Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Australia's number of infections/positives passing 10% of its population.

Of course the official tally will include people with multiple infections over the past two years.

 

[dairyfloss]

Australia's number of infections/positives passing 10% of its population.

Of course the official tally will include people with multiple infections over the past two years.

And also all of the negatively positive RATs

 

[Lynda2475]

So WA have closed an entire school because 1 teacher has tested positive? Seems like overkill.

I understand WA uses a different definition of close contact to all other states and territories, however surely only those students in that teachers class and staff members who interacted with that teacher should need to iso?

 

[jrfsp]

So WA have closed an entire school because 1 teacher has tested positive? Seems like overkill.

I understand WA uses a different definition of close contact to all other states and territories, however surely only those students in that teachers class and staff members who interacted with that teacher should need to iso?

It was for 1 day as all the teachers were in a training day together.

School reopens tomorrow

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The headline is somewhat misleading, the company they are referencing already makes RATs for Canadian market, so its not a new facility just awaiting formal approval to be able to sell their tests in Australia and if they get it will ramp up production to sell some locally. I think the only new bit is that Vic government will guarantee them business by ordering from them.

It is a new facility for the local manufacture of both covid and other test kits by Lumos and their partner Planet Innovation.

So it is not just an existing facility awaiting approval to be able to he used into the local market.

Canada is supplied from their Florida facility.

"For that reason, we set up our manufacturing capability out of Florida and California, which is there today, providing our range of tests into the US, European and Canadian markets at this point in time," Mr Lanyon said."


Edit: From Lumos website:

Lumos is a fully integrated developer and manufacturer of custom POC diagnostic tests, with corporate head offices in Melbourne, Australia and U.S. based R&D, commercial operations and manufacturing in both Florida and California.

So according to that no current Australian manufacturing facility. So it will be an entirely new manufacturing facility to be set up locally.

 

[Lynda2475]

All contingent on those tests getting approval for use in Australia though.

And they are not the only Australian facility waiting for approval, it was widely reported last month that 3 separate Australian RAT manufacturers have pending TGA approvals, all submitted last September. A real shame overseas suppliers were prioritised, when there were real local options.

The facilities do not necessarily need to be expanded in order to supply to Australian market, even without government funding provided TGA approval is given, they could choose to take Aussie orders, which could be more profitable as shorter logistics in play for delivery.

 

[oz_mark]

It was for 1 day as all the teachers were in a training day together.

School reopens tomorrow

Albeit with a bunch of substitute teachers

 

[Pushka]

Albeit with a bunch of substitute teachers

And two more close, one for 14 days.

COVID detected at three Perth schools, sending hundreds of students and staff into isolation

A third Perth school records a case of COVID-19 just three days into the school year, with hundreds of students and dozens of staff ordered to isolate as the state records 17 new local cases.

www.abc.net.au

 

[jakeseven7]

WA reports 19 new cases of COVID-19 as virus continues spreads through community​

Around 400 students and dozens of staff at three schools in the state have been forced into isolation for two weeks just days into the new school term.

But despite calls for WA to reduce the isolation period for close contacts in schools to seven days, WA Premier Mark McGowan says the current approach is the right one until case numbers grow more, but could not clarify what number would trigger a change in approach.

Mystery cases in WA continue to climb, with many confirmed cases also active in the community whilst infectious leading experts to suggest the actual spread is possibly far higher than official numbers.

All the coronavirus news you need in the one place — as it happened

Look back at how today unfolded in our live blog.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Must...Fly!]

But despite calls for WA to reduce the isolation period for close contacts in schools to seven days, WA Premier Mark McGowan says the current approach is the right one until case numbers grow more, but could not clarify what number would trigger a change in approach.

Shock horror he has no idea...

 

[jakeseven7]

Shock horror he has no idea...

Two weeks iso is out of control....

 

[OrangeRoughie]

Two weeks iso is out of control....

Indeed it is. Beats the 24 day iso for household contacts of positives in NZ

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Two weeks iso is out of control....

It might not be optimal but I understand there is some chance of transmission between day 7 and day 14 - in the order of 25% - its a reason why some health departments recommend close contacts do not go to high risk settings (aged and disability care, hospital, correctional facilities) for day 7-14 period.

Yes I appreciate there was code brown for Vic as well and some instances where close contacts can work in those same and other critical work settings with a negative RAT due to staff shortages.

 

[oz_mark]

WA Health is reporting 19 new local cases and 10 travel related cases to 8pm last night.

Of the 19 new local cases, 16 are related to known clusters and this includes 15 who are close contacts and have been in isolation while infectious.

The three other local cases are being investigated.

Three of the new local cases were infectious in the community. Contact tracers are working to determine potential public exposure sites which will be uploaded to the HealthyWA website when confirmed.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Calls for a change to the rules of close contacts in Boarding schools.
Entire year groups at boarding are being treated as close contacts and self isolating or being sent home to the country. Teachers in the same setting are allowed to keep working with daily RATs
This is something that directly affects my family.
It will make boarding completely unsustainable if it continues.
Hopefully common sense will prevail.

SMH

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Calls for a change to the rules of close contacts in Boarding schools.
Entire year groups at boarding are being treated as close contacts and self isolating or being sent home to the country. Teachers in the same setting are allowed to keep working with daily RATs
This is something that directly affects my family.
It will make boarding completely unsustainable if it continues.
Hopefully common sense will prevail.

SMH

Are we talking about ages where mask is mandatory or not mandatory?

The commonsense is if you allow the asymptomatic boarding teacher to continue masked with RAT-, then the same applies to students........

 

[Princess Fiona]

Are we talking about ages where mask is mandatory or not mandatory?

The commonsense is if you allow the asymptomatic boarding teacher to continue masked with RAT-, then the same applies to students........

Masks are mandatory in day school. The pupils in boarding don’t currently wear them in the boarding school.
If that’s what it took to get the rules changed I’m sure they would be happy to do so.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

First few para - so apparently need to test again (only for new symptoms) even within 4 weeks/1 months after recovered positive

When Sydneysider Nat Sorensen recovered from Covid at the start of the year, she thought she was at least safe from the virus for a month.

That was until the 18-year-old tested positive again - less than three weeks after leaving isolation.

“I was shocked,” she told news.com.au. “It’s pretty unlucky.”

‘Unlucky’ teen gets Covid twice in one month

When Sydneysider Nat Sorensen recovered from Covid at the start of the year, she thought she was at least safe from the virus for a month.

www.news.com.au

 

[andye]

First few para - so apparently need to test again (only for new symptoms) even within 4 weeks/1 months after recovered positive

When Sydneysider Nat Sorensen recovered from Covid at the start of the year, she thought she was at least safe from the virus for a month.

That was until the 18-year-old tested positive again - less than three weeks after leaving isolation.

“I was shocked,” she told news.com.au. “It’s pretty unlucky.”

‘Unlucky’ teen gets Covid twice in one month

When Sydneysider Nat Sorensen recovered from Covid at the start of the year, she thought she was at least safe from the virus for a month.

www.news.com.au

Not that uncommon to have prolonged PCR positivity
First step to confirm early reinfection is combination of symptoms and RAT
There are fancier things to do if there remains doubt

 

[clarkkent]

It was more that there is a group of commentators who assert, because some have mild or no symptoms, the true number of cases is multiples higher than recorded

A small survey on the Gold Coast would suggest this is indeed the case: COVID ‘more widespread than thought’ as Qld records 9 more deaths
"The study, an Australian first, saw 117 homes randomly tested on January 22. Of those, 20 people returned positive PCR tests, but only four were displaying any symptoms, and only two knew they had COVID-19."