Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[clifford]

As I've mentioned before, I've had Covid twice, first time like a regular cold, second time hardly noticeable.

Had all 4 available jabs (why not the 5th?) so probably this helps.

Wife never had it, despite sleeping in same bed. But she has had bacterial pneumonia (requiring oxygen on a VA flight and transfer to Randwick hospital).

So, completely unpredictable really.

Just hope it's not too serious when you get it (we're both over 70).

 

[kangarooflyer88]

An interesting article on the ABC website today about the recent surge. 80% of the cases are in people who have not had Covid. Of the reinfections most were in the elderly or those with underlying health conditions.
I haven’t mastered the ability to link articles on the iPhone but can take screenshots so here is the title of the article.
View attachment 313757

And an interesting graph from the ACT.
View attachment 313758

Also interesting that Singapore is reporting the same numbers as regards the proportion of new cases.

Everyone I know that has had it recently has been a first-timer.

This notion of first timer versus reinfection is a very silly one. How can someone who claims this is their first time catching COVID know that is actually the case? Did they test every day or even every week? It could be that they caught it before but it was nothing more than the sniffles which could easily be confused for seasonal allergies. However, this time with this particular variant it causes more symptoms prompting them to get a test which came back positive.

Well it does kind of accord with the general understanding of viruses that previous exposure offers some level of immunity (notwithstanding the fact that the virus is mutating all the time so it’s not the same virus as a year ago). My experience (for what it’s worth- single data points don’t prove much) is that while I know plenty of people getting it for the first time I also know a fair few who are Re-infections.

You get some immunity to a variant, yes, but at what cost? Plenty of studies are showing the COVID is causing immunity dysregulation which ironically means those catching COVID are more likely to catch it again with worse symptoms.

I read somewhere the other day (possibly ABC news website) that there is a new subvariant that is ripping through the U.S. and the U.K.

Which we can now safely assume is in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. Frankly, I don't track variants anymore, I just don't care. What difference does knowing what all these variants and sub variants have on anything? The only prudent thing to do at this point is to mask up, particularly with high quality N95 respirators when you're out and about. It doesn't matter what variant is out there, the respirator will provide an excellent level of protection (the same cannot be said for vaccines, sadly).

As I've mentioned before, I've had Covid twice, first time like a regular cold, second time hardly noticeable.

Had all 4 available jabs (why not the 5th?) so probably this helps.

Let me guess you had all Pfizer or all AstraZeneca? This has been the advice that so called public health experts have been telling us for a while now. I've ignored their warnings be it getting AstraZeneca as a (then) 33 year old and mixing and matching vaccines and I'm all fine. Thus far I've had five jabs (AstraZeneca, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax). I test every week for COVID irrespective of symptoms due to my high risk status (immunocompromised with an autoimmune disease) and have tested negative thus far. I don't know if it's luck or the measures I've taken so far (respirator use, vaccination, vitamin D top-ups, etc.)

Wife never had it, despite sleeping in same bed. But she has had bacterial pneumonia (requiring oxygen on a VA flight and transfer to Randwick hospital).

So, completely unpredictable really.

Just hope it's not too serious when you get it (we're both over 70).

Yeah there's a lot we don't know about the virus and disease. I think it's important to keep a prudent attitude when out and about. By all means, do what you've done before, take flights, visit relatives, go to conferences, etc., but take measures to minimize catching COVID. Thus far since the "end of the pandemic" (at least in the eyes of the Commonwealth) I've taken 60 flights travelling all over the world from Oceania to North America and Europe. This notion that we have to choose between being COVID-free versus living a normal life has to stop!

-RooFlyer88

 

[Pushka]

This notion of first timer versus reinfection is a very silly one. How can someone who claims this is their first time catching COVID know that is actually the case? Did they test every day or even every week? It could be that they caught it before but it was nothing more than the sniffles which could easily be confused for seasonal allergies. However, this time with this particular variant it causes more symptoms prompting them to get a test which came back positive.

You get some immunity to a variant, yes, but at what cost? Plenty of studies are showing the COVID is causing immunity dysregulation which ironically means those catching COVID are more likely to catch it again with worse symptoms.

Which we can now safely assume is in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. Frankly, I don't track variants anymore, I just don't care. What difference does knowing what all these variants and sub variants have on anything? The only prudent thing to do at this point is to mask up, particularly with high quality N95 respirators when you're out and about. It doesn't matter what variant is out there, the respirator will provide an excellent level of protection (the same cannot be said for vaccines, sadly).

