Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[lovetravellingoz]

These cases were originally reported in overseas acquired numbers, but NSW routinely does genomic sequencing on all cases and as those results only became available last night, it was announced as a possible HQ case over night. They put a rush on genomic sequencing for community cases, but not for suspected overseas acquired.

The logic of this seems odd to me

As you state genomic sequencing of all cases should be done routinely.

So why would a rush be required? In the period in question there have only been 36 cases in total to be sequenced. That is roughly only 2 per day.

There have been no community cases in the period to be sequenced. So no priority cases. And even if there were, we are only talking about 2 cases to sequence per day on average.

With positive cases so low surely the lab responsible would just be sequencing positive cases as they come in, or at least once per day?

The case in question was on 5th June. Sequencing was completed not till the15th June.
Given how quickly the virus can spread why would such a delay (10 days) be deemed acceptable?

Why would a possible HQ transmission case not be investigated? I mean BBQ Man was not that long ago. HQ transmission is a well known and common occurrence, and this case in question was positive in the room next door to two positive cases which just by itself should have been a red flag for an investigation.

The virus loves proximity. Why was it not looked into earlier? It may well be overseas acquired, but it equally it may well not be either.

Even if someone was not curious about a positive cases happening in the room next door to two other cases (and some one should of been at least in terms of it being worthy to investigate), why was what is meant to be a routine test not actually performed routinely? Why a ten day delay?


Now there may be a very valid reason why the testing was so slow. Maybe something broke down, maybe there was an error or malfunction. But I doubt that just waiting 10 days would be the norm when cases are so few. If this is indeed the norm, then it would seem to be that the process is not a good one.








So at most that is 36 cases in total.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

From Nine News

The first identified case is a driver and transports international flight crews, NSW Health said.​

​

9News understands he is not vaccinated against COVID-19.​

​

If true, then that is not at all good news.

Butcher shop among new Sydney exposure sites

www.9news.com.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1405131315364581381

Well at least it is a household contact rather than a member of the public at large... I say that in terms of household contacts tend be infected much more readily due to the likely extended close contact and so hopefully the driver can still turn out to be in the group of 80% that result in no, or very few transmissions.

 

[Lynda2475]

The driver wasn't vaccinated, no excuse. Working with arrivals he has been eligible for a vaccine since late March. No jab, no work needs to be made a law for anyone working as part of the arrivals process, no exceptions.

 

[Lynda2475]

So why would a rush be required?

I didn't say a rush was required at all. They only rush genomic sequencing under 24 hours for community cases.

There was no delay in Covid testing, both were tested on day 2 as is standard practice, and then the second case was tested on day 5 after reporting symptoms - there was no 10 day delay, the second case was moved to health hotel on 5th June.

Why would a possible HQ transmission case not be investigated?

It is being investigated and health orders have been given out of caution.

You are wasting a lot of energy looking for a conspiracy theory or major failing, when these cases are both in health hotels. Per the article i posted the other day there has never been a case of cross room infection in a NSW health hotel. There have been a couple of hotel infections in the regular HQ. Either way not out in the community.

The case we need to watch closely atm is the idiot driver who didn't bother to get vaccinated despite working with air crew. It should be criminal offense to work in the arrivals program without being fully vaccinated, now that those people have had access to vaccination for 3 months or more already.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Tests back up to over 25000 too.

The pop up testing site near Kings Park apartments was busy yesterday.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I didn't say a rush was required at all. They only rush genomic sequencing under 24 hours for community cases.

There was no delay in Covid testing, both were tested on day 2 as is standard practice, and then the second case was tested on day 5 after reporting symptoms - there was no 10 day delay, the second case was moved to health hotel on 5th June.



It is being investigated and health orders have been given out of caution.

You are wasting a lot of energy looking for a conspiracy theory or major failing, when these cases are both in health hotels. Per the article i posted the other day there has never been a case of cross room infection in a NSW health hotel. There have been a couple of hotel infections in the regular HQ. Either way not out in the community.

