wuhan - coronavirus

[TravelingChris]

6 hours ago, KSera said:

I can’t remember where you are anymore and if you’re someone that shares location (Virginia??), but I didn’t know there was anywhere in the US without Delta. 
 

Speaking of Delta: Citing Delta Variant, WHO Urges Mask Use Among Vaccinated

Huntsville, AL -   we are a more vaccinated area surrounded by less vaccinated areas particularly with our northern border- nearby TN counties that were anti mask and I think also anti-vacc.

[TravelingChris]

5 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

For testing here I literally drive into a car park outside my doctors surgery, wind down the window, give the Medicare number and we get swabbed.  We get a test within 24 hours.  The advice is to get tested for a sniffly nose or sore throat but if you’re prone to allergies and been tested once you don’t have to repeat as long as symptoms are consistent.

So your regular insurance is called Medicare, the same as our govt insurance for the old and some of the disabled?

[TravelingChris]

5 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

So ACT, TAS, SA and WA (lower population/ less travel) are the only states that haven’t had local transmission of some kind in the last three weeks.  Kind of makes you realise how inadequate the hotel quarantine system really is as a strategy right now.  Vaccination came up at the kids tennis today - 2 out of four parents have had the first dose and I’m booked.  The general sentiment seems to be pretty positive.  

I think the issue with hotels is the centralized heating and A/C.  After all, this virus spreads through the air.   I have wondered if that is one of the reasons NYC got hit so badly- it is the city in the US with the highest proportion of people living in crowded high rises and working in them too.

[TravelingChris]

4 hours ago, popmom said:

I’m in the same state as travelingchris. Testing is very easy to get as are vaccinations. And yes, it’s free. Our biggest challenge is getting more people to take the vaccine. I’ve been feeling pretty good about not wearing a mask, but if the Delta variant takes over, I will go back to isolating and masking. At least until I know that my Pfizer vaccine is protective. And J and J as a few of my fam got that one. 

I may go back to masking too if Delta is around and it turns out that vaccinated people are getting sick---my viral sicknesses inevitably turn into bacterial after a few days due to Sjogren's.

[TravelingChris]

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

They are like pregnancy tests and are ready within 30 minutes

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/25/covid-19-how-accurate-are-lateral-flow-tests

There's a local test centre that does symptomatic testing for most of the day, but the rest of the day you can pick up packs of 24 lateral flow tests there.

THanks- I think we would have to buy these kinds of tests.

[Ausmumof3]

1 minute ago, TravelingChris said:

So your regular insurance is called Medicare, the same as our govt insurance for the old and some of the disabled?

So everyone in Australia gets Medicare or at least all citizens and I think permanent residents.  If you earn over a certain amount per year (maybe 100,000 but don’t quote me?) you pay a levy on a sliding scale unless you have private health insurance.  With health insurance you get a rebate on that.  Health insurance is not through employment though.  You pay it yourself if you want it.  We pay around $400 per month.  That covers some extras like dental and orthodontic and physio, chiro podiatry and basic hospital.  If we go to hospital with private health we technically pay a co-payment but you can also just choose to go under the public system and not use your private health insurance.  Because of this hospitals will often offer to waive the co-payment and only take what the private health company pays because that way they get some funding.  Some procedures have an awfully long waiting list through the public system though.

[Ausmumof3]

5 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

THanks- I think we would have to buy these kinds of tests.

 

38 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Thanks

I know someone here that will want to get back probably 

Looks like it’s just paused for three days at this point Australia wide

[Ausmumof3]

4 hours ago, TravelingChris said:

I think the issue with hotels is the centralized heating and A/C.  After all, this virus spreads through the air.   I have wondered if that is one of the reasons NYC got hit so badly- it is the city in the US with the highest proportion of people living in crowded high rises and working in them too.

Yep absolutely.  Epidemiologists have been saying for months now (maybe since September last year) that we need dedicated quarantine facilities.  Some states are moving toward setting them up now but whether it will be done on time to make any difference is the question.  Although from all accounts this won’t be the last pandemic we face.