Let me guess you had all Pfizer or all AstraZeneca? This has been the advice that so called public health experts have been telling us for a while now. I've ignored their warnings be it getting AstraZeneca as a (then) 33 year old and mixing and matching vaccines and I'm all fine. Thus far I've had five jabs (AstraZeneca, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Novavax). I test every week for COVID irrespective of symptoms due to my high risk status (immunocompromised with an autoimmune disease) and have tested negative thus far. I don't know if it's luck or the measures I've taken so far (respirator use, vaccination, vitamin D top-ups, etc.)

Yeah there's a lot we don't know about the virus and disease. I think it's important to keep a prudent attitude when out and about. By all means, do what you've done before, take flights, visit relatives, go to conferences, etc., but take measures to minimize catching COVID. Thus far since the "end of the pandemic" (at least in the eyes of the Commonwealth) I've taken 60 flights travelling all over the world from Oceania to North America and Europe. This notion that we have to choose between being COVID-free versus living a normal life has to stop!

-RooFlyer88

I'd suggest it is a case of best knowledge without daily testing to confirm.

 

[p--and--t]

Who gets it and who gets it again and who doesn't is all a bit of a mystery, I think.

A friend is a MICA and out and about with cases on a daily basis but hasn't had it, yet her whole family has had it and some members twice.

My 97yo mother (heaps of health issues but still living at home) hasn't had it but my 40yo son in law has had it twice in 4 months (no normal health issues)

 

[woodyren]

I have had it thrice. March 2020. Jan 2022. Nov 2022. Each time akin to a moderate cold. Milder each time. Zero cough or fever.

 

[RAM]

Wow i dont know anyone who has had covid more than once, and no one who has been seriously ill from it - even my 77yo imuno compromised Mum said it was a non-event (although she was able to have antivirals).

I had covid in July (tripple vaxed at the time) and it was a runny nose and a feeling a lethargy, in a pre-covid world without testing not enough of a reason to stay home from work.

There is a much worse cold virus circulating though - I picked it up in Hobart two weeks before xmas (symptoms occurred first day after arriving home) had a constant headache and runny nose for a week; and once those symptoms cleared have had a lingering cough for 2 weeks even though I feel fine (gets triggered when I laugh). Took 15 RATs all negative so know its not covid.

Got Covid in late March and symptoms not severe at all but subsequent 'long covid' quite severe - triple vaxed with 3rd dose in mid Jan 2022.

Short term memory is a thing of the past, although now 9 times out of ten getting up to get/do something no longer sees me forgetting what I had got up to do by the time of going through the door. Around 6 out of ten times now.

Caught covid again in early November - hit me for consecutive sixes. Slept for 26 hours straight (one toilet wake-up). then coughing up massive quantities from lungs (measured in tablespoons) - caused a surge in supermarket profits due to number of tissue boxes used up.

Prior to this may have taken one panadol a year at worst, no regular doctor as historically was up to 6 or 8 years between visits.

Covid seems destined to be like 9/11 - resulting in a permanent change to the way the world operates...

 

[straitman]

Maybe it's timing. The second timers I know of had their first infection in January and February last year. When in Oz it wasn't as rampant.

This was my experience.

Caught it in Jan 2022 and December 2022.

The after was worse though as I had no get up and go and hit a wall half way through the day. This resulted in needing an afternoon nap which is something I never do normally.

 

[serfty]

Co worker's mid twenties son has had it three times.

 

[jakeseven7]

I'm still a zero timer so am keeping my fingers crossed!

That you know of.

Wife never had it, despite sleeping in same bed. But she has had bacterial pneumonia (requiring oxygen on a VA flight and transfer to Randwick hospital).

That she knows of. And it’s actually not uncommon for pneumonia to quickly follow covid in older people. Not saying that this is the case with her obviously, just an observation we’ve seen.

 

[tgh]

That you know of.

Indeed.. so when I have some routine blood tests next month I will also have a covid antibody test just so I "really" know.

 

[jakeseven7]

That you know of.

Indeed.. so when I have some routine blood tests next month I will also have a covid antibody test just so I "really" know.

Exactly. I laugh out loud when people say they haven’t had covid.

A huge number of people have it so mildly it doesn’t even register with them that they have it / or test at the wrong time with a RAT / or they don’t test well with the RAT etc etc.

Why are you having the bloods? Just for interests sake?

