isolate, adding that it's "unlikely to be anything other than Covid".
At a press briefing, Dr Tony Holohan said anyone suffering flu-like symptoms should "accept" they likely have Covid-19.
"If you have symptoms that are flu-like symptoms now, you might as well accept this is Covid," he said.
"The positivity rate is approaching 25%. If you have these symptoms it's unlikely to be anything other than Covid at this point in time."
Case numbers could max out at 7,000 a day
It was hard to disagree with HSE chief Paul Reid when he told Newstalk: "We’ve run out of adjectives to describe how serious this is."
In remarks that served as a terrifying reminder of the problem, Mr Reid also said case numbers could still rise over the coming days, with 7,000 daily infections not beyond the realms of possibility.
Imagine, at the start of December, you'd been told we'd be seeing 7,000 people contract Covid-19 in one day.
Imagine.
Level Five restrictions could be tightened once more
In November, in the grips of a second national lockdown, many lamented the personal freedoms they'd lost – even as most accepted the necessity of the situation.
Now we're back in Level Five – but things could get even tougher than last time.
Schools are looking increasingly unlikely to open next Monday as planned.
And Eamon Ryan – one of the three coalition leaders, along with Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar – has warned that the 5km radius currently in place could be reduced to just 2km.
We're officially in a situation like March again
Back in the spring, as coronavirus began its whirlwind tour of the world – on a journey that's now killed millions – we were forced to face up to the most frightening ramifications of a pandemic.
We thought, in the months since, that we'd gained a better understanding of how the virus works.
But Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn warned this week that we have to act like it's March 2020 all over again.
Groundhog Day, anyone?