[Not_a_Number]

4 hours ago, TravelingChris said:

I think the issue with hotels is the centralized heating and A/C.  After all, this virus spreads through the air.   I have wondered if that is one of the reasons NYC got hit so badly- it is the city in the US with the highest proportion of people living in crowded high rises and working in them too.

People keep suggesting this, and yet Manhattan was the least hit borough. I don’t think this is plausible.

[vonfirmath]

My husband was sick for a week and a half with various things and finally --even with no contact and the symptoms didn't really match -- they had him test twice for COVID_19. (24 hours apart in case it was just starting) Both were negative. It finally cleared up and he got back to work late this week. But we never did figure out what was going on.

[Penelope]

14 hours ago, TCB said:

I don’t think that testing is hard here. Speaking for where I am, a lot of people simply won’t get tested. For a number of them it is because they don’t want to have to take time off work as they have no sick leave. It has been that way here since at least the beginning of the school year, once people figured out that if you got your kid tested they had to quarantine. Some people at the local Christian school even told my friend that they were holding off getting tested around Election Day so that they would still be able to vote. I know someone who went and voted, posted a picture of herself doing so, fortunately wearing a mask, then drove over to be tested and was positive. I’m still amazed by this behavior.

The fact that they have no sick leave is an understandable reason. I can’t blame them. Instead of mailing checks to everyone in America, we could have made sure people had support to test and stay home. 
 

The voting example is due to misinformation. It was publicized before the election that being Covid positive does not mean you cannot vote in person. 

Edited June 26, 2021 by Penelope

[Ausmumof3]

4 cases in the NT and they’re going into lockdown.

1 case in WA from a returned case in NSW.  She is a physio and has been out and about.

2 local cases in QLD. 

[Melissa in Australia]

It seems to be popping up everywhere. Darwin is having a snap lockdown, as is some part of Perth.  Unfortunately someone went to work at a remote goldmine and caught it on his way there. It was not found until after shift change and many people had flown to cities all across the country. 900 people work at that mine. 

NSW had 30 new cases today. 

 

I cannot understand why the state borders haven't shut yet, but I am sure it will happen very shortly

 

[Ausmumof3]

Just now, Melissa in Australia said:

It seems to be popping up everywhere. Darwin is having a snap lockdown, as is some part of Perth.  Unfortunately someone went to work at a remote goldmine and caught it on his way there. It was not found until after shift change and many people had flown to cities all across the country. 900 people work at that mine. 

NSW had 30 new cases today. 

 

I cannot understand why the state borders haven't shut yet, but I am sure it will happen very shortly

 

Yeah.  We should have learned from what happened to the other previously successful Southern Hemisphere countries experiences over the last couple of months.  Think we are going to be victims of our own success. We are shut to NSW here.  

[Melissa Louise]

Yes, borders need closing. Don't let us in!

Panic buying at the shops today...of bread. Ridiculous. 

[maize]

Is there still no spread in New Zealand?

I was thinking today that the fact that the infected visitor did in fact have symptoms may be a positive sign that his immune system recognized the virus and mounted a quick and effective response, preventing significant viral load and viral shedding. We tend to think of symptomatic as worse than asymptomatic but that may not be true in all cases. Symptoms are after all mostly the result of an immune response.

Fingers crossed for zero transmission 🤞

[Ausmumof3]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/25/opinion/coronavirus-lab.html#click=https://t.co/Exe4sQrykr
 

Really long but interesting opinion piece with a lot of detail about the lab leak theory.  

[Ausmumof3]

SA just shut borders to WA, NT, QLD and ACT

I’m not sure what the deal is with VIC I think maybe open to regions but not Melbourne but I haven’t kept up.  

further restrictions likely in the next 24 hours.  We don’t have a local case but modelling shows with current restrictions plus delta R0 would be about 3.5.  I think they are trying to track down a heap of people from NSW and the mining camp in NT.  

Edited June 27, 2021 by Ausmumof3

[Ausmumof3]

Looks like we are open to VIC with a requirement to get tested within 24 hours of arrival.