 

[drron]

When I had covid the symptoms were those of my hay fever. because I was in Thailand I did a RAT test. it was positive. 3 days later it was negative but my symptoms continued for 6 days after that -that is not unusual. so the symptoms i had were probably not due to covid. If I was at home I probably wouldn't have tested. I'd be someone claiming i'd never had covid.

 

[Hvr]

Covid seems destined to be like 9/11 - resulting in a permanent change to the way the world operates...

For those who lived through it, yes it will.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Covid seems destined to be like 9/11 - resulting in a permanent change to the way the world operates...

Call me crazy but I don't see that happening. Unlike some folks on this forum, I was around on September 11, 2001 and remember where I was. How things were before 9/11 and since are quite a bit different and have changed things in ways that go well beyond airport security. Thinking specifically of the United States:

• Since 2009, travellers going to the United States by land must have a passport. This was initially why I had to go and get a passport since simply showing a birth certificate or Ontario health card (with no photo on it by the way), was not enough. This impacted people who live on both sides of the world's longest border which is the border between Canada and US. It used to be for those folks that you could cross into the US no questions asked. Now there is a whole process to enter the US.
• Travellers arriving in the United States must clear immigration and customs and have valid permission to enter whereas before they used to allow international to international connections via a transit hall at most major airports
• For Visa Waiver Program countries, you must apply for and receive ESTA clearance to enter the United States. Even Canadians, who are not subjected to this rule have to occasionally fight with foreign airline staff to check-in because some aren't aware that Canada isn't a VWP country. This is what happened when I flew Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Detroit, requiring me to get a station manager involved as the check-in desk insisted that I must have ESTA

Then of course we have all the usual restrictions of airport security since 9/11 like not being able to bring liquids through security, security rules varying greatly from airport to airport, not being able to see relatives off at the gate, and limited application of the IATA Annex on airport security for connecting flights (i.e. most airports require re-clearing security on international connection despite you already clearing security).

If someone, anyone could tell me what lasting changes COVID has had on travel, I'd love to hear it. All we've seen were temporary border restrictions and that's about it. Flying into the US right now there's what an attestation form you have to fill out saying you've been vaccinated? Even some airlines I've flown haven't cared about any of that. If anything COVID has made flying into the US easier. Case in point, when I flew to HNL back in May there was no US agriculture declaration form to fill out. I simply presented myself to the Global Entry kiosk on arrival and then immediately headed for my bags.

-RooFlyer88

 

[JohnK]

I read in the ABC that they are exploring whether people with auto immune illnesses are genetically less likely to contract serious Covid as their research on the Black Death indicated a genetic link for survivors (wiped out half the population) is consistent with the genetics of people with auto immune illnesses today. Kinda reassuring and it does explain a few things in my medical history (never contracted the usual kid diseases despite not being vaccinated at the time. Brother on the other hand had them all.

They should include me in the study.

History of auto immune disease but multiple viral/bacterial each year, many quite serious, until covid emerged.

In the past 3 years I've not had many viral/bacterial infections except for the past year where I've had 4-5 infections in succession.

And still no covid.

 

[RAM]

Call me crazy but I don't see that happening. Unlike some folks on this forum, I was around on September 11, 2001 and remember where I was. How things were before 9/11 and since are quite a bit different and have changed things in ways that go well beyond airport security. Thinking specifically of the United States:

• Since 2009, travellers going to the United States by land must have a passport. This was initially why I had to go and get a passport since simply showing a birth certificate or Ontario health card (with no photo on it by the way), was not enough. This impacted people who live on both sides of the world's longest border which is the border between Canada and US. It used to be for those folks that you could cross into the US no questions asked. Now there is a whole process to enter the US.
• Travellers arriving in the United States must clear immigration and customs and have valid permission to enter whereas before they used to allow international to international connections via a transit hall at most major airports
• For Visa Waiver Program countries, you must apply for and receive ESTA clearance to enter the United States. Even Canadians, who are not subjected to this rule have to occasionally fight with foreign airline staff to check-in because some aren't aware that Canada isn't a VWP country. This is what happened when I flew Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Detroit, requiring me to get a station manager involved as the check-in desk insisted that I must have ESTA

Then of course we have all the usual restrictions of airport security since 9/11 like not being able to bring liquids through security, security rules varying greatly from airport to airport, not being able to see relatives off at the gate, and limited application of the IATA Annex on airport security for connecting flights (i.e. most airports require re-clearing security on international connection despite you already clearing security).

