Coronavirus (COVID-19) Respiratory illness - Effect on Travel

[p--and--t]

Interesting claim.

Yes, given the Chinese have said the opposite yesterday or the day before

 

[Pushka]

some schools are quarantining or banning students even when they are well. Some boarding schools isolate well boarding students who have been to Wuhan/China to another separate dormitory but they can attend class if well. Most public schools are just saying if unwell or exhibiting symptoms - go to hospital/dr


Which is not necessary. If asymptomatic then no chance of transmitting infection.
The feds are using a monitoring rather than quarantine approach.

And if well don’t need to wear a mask.

If people take the approach of self reflection that as soon as you feel symptoms, then this will pass soon.

it has since been discovered that a passenger on the last MU flight has developed symptom.

Apparently AUS has a national mask stockpile of 12mil. Learn something new everyday.

I thought that the latest research (yesterday from China) was that it can be transmitted prior to becoming symptomatic.

 

[Quickstatus]

Ah thanks for pickup will amend. No to Low

BTW the most common coronavirus that humans experience is the common cold
..............

Here is the NSW Health guidelines and WHO link

 

[tgh]

The difference between smug shrugs and pandemonium seems to be pure blind luck.
Let's all hope there is no expansion and escalation clause in the infection contract….

 

[drron]

Interesting claim.

Not what the College of Physicians are saying in today's email.Saying it is too early to know if transmission can take place if asymptomatic.
Also worried that there is person to person passage as a doctor in Wuhan has died of the virus-sadly a retired doctor who came back to help out.
Other unconfirmed reports of other health professionals being infected.

 

[Pushka]

Not what the College of Physicians are saying in today's email.Saying it is too early to know if transmission can take place if asymptomatic.
Also worried that there is person to person passage as a doctor in Wuhan has died of the virus-sadly a retired doctor who came back to help out.
Other unconfirmed reports of other health professionals being infected.

Which really means where there is an unknown we should act on the worst case scenario until it’s proven otherwise.

 

[jakeseven7]

Absolute mess at Changi - cabs avoiding coming to the airport to pick up passengers, everyone wearing masks....

 

[I love to travel]

Absolute mess at Changi - cabs avoiding coming to the airport to pick up passengers, everyone wearing masks....

So are people using Uber or MRT to get from the airport ? Would be really interested in knowing other observations in Singapore that you have.

 

[drron]

Unfortunately a lot of panic out there.
Just a point of comparison.The SARs virus resulted in 773 deaths worldwide.over 2-3 years.
Influenza in Australia last year resulted in 812 deaths-and that is a bit less than the usual of ~ 1000 deaths per year.

 

[dajop]

Absolute mess at Changi - cabs avoiding coming to the airport to pick up passengers, everyone wearing masks....

Exaggeration a little? Arrrived at 8am this morning. About 1 in 5 people were wearing masks, but other than that nothing out of the ordinary. I booked a grab (my normal mode of transport) and it accepted within 30 seconds, at the base rate (i.e. no surge pricing). I would expect short supply of taxis to impact acceptance rate and surge pricing, although I guess might be a different customer base for ride-sharing (locals) vs taxis (foreigners).

On my EK flight from DXB about 20 pax were wearing masks (interestingly most of these caucasian) during the flight, but upon landing the amount donning masks had doubled (those who had put on masks to enter the terminal, but weren't wearing during flight seemed to be ethnically Chinese). For reference, at my local shopping centre/MRT on the way into the office about 1 in 6 wearing masks, in the office area only about 1 in 10-12.

 

[jakeseven7]

Exaggeration a little? Arrrived at 8am this morning. About 1 in 5 people were wearing masks, but other than that nothing out of the ordinary. I booked a grab (my normal mode of transport) and it accepted within 30 seconds, at the base rate (i.e. no surge pricing). I would expect short supply of taxis to impact acceptance rate and surge pricing, although I guess might be a different customer base for ride-sharing (locals) vs taxis (foreigners).

On my EK flight from DXB about 20 pax were wearing masks (interestingly most of these caucasian) during the flight, but upon landing the amount donning masks had doubled (those who had put on masks to enter the terminal, but weren't wearing during flight seemed to be ethnically Chinese). For reference, at my local shopping centre/MRT on the way into the office about 1 in 6 wearing masks, in the office area only about 1 in 10-12.

Lucky you, so glad you got through ok! got here last night and was a complete mess. 2 hour waits. Majority of people wearing masks (but that wasn't causing the mess obviously)

 

[amaroo]

more like using antibiotics inappropriately - when it is not indicated and when it is indicated, the wrong antibiotic or wrong dose / duration

Makes you wonder if the repeat system for scripts is a good idea.

 

[dajop]

Lucky you, so glad you got through ok! got here last night and was a complete mess. 2 hour waits. Majority of people wearing masks (but that wasn't causing the mess obviously)

I'm not sure if that was necessarily the result of the coronavirus hysteria, more the end of Lunar New Year holiday exacerbated by the coronavirus. Typically on the night that ends any long weekend, waits for taxi's can be lengthy. There was one such long weekend last year where there was a massive taxi queue and it took 50 mins for a Grab driver to accept my ride (and that was at double the normal fare). Usually really bad around 10pm-1am on such nights.