[lewelma]

4 hours ago, maize said:

Is there still no spread in New Zealand?

I was thinking today that the fact that the infected visitor did in fact have symptoms may be a positive sign that his immune system recognized the virus and mounted a quick and effective response, preventing significant viral load and viral shedding. We tend to think of symptomatic as worse than asymptomatic but that may not be true in all cases. Symptoms are after all mostly the result of an immune response.

Fingers crossed for zero transmission 🤞

Yup! ZERO cases again!!  This is for his last day here with a 5 day time delay for incubation.  So excellent news!!

However, they are waiting 2 more days before giving us the all clear for three reasons. 1) low testing numbers yesterday unfortunately. 2) The need time to get the sewage data to pick up cases of people who chose not to get tested who should have. And 3) unfortunately, the partner of the man who travelled with him first tested negative, but just tested positive and they started isolating from each other when they got back to Australia, so that means she either got it from him on their 3rd day in Wellington or she got it on the flight. So he was infectious. So we are staying under our level 2 for 48 more hours, meaning 1) max gathering of 100, 2) sign in to all stores is mandatory, 3) 3S policy for bars - seated, separated, single server. Hoping for more good news in the next 2 days.

NZ has closed its doors to ALL of Australia, starting last night.

Edited June 27, 2021 by lewelma

[Ausmumof3]

[TravelingChris]

6 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/25/opinion/coronavirus-lab.html#click=https://t.co/Exe4sQrykr
 

Really long but interesting opinion piece with a lot of detail about the lab leak theory.  

This article completely negates to mention the three lab workers who were infected before Dec 2019-I think it was Nov 2019 or maybe October.  And yes, I do not think the Chinese government purposely released this virus== I think it was an accident due to very sloppy conditions of a genetically engineered (i.e gain of function) virus.  And just like the lies that the Commies in Soviet Union said about the anthrax accident in 1979 which lots of western scientists believed, I think that too many of the virologists and other scientists were naïve.  Plus there are cover-ups on our side too- Fauci  had lied about funding for the Wuhan Institute and you know they were doing that by funding a cut-out that then transferred the money to the Wuhan Institute.

[TravelingChris]

2 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Oh, I had no idea you had Safeway there too.  We don't have one locally but that is a grocery chain based in US.  We don't have woolworths anymore but we did when I was a child.  

What is Aldi referring to as Trumpets= the musical instrument?  ANd what do diving suits of welders have to do with COVID?

[Ausmumof3]

38 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

Oh, I had no idea you had Safeway there too.  We don't have one locally but that is a grocery chain based in US.  We don't have woolworths anymore but we did when I was a child.  

What is Aldi referring to as Trumpets= the musical instrument?  ANd what do diving suits of welders have to do with COVID?

To be honest I’m not sure that we do or at least not in my state.  I think it’s just making a joke about the random stuff that Aldi here sells in the middle aisles.  I get the impression that Aldi Aus is quite different to the US version.  So it probably doesn’t translate as well.

[TravelingChris]

15 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

To be honest I’m not sure that we do or at least not in my state.  I think it’s just making a joke about the random stuff that Aldi here sells in the middle aisles.  I get the impression that Aldi Aus is quite different to the US version.  So it probably doesn’t translate as well.

No, it is the same here.  Aldi sells not only food but things like tents, lawn furniture. garden stuff, clothes. etc.

I can get the joke.  I just thought that maybe Aussies had some other meanings for these words.  Haha.

[Melissa in Australia]

7 hours ago, TravelingChris said:

Oh, I had no idea you had Safeway there too.  We don't have one locally but that is a grocery chain based in US.  We don't have woolworths anymore but we did when I was a child.  

What is Aldi referring to as Trumpets= the musical instrument?  ANd what do diving suits of welders have to do with COVID?

Safeway and Woolworth here in Australia are the same shop. Some states like Vic called it safeway, but in the last year or they are all referred to as woollies.