The case we need to watch closely atm is the idiot driver who didn't bother to get vaccinated despite working with air crew. It should be criminal offense to work in the arrivals program without being fully vaccinated, now that those people have had access to vaccination for 3 months or more already.

10 days is clearly a delay.

Moreso for cases in adjacent rooms.

 

[bcworld]

I didn't say a rush was required at all. They only rush genomic sequencing under 24 hours for community cases.

Why would you not rush for +ve cases in adjacent rooms?

 

[trevella]

The case we need to watch closely atm is the idiot driver who didn't bother to get vaccinated despite working with air crew.

Maybe he's the type of "idiot" who can't assess risks properly and prefers to wait for Pfizer because of all the clowns who have been talking cough about AZ?

<redacted>

 

[Lynda2475]

This quote referred to redacted content so has been removed also.

How is he less fortunate? Workers in the arrivals program are in 1a, they were prioritized back in Feb and could get Pfizer before AZ was even available.

It should be a requirement if you work in a role with regular exposure to arrivals or with vulnerable people that you re vaccinated. If you choose not to be vaccinated that is fine, just get a job elsewhere. Its not like there aren't driving jobs which don't have direct exposure to arrivals.

There is a no jab no work rule for the flu in certain roles, zero excuse for there not being the same for Covid especially for cohorts who have had months and months to get it done.

You have an obvious bias towards favoring AZ as do some others here who also directly benefit by being involved with its distribution in their jobs. Whereas me I'm following health advice and getting Pfizer as it is what is recommended for me and what I am eligible for. My appointment is booked, I wait listed within hours of it being opened up to my cohort, the only delay is availability. Had a Pfizer appointment been available to me earlier I would have had my shots already.

 

[jakeseven7]

Two local cases in Sydney, as authorities investigate another possible hotel leak, long testing queues as exposure sites grow​

A man from Sydney’s east and a household contact of his became the state’s first two local COVID-19 case in 40 days on Wednesday, as unrelated investigations continued into a possible leak within a CBD quarantine hotel.

The man, who is in his 60s, works as a driver in a role which includes transporting international air crew. Health authorities said he had not recently been overseas.

Two cases in Sydney, as authorities investigate possible hotel leak

A man from Sydney’s east and a household contact of his became the state’s first two local COVID-19 case in 40 days on Wednesday.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Lynda2475]

10 days is clearly a delay.

The person arrived on 1st, tested negative on 2nd, returned a positive on 5th and was immediately moved to health hotel. That is not a 10 day delay. Or are you now saying we need to test HQ inmates daily? No state does that.

Why would you not rush for +ve cases in adjacent rooms?

Given the case was not in community, was immediately moved to health hotel facility and was found in an environment that expects to find overseas cases, what would rushing genomic testing achieve? The actions taken wrt where the positives completed their HQ or testing staff etc wouldn't have been any different.

Some perspective is needed, the risk to community form this event (which has not been proven to be a case of HQ transmission, the people were in airport together before flight, on the same flight, on the same bus etc before ever getting to the hotel) is very low.

 

[jakeseven7]

Two local cases in Sydney, as authorities investigate another possible hotel leak, long testing queues as exposure sites grow​

A man from Sydney’s east and a household contact of his became the state’s first two local COVID-19 case in 40 days on Wednesday, as unrelated investigations continued into a possible leak within a CBD quarantine hotel.

The man, who is in his 60s, works as a driver in a role which includes transporting international air crew. Health authorities said he had not recently been overseas.

Two cases in Sydney, as authorities investigate possible hotel leak

A man from Sydney’s east and a household contact of his became the state’s first two local COVID-19 case in 40 days on Wednesday.

www.smh.com.au

As luck would have it we have a company event in Bondi tomorrow (where the long list of exposure sites is!) with people flying in from MEL, BNE, PER, Tassie

Still going ahead.