If someone, anyone could tell me what lasting changes COVID has had on travel, I'd love to hear it. All we've seen were temporary border restrictions and that's about it. Flying into the US right now there's what an attestation form you have to fill out saying you've been vaccinated? Even some airlines I've flown haven't cared about any of that. If anything COVID has made flying into the US easier. Case in point, when I flew to HNL back in May there was no US agriculture declaration form to fill out. I simply presented myself to the Global Entry kiosk on arrival and then immediately headed for my bags.

-RooFlyer88

Not just travel, I was referring to life as we know it.

9/11 saw most Western nations changed internal security laws (such as accessing domestic communications etc) in addition to all planes now having to have 'secure door access' to pilots and 'enhanced' screening at airports etc.

No longer can young children have the joy of being taken into the coughpit to see the pilots flying the plane - for example.

 

[kyle]

What I tell people is I've never been certified covid positive rather than I've never had covid.

I don't know what I caught towards the end of my Europe trip in August 2022. Triple vaccinated at the time with booster in Jan 2022. Started with a bit of a sore throat and cough whilst lining up at LHR flying to MUC. Was only at MUC for one night and then took the train to ZRH the next day flying back to MEL. It was on the train journey that I felt some body aches and lethargy but that only lasted one day. When back in MEL 3 days later, took my first ever RAT (never ever had a PCR) and it was negative. No noticeable tiredness throughout but the cough lasted close to a month.

Unlike others who take numerous precautions, I'm more an anti masker and only wear it if mandated. I've been diagnosed with mild SLE for like 20 years. Finally asked my rheumatologist at the last check up if I'm at high risk and he said my Plaquenil doesn't lower the immunity and that there are certain genetic markers that make a person at higher risk and which I'm not one. So maybe what @Pushka mentioned could be right - there's some sort of link.

I'm not a social animal and if not counting days in the office and people at shops and restaurants, I don't mix with many people outside of the household.

 

[Freq Flier 2013]

What I tell people is I've never been certified covid positive rather than I've never had covid.

I don't know what I caught towards the end of my Europe trip in August 2022. Triple vaccinated at the time with booster in Jan 2022. Started with a bit of a sore throat and cough whilst lining up at LHR flying to MUC. Was only at MUC for one night and then took the train to ZRH the next day flying back to MEL. It was on the train journey that I felt some body aches and lethargy but that only lasted one day. When back in MEL 3 days later, took my first ever RAT (never ever had a PCR) and it was negative. No noticeable tiredness throughout but the cough lasted close to a month.

Unlike others who take numerous precautions, I'm more an anti masker and only wear it if mandated. I've been diagnosed with mild SLE for like 20 years. Finally asked my rheumatologist at the last check up if I'm at high risk and he said my Plaquenil doesn't lower the immunity and that there are certain genetic markers that make a person at higher risk and which I'm not one. So maybe what @Pushka mentioned could be right - there's some sort of link.

I'm not a social animal and if not counting days in the office and people at shops and restaurants, I don't mix with many people outside of the household.

That’s interesting but you know that it not about being overly social. It just takes someone with covid in a lift with you or next to you at the checkout in a supermarket and you can get infected by covid.

 

[RAM]

What I tell people is I've never been certified covid positive rather than I've never had covid.

I don't know what I caught towards the end of my Europe trip in August 2022. Triple vaccinated at the time with booster in Jan 2022.

Amazing how many AFFers got the booster in Jan 2022. In my case I then got Covid-19 around March 28th after a Jan 9 booster

Started with a bit of a sore throat and cough whilst lining up at LHR flying to MUC. Was only at MUC for one night and then took the train to ZRH the next day flying back to MEL. It was on the train journey that I felt some body aches and lethargy but that only lasted one day. When back in MEL 3 days later, took my first ever RAT (never ever had a PCR) and it was negative. No noticeable tiredness throughout but the cough lasted close to a month.

With RATs the recommendation (IIRC) is to test 3 times over (consecutive?) days as their accuracy is much lower than PCR. The accuracy supposedly has declined further with the Omicron virus.

 

[kyle]

With RATs the recommendation (IIRC) is to test 3 times over (consecutive?) days as their accuracy is much lower than PCR. The accuracy supposedly has declined further with the Omicron virus.

Yeah I know but the test was more to tell my boss I didn't know what I got but it's not showing as covid and we ended up wfh for the week and ordered food and grocery deliveries.