I believe safeway here is completely different to the safeway in USA from previous discussions

[Penelope]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/27/opinion/covid-vaccine-variants.html

After listening to much longer explanations (with other examples) along these lines from this author and others the past couple of months, I don’t get too concerned about news in different variants. I find these arguments very compelling — and calming, too, I have to say. As they say, for just one example, influenza has different variants predominant every year, but doesn’t continually become more transmissible or more virulent. 

Some excerpts 
 

Quote

News headlines and health experts on social media are sounding the alarm over another variant of the coronavirus, this time Delta, claiming it is much more contagious and perhaps more lethal than any other variant seen so far. It’s easy to understand why: New variants of the virus continue to emerge, and cases are rising in many countries. But whether new variants pose a unique or substantial risk is still unknown, and as virologists, we are concerned that misunderstanding variants and the risk they pose can cause confusion and panic.

 

Quote

As the coronavirus spread globally, its genome changed — mutated — as expected for any virus. These mutations may affect the virus’s “fitness,” its ability to reproduce and spread. Some mutations weaken a virus, some have no measurable effect, and some make it stronger.

As a virus becomes more fit, it will outcompete less fit viruses — and Delta is not the first variant that has beat its predecessors and competitors in certain areas. There’s the Alpha variant that first became dominant in Britain, and the Gamma variant that first became dominant in Brazil. Such changes are not unique to the coronavirus. Increased viral fitness happens during every flu season and is why some flu variants may circulate more widely than others.

Just because a variant displaces another does not necessarily mean it is more infectious or more deadly to the people who become infected with it. As has been true for the past year and a half, human behavior is far more important in shaping the course of the pandemic than any variant.

Quote

Right now, conclusions about variant transmissibility are based largely on how widespread the variant is. A variant might be deemed more contagious because it makes up a higher proportion of new infections. Delta is now the most common variant in India and Britain, accounting for more than 90 percent of new cases, and over 20 percent of new infections in the United States. Not all virologists, including us, agree that measurements like this are sufficient to declare a variant more transmissible or more contagious. What’s clear is Delta may be the fitter and dominant variant for now.

To determine increased transmissibility, the ability of the virus to be passed on from one person to another, requires more than measuring infection rates. It may require experiments in people, which are unethical to conduct.

Changes in people’s activities contribute to the rise of infections — such as travel, failure to mask and to adhere to physical distancing policies, and most important right now, insufficient vaccination — and these are often not considered in public discussion of variants.

Quote

During a pandemic, a time of unknowns, people want immediate answers to the question, what does this mutation mean? Providing the correct answers may require years of research. For now, there’s little evidence that the virus is on an endless trajectory of increased transmission and virulence. Today’s vaccines can still end this pandemic.

 

Edited June 27, 2021 by Penelope

[Not_a_Number]

17 minutes ago, Penelope said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/27/opinion/covid-vaccine-variants.html

After listening to much longer explanations (with other examples) along these lines from this author and others the past couple of months, I don’t get too concerned about news in different variants. I find these arguments very compelling — and calming, too, I have to say. As they say, for just one example, influenza has different variants predominant every year, but doesn’t continually become more transmissible or more virulent. 

Some excerpts 
 

 

 

Israel did have to reimpose mask mandates. I agree that the alarmism is unhelpful, but I don’t think keeping track of what’s happening with the variants is a bad idea.

[ScoutTN]

On 6/26/2021 at 11:34 AM, vonfirmath said:

My husband was sick for a week and a half with various things and finally --even with no contact and the symptoms didn't really match -- they had him test twice for COVID_19. (24 hours apart in case it was just starting) Both were negative. It finally cleared up and he got back to work late this week. But we never did figure out what was going on.

Lots of people with run-of-the-mill colds around here lately. We all had one in late May. Tested, not covid.

[Ausmumof3]

0 cases for VIC today out of 17,000 tests.

[TravelingChris]

2 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Safeway and Woolworth here in Australia are the same shop. Some states like Vic called it safeway, but in the last year or they are all referred to as woollies.

I believe safeway here is completely different to the safeway in USA from previous discussions

Yes, Safeway here is a large grocery.

