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

[Pushka]

You mean this one?
The 40-year-old woman who travelled to Australia from Iran via Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines flight MH139, arriving in Adelaide on March 1, tested positive this morning.

Interesting. On our website it states this:
"They were already scrambling to retrace the steps of the fourth victim, a 40-year-old woman who arrived in Adelaide on Sunday from Iran, travelling via Kuala Lumpur.

She is currently being interviewed by SA Health officials, before being admitted to a metro hospital in Adelaide later on Wednesday. Authorities said that would not be the Royal Adelaide Hospital, suggesting the woman lives in either the northern or southern suburbs.

The Adelaide woman has a baby at home, who is now also being tested.

No information was immediately available about where she visited in Iran, her suburb of residence and whether any close associates or neighbours had been informed or tested.

SA Health asked those travelling from Iran to self-isolate.

Revealing the details at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon - a few hours after tests confirmed the case - the state’s chief public health officer, associate professor Dr Nicola Spurrier said it would make her flight details public once they are confirmed."

 

[TheRealTMA]

Qantas have a 12 month Status Hold for pregnancy, why not for those older people who limit travel because of Corvid-19?

 

[Melburnian1]

QF82 on 29 February was operated by A332 VH-EBR: see above for one 'case' who travelled on it.

That aircraft operated QF19 and QF20 SYD - MNL - SYD on 1 March; on 2 March it was on QF922/923 SYD - CNS return, and then QF459 down to MEL,, and that night QF653 to PER, and then the redeye back overnight to MEL QF648.

On 3 March it ran QF408, 0700 hours MEL - SYD and then travelled across to PER as QF575.

Interestingly yesterday it substituted as QF10, the second sector from PER to MEL.

This morning (Wednesday 4 March) it was on QF408 again, the 0700 hours MEL - SYD but hasn't undertaken any subsequent flights so perhaps tonight (bearing in mind I don't know when QF became aware it had carried a coronavirus sufferer) it is being 'deep cleaned.'

That's a large number of passengers to chase to warn, even if they only restrict the warning to two rows in front and two rows behind, plus QFi/QFd staff.

Say 20 persons a flight: 11 flights = 220 passengers or QF staff. Plus anyone at SIN on QF82 who came into contract with the individual, and maybe ground handling staff in MEL if they are to be included.

 

[KateMayo]

I just saw that QF1 was cancelled today after it was found that a passenger who arrived on the aircraft on Feb 28th has the virus.

I was on this flight - the sick passenger was in the last row of first; I was in the first row of economy. I believe the risk of me contracting the virus is probably low - I'm hopeful that the partial wall and curtain is an effective barrier.

That said I have been practising "social distancing" since I returned, having transited through Singapore. I will now increase this to self-isolation. So far, I am well.

No-one has contacted me from either the Health Department or Qantas - I just happened to read the report online

 

[drron]

Starting to worry about Thailand when reading reports like this.

No quarantine for workers returning home from S Korea

Illegal workers returning home from South Korea to escape the Covid-19 epidemic are being put into voluntary self-quarantine because there is no law requiring they be quarantined, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said on Tuesday.

www.bangkokpost.com

 

[PineappleSkip]

The lack of transparency as to the movements of positive travellers is very disconcerting. In this case not Qantas issue but the Health regulators.

It’s all relative. I think Aus’s response has been mostly exemplary. Pretty immediate reporting of all new cases, contact tracing people on the same planes (100 times more effective in reaching people than broadcast and await response), limiting sales of toilet paper, and so on. The one concern I did see a day or so ago was Vic (I think) chief medical officer concerned about the delay in getting passenger manifests. Don’t you love our Federal system?

Contrast places like Egypt, after several travellers return to various places from there with symptoms, you get stuff like this from their Government.
Egypt's government criticised for lack of transparency regarding coronavirus

Egypt downplays risk of outbreak
A spokesperson for the Egyptian cabinet, Nader Saad, told a TV talk show on Monday that his government is “fully prepared” for any outbreak.

“Worldwide indicators are showing the virus is decreasing, and we are not worried about its spread in Egypt,” he said.

Like, hello?

It gets worse. After Qatar barred travellers from Egypt given the concerns about just what is going on there, Egypt today banned entry of Qataris, in the first case I’ve seen of tit-for-tat coronavirus travel bans.

 

[amaroo]

Italy closes all schools and universities for 10 days. Fears the health system will be overrun.

Lufthansa grounding 150 of their 770 aircraft.

Coronavirus: Italy to close all schools as deaths rise

A total of 107 people have now died in Italy, the location of Europe's largest coronavirus outbreak.

www.bbc.com

 

[amaroo]

forecast for oil consumption had been lowered by more than 500,000 barrels a day.