 

[bcworld]

Given the case was not in community, was immediately moved to health hotel facility and was found in an environment that expects to find overseas cases, what would rushing genomic testing achieve?

You seem to be deliberately avoiding the obvious. Why have NSW Health asked 21 returned travelers who ARE now in the community and were on the same floor between 1-5 June to get tested? Same for staff who worked on the floor between those dates and have been asked to isolate.

 

[Lynda2475]

For perspective, since march 2020 in NSW only 12 COVID-19 infections have been reported in people either quarantining in the system or working in roles directly involved or adjacent to the system, which were concluded to have been caught from returned overseas travellers in NSW. From 190,000 arrivals.

Of those 12 only 1 result in widespread community transmission was a patient transport worker whose quick trip to the BWS at Berala before testing positive led to a cluster of local infections.

1/4 of the 12 were transport drivers, so obvious risk point and reason why need to be no jab no drive.

 

[Lynda2475]

ou seem to be deliberately avoiding the obvious. Why have NSW Health asked 21 returned travelers who ARE now in the community and were on the same floor between 1-5 June to get tested? Same for staff who worked on the floor between those dates and have been asked to isolate.

The 21 travelers were asked to test and only isolate until a negative result (norms is 24 hours) out of an abundance of caution. The last potential exposure date was 12 days ago, if this was a super spreading event we would be seeing cases by now - if any of the 21 were positive it would be all over the media by now. Staff are tested every shift anyway.

There is cause for concern over the transport driver, I see no reason for panic over this "possible not proven" HQ case, in which no one has been hospitalized and for which there isnt yet any reports of further spread. This is why we have HQ.

 

[bcworld]

The 21 travelers were asked to test and only isolate until a negative result (norms is 24 hours) out of an abundance of caution. The last potential exposure date was 12 days ago, if this was a super spreading event we would be seeing cases by now - if any of the 21 were positive it would be all over the media by now.

Short memory you have. What happened in Adelaide? Adjacent room infection? Then secondary case(s) went about their business in Victoria for 12 days without being tested. As for the "panic" you refer to...how is carrying out genomic sequencing in this scenario (not every HQ case) at the first opportunity anything other than prudent?

 

[OATEK]

Short memory you have. What happened in Adelaide? Adjacent room infection? Then secondary case(s) went about their business in Victoria for 12 days without being tested. As for the "panic" you refer to...how is carrying out genomic sequencing in this scenario (not every HQ case) at the first opportunity anything other than prudent?

The discussion you refer to is about NSW HQ, not SA. The NSW CHO has done a pretty good job, and if she doesn't need to rush the genomic testing I am happy to accept her decision.

We will keep getting cases amongst front line workers and the people they provide services to (eg. aged care, airport drivers) as long as these people are not required to have the vaccination as a condition of employment. Personally, I think enforced vaccination in a range of front line roles is warranted, but plenty see it as a personal rather than employment decision. I have heard stories of nurses not wanting the vaccine, doctors advising against it to their patients etc, so I expect any compulsion will be resisted.

 

[Lynda2475]

how is carrying out genomic sequencing in this scenario (not every HQ case) at the first opportunity anything other than prudent

This is what is already done, I've not called for anything different.

You are all assuming a huge 10 day delay, but they contact people (they knew exactly who else was staying there and who had worked) before they made public/media announcements. Once the results come back, a person reviews and assesses risk and seeks advcie from Dr Chant re what to do.

The extra requests were made and i hate this term "out of a an abundance of caution" not because there is any real worry about community exposure given the positives were never in the community.

If you have a problem with the genomic test turn around times in NSW, write to your local MP or Dr Chant.

 

[bcworld]

If you have a problem with the genomic test turn around times in NSW, write to your local MP or Dr Chant.

Bizarre in a discussion forum. But you seem rattled so will leave it there. But I may use this one next time you express an opinion.