[Ausmumof3]

2 new cases for qld - one was already in isolation but the other from the mining camp is more worrying.

seems like the mining camp is going to be a super spread situation.  

[Jaybee]

On 6/26/2021 at 11:34 AM, vonfirmath said:

My husband was sick for a week and a half with various things and finally --even with no contact and the symptoms didn't really match -- they had him test twice for COVID_19. (24 hours apart in case it was just starting) Both were negative. It finally cleared up and he got back to work late this week. But we never did figure out what was going on.

Lots of cases of a non-covid upper respiratory infection going on around here. It's a bad one, and I'm slowly recovering at two weeks out now. Dh got a much shorter version of it.

[lewelma]

3 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

2 new cases for qld - one was already in isolation but the other from the mining camp is more worrying.

seems like the mining camp is going to be a super spread situation.  

2 kiwis were at the mining camp and have flown back here. They are in isolation. 

0 cases in Wellington again. 2200 of the 2500 close contacts have tested negative and the waste water is clear.  Looks like I might get my holiday after all, as it looks like we dodged a bullet! 

My guess is that NZ will be more careful now with the Trans Tasman bubble. The ski operators are having fits because they were really hoping to take advantage of the Australian school holidays.

 

[AurieD]

1 new case in WA today (caught from the case returned from NSW). I am surprised we are not going straight into a short lock down given previous responses and the proximity to school holidays.

People are reporting 6 hour plus wait times for testing in the area the cases are from. Positive - people are getting tests, negative - a couple of the exposure sites were schools and I know I wouldn't wait in line for 6 hours with young kids.

We have 177 close contacts from the mine camp, most have returned negatives already, some results still pending so that's looking good.

 

 

[Melissa Louise]

Worried about exposure sites in NT. Hope they can stamp that out quickly. 

The mood was considerably lightened today with the story about two nude sunbathers who were startled by a deer, ran into the forest and got lost...when found by police, they were slapped with a $1000 fine for being away from home. 

Press conference with Police Commissioner also disrupted by a guy claiming to be the Creator of the World. 

Things are a bit wild here today. 

[AurieD]

There is no report on which vaccine they had, but this seems like really good news re vaccine efficacy and the delta strain:

'The highly contagious Delta strain of COVID-19 infected everyone who attended a Sydney birthday party except for the six people who were vaccinated, the NSW Government said.'

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-28/vaccinated-attendees-west-hoxton-birthday-party-avoid-covid-19/100249612

 

[Melissa in Australia]

1 hour ago, Melissa Louise said:

Worried about exposure sites in NT. Hope they can stamp that out quickly. 

The mood was considerably lightened today with the story about two nude sunbathers who were startled by a deer, ran into the forest and got lost...when found by police, they were slapped with a $1000 fine for being away from home. 

Press conference with Police Commissioner also disrupted by a guy claiming to be the Creator of the World. 

Things are a bit wild here today. 

Ohh I missed the creator of the world I will have to look that up for a laugh.

 I had a good laugh about the 2 naked men running though the bush  and having all the police, SES and helicopters out to rescue them.

[Melissa Louise]

Prime Creator guy got fined $1000 too! For being out without an excuse...

[Melissa Louise]

33 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Ohh I missed the creator of the world I will have to look that up for a laugh.

 I had a good laugh about the 2 naked men running though the bush  and having all the police, SES and helicopters out to rescue them.

Weirdly, they got separated, and the police initially found one naked dude with just his backpack 😂

Here's the Auslan interpreter telling the story.

[Ausmumof3]

flat out today so haven’t kept up.

this (from ABC) is both reassuring and concerning.  Reassuring that those vaccinated were safe but concerning that 100 pc of those who weren’t all got infected.  Earlier in this pandemic most outbreaks only seemed to hit a quarter or a third of people in an environment.

 

“Hi Myla, I don't have those exact numbers to hand right now, but I can tell you that 30 people attended that house party in West Hoxton. Of those, 24 tested positive. The six people who didn't test positive were all vaccinated health workers, according to NSW Health”

 

[Ausmumof3]

And Perth and Peel region are going into four day lockdown.