Scrub that. New reports indicating the drop will be ~ 4 million barrels a day.

 

[RooFlyer]

According to Timatic Coronavirus page, which is very long indeed

... but doesn’t mention Malta. I’m flying there tomorrow from Istanbul ( TK). Got an email 3 days so listing 6 countries which if I’ve visited recently, I can’t fly.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Global Business Travel Association may well be somewhat USA-centric, but it suggests overall, business travellers account for 55 per cent of (legacy?) airline revenue.

It claims that of 400 members polled, 95 per cent have suspended trips to mainland China (no great surprise) while 45 per cent have done so to Japan and Sth Korea while the interesting one is 23 per cent have cancelled European trips.

It suggests that the virus is costing the business travel industry US$47 billion per month. That would include airlines, car hire companies, rail operators, airports, airport store concessionaires, luxury goods shops, hotels some upmarket AirBnBs, taxis and even down to cafes and department stores that normally play host to visitors. One is never sure how organisations calculate these figures - they don't have perfect knowledge - but it sounds a lot.

 

[amaroo]

... but doesn’t mention Malta. I’m flying there tomorrow from Istanbul ( TK). Got an email 3 days so listing 6 countries which if I’ve visited recently, I can’t fly.

This! Actually catching the bug is a very very minor part of the equation we went through when we decided to cancel our leisure trips to Singapore in Feb / March, and probably Europe in May and June.

The major factor is the potential for disruption to general daily life - youngest in year 12, 2 dogs, building a new house, businesses to run, etc, etc, etc - it's just not worth it.

Besides, the destinations aren't going anywhere..... better to let this thing wash through, and then go.

 

[Pushka]

This! Actually catching the bug is a very very minor part of the equation we went through when we decided to cancel our leisure trips to Singapore in Feb / March, and probably Europe in May and June.

The major factor is the potential for disruption to general daily life - youngest in year 12, 2 dogs, building a new house, businesses to run, etc, etc, etc - it's just not worth it.

Besides, the destinations aren't going anywhere..... better to let this thing wash through, and then go.

Sums it up really. Grandchild in our case and no house but hey, we have a business to run. With DIL the GP returning to work soon after the baby I’m expecting that I might be asked to assist - on a number of fronts. Just wish Bali would declare so I can claim on insurance. It’s off anyway but not canceled yet officially just in case.

And I chucked a tanty when trying to rebook Fiji and in the end just gave up. Looked at Noosa (our Christmas haunt for many years as the kids grew up) and all the apartments looked just as they did way back then and about the same as our apartment (home) here overlooking Henley Beach.
Med trip in July to Italy also down the toilet. I’m going to need a lot of toilet paper to get that down!

 

[Melburnian1]

..Med trip in July to Italy also down the toilet. I’m going to need a lot of toilet paper to get that down!

Pushka, sorry to hear that.

Could our medically trained AFFers advise whether they'd consider it wise, or foolhardy, to book overseas travel for September and beyond?

History suggests this virus won't be a major problem for ever, however politicians have been telling us a 'pandemic' is on the cards and these aren't trivial.

So much information, but so little certainty.

 

[drron]

It’s all relative. I think Aus’s response has been mostly exemplary. Pretty immediate reporting of all new cases, contact tracing people on the same planes (100 times more effective in reaching people than broadcast and await response), limiting sales of toilet paper, and so on. The one concern I did see a day or so ago was Vic (I think) chief medical officer concerned about the delay in getting passenger manifests. Don’t you love our Federal system?

Contrast places like Egypt, after several travellers return to various places from there with symptoms, you get stuff like this from their Government.
Egypt's government criticised for lack of transparency regarding coronavirus



Like, hello?

It gets worse. After Qatar barred travellers from Egypt given the concerns about just what is going on there, Egypt today banned entry of Qataris, in the first case I’ve seen of tit-for-tat coronavirus travel bans.

Firstly there are gaps in Australia's plans.A lot of regional Australia is not prepared.One hospital was told to expect 2 Covid positive patients as they were virtually recovered and their beds were needed.They would still need a negative pressure isolation room.The hospital only had one.
even though warned by this action when a possible Covid patient turned up a few days later the ED staff wanted immediate admission as they didn't have enough staff to deal with it-they had more staff than the ward.Obviously no plan was in place.

As to Qatar and Egypt the virus is just an excuse.Egypt backs the Saudi's blockade of Qatar.

 

[jeza]

Not sure if this has been posted before, an article about 2 strains of CoV-2. I have no medical background so will leave it for those that do to possibly add their input.

On the origin and continuing evolution of SARS-CoV-2