Glad we arrived this morning instead of last night (learnt from experience + near haul flights on LCC's to desirable destinations such as HKT, DPS, BKK were more expensive than return flight to DXB, on EK, over the period).

 

[RooFlyer]

Just a point of comparison.The SARs virus resulted in 773 deaths worldwide.over 2-3 years.
Influenza in Australia last year resulted in 812 deaths-and that is a bit less than the usual of ~ 1000 deaths per year.

Exactly the point my travel doctor made when I saw him last week and asked about the N-Coronovirus risks, mitigation etc. Not to be blase, but to get a bit of perspective.

Interesting statement up thread that Australia had stockpiled masks. My Dr. said there was a shortage of masks. Maybe talking about different types/qualities of masks? He was talking about one which I might wear against n-Coronavirus in possibly infected areas, like Taiwan airports (for now).

Post automatically merged: Jan 28, 2020

Makes you wonder if the repeat system for scripts is a good idea.

I'm sure I've never received a repeat for antibiotics ... I've always thought if one scrip doesn't do it, its into hospital for a drip?

 

[Quickstatus]

Makes you wonder if the repeat system for scripts is a good idea.

For some things it is but generally not.
There are some meds which are maintenance long term but antibiotics are short term temporary. But antibiotics dont work for Coronavirus

.......


As a bit of comparison
WHO estimates between 290K-650K people die from influenza each year - estimated 3000 in Australia. No one calling for masks, quarantine during the flu season.
And malaria kills nearly half a million people a year. But is is not in the consciousness of the general public because its not close to home.
Under 5 yr child mortality worldwide is about 5 million is 2018 mostly from nutrition, water related, respiratory illnesses. Malaria is in the top 5. Not important in Australia.
So often the media garners public interest, but public interest wanes when the media loses interest. All this is happening in the shadows unfortunately.

Is n-COV important?. Yes it is but let's not go overboard. Take sensible precautions. Stay at home if sick is the main theme for anything - wear a mask?. Otherwise wear a mask if you want to but don't forget anything you touch may be an infection risk. We certainly don't for the 3000 deaths each year from Influenza.
.....

A patient is suspected to have n-COV if clinical AND epidemiological criteria are satisfied:
Clinical criteria:
Fever/history of fever AND acute respiratory symptoms - one of following: shortness of breath, cough or sore throat.
Acute respiratory symptoms and Xray evidence suggestive of lung infection whether or not fever is present.
Fever without these symptoms does NOT satisfy the clinical criteria

Epidemiological criteria:
Travel from Hubei province or a declared outbreak area within 14 days of symptoms
Close contact with a CONFIRMED case of n-COV within the last 14 days
Being near someone who coughed or sneezed does NOT satisfy Current epidemiological criteria.

Testing:
Nose,throat swabs to test for presence of n-COV virus (available now)
Blood test - (these are stored for when the antibody test becomes available but currently not available yet)

What mask to wear:
Lucky we had a bushfire...
The same P2 or N95 masks that have been given out in the bushfire areas. (Though they dont last forever. )

Bunnings sells them - just stick to the 3M masks:

 

[Quickstatus]

I'm sure I've never received a repeat for antibiotics ... I've always thought if one scrip doesn't do it, its into hospital for a drip?

In the context of respiratloy illnesses more like you were not meant to have antibiotics in the first place.

We have heard it before: "If it does not get better see your Dr or health care professional"

 

[Pushka]

Exactly the point my travel doctor made when I saw him last week and asked about the N-Coronovirus risks, mitigation etc. Not to be blase, but to get a bit of perspective.

Interesting statement up thread that Australia had stockpiled masks. My Dr. said there was a shortage of masks. Maybe talking about different types/qualities of masks? He was talking about one which I might wear against n-Coronavirus in possibly infected areas, like Taiwan airports (for now).

Post automatically merged: Jan 28, 2020

I'm sure I've never received a repeat for antibiotics ... I've always thought if one scrip doesn't do it, its into hospital for a drip?

From Bushfires I’d suggest.

Post automatically merged: Jan 28, 2020

In the context of respiratloy illnesses more like you were not meant to have antibiotics in the first place.

We have heard it before: "If it does not get better see your Dr or health care professional"

You mean like we were not meant to fly?

 

[Quickstatus]

From Bushfires I’d suggest.

My understanding the National Mask Stockpile is only for Outbreak of disease. But is only available currently to hospitals, Drs surgeries and the like and only if they cant source it normally.
The rest of youse mere mortals can go get them from Bunnings as per above link.

 

[Pushka]

My understanding the Nstional Mask Stockpile is only for Outbreak of disease. But is only available currently to hospitals, Drs surgeries and the like. The rest of youse mere mortals can go get them from Bunnnings as per above link.

We bought masks last time we went to Bali for the volcano but we left them behind for others to use. They have probably taken by the staff and sold into the markets long ago.

 

[RooFlyer]

In the context of respiratloy illnesses more like you were not meant to have antibiotics in the first place.

Mine was a general comment about antibiotics and scrips.