ABC:

 People will be required to stay home unless:

• They need to work because they can't work from home, or remotely (a full list of essential workers and services will be uploaded on the website as soon as possible).
• Shop for essentials like groceries, medicines and necessary supplies.
• Attend to medical or healthcare needs including emergencies, compassionate requirements and looking after the vulnerable.
• To get vaccinated.
• And exercise with a maximum of two adults from the same household, children under 18 years and limited to one hour per day within 5km radius from home and masks must be worn except for vigorous exercise.

 

this was after another case was confirmed who ate at the same brewery as the original WA case I guess indicating they were super infectious.

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by Ausmumof3

[Tenaj]

Bangladesh going on a hard, military-enforced lockdown for either 7 days or 14 days, either starting today or starting Thursday depending on which source you believe.  The lockdown was announced on Friday so migrant workers in the cities immediately began to crowd on to public transportation to leave via bus, train or ferry.  I'm afraid this probably will make the situation worse.  They have the Delta variant there and increasing numbers of cases and deaths (both may be undercounted).  We have family and friends there and they will not be able to leave their places of residence during this lockdown with few exceptions.  Social distancing is pretty much impossible because of the crowded conditions there.  Vaccines rates are very low.

 

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by JanOH

[Melissa Louise]

My niece and her mum have just been told to isolate - a positive case at her school 🙁

[lewelma]

Woot Woot!  Day 8 no community cases and waste water clear.  All domestic restrictions have been lifted!! My ski holiday is on!

The Trans Tasman bubble pause has been extended to Monday. And Monday it will open to only half of Australia and with a negative covid test preboarding as a new permanent feature. NZ will be closed (with no end point stated) to the states with current outbreaks.  

[KSera]

16 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

this (from ABC) is both reassuring and concerning.  Reassuring that those vaccinated were safe but concerning that 100 pc of those who weren’t all got infected.  Earlier in this pandemic most outbreaks only seemed to hit a quarter or a third of people in an environment.

 

“Hi Myla, I don't have those exact numbers to hand right now, but I can tell you that 30 people attended that house party in West Hoxton. Of those, 24 tested positive. The six people who didn't test positive were all vaccinated health workers, according to NSW Health”

 

This seems concerning to me as well. Seems like this is the third one of those kind of outbreaks I’ve seen, where everyone unvaccinated caught it and everyone vaccinated didn’t.

[Pen]

16 hours ago, Ausmumof3 said:

flat out today so haven’t kept up.

this (from ABC) is both reassuring and concerning.  Reassuring that those vaccinated were safe but concerning that 100 pc of those who weren’t all got infected.  Earlier in this pandemic most outbreaks only seemed to hit a quarter or a third of people in an environment.

 

“Hi Myla, I don't have those exact numbers to hand right now, but I can tell you that 30 people attended that house party in West Hoxton. Of those, 24 tested positive. The six people who didn't test positive were all vaccinated health workers, according to NSW Health”

 

what were the PCR cycle rates set at when testing? 

[mommyoffive]

6 minutes ago, KSera said:

This seems concerning to me as well. Seems like this is the third one of those kind of outbreaks I’ve seen, where everyone unvaccinated caught it and everyone vaccinated didn’t.

UGh.  Worried about my unvaccinated kids.  Sigh

[Ausmumof3]

47 minutes ago, Pen said:

what were the PCR cycle rates set at when testing? 

No idea sorry, however they typically do follow up testing if they think it’s dubious due to a low value of some description. Like the aircraft that landed in Cooberpedy where one passenger returned a faint positive and they retested and confirmed it was a false result.  They also look at CT values I think to determine if it was likely a long shedding historic case.

Edited June 29, 2021 by Ausmumof3

[Ausmumof3]

54 minutes ago, KSera said:

This seems concerning to me as well. Seems like this is the third one of those kind of outbreaks I’ve seen, where everyone unvaccinated caught it and everyone vaccinated didn’t.

Yep.  Coronacast talked about this as well today. That previously we were seeing households only have one or two people infected but now it’s spreading right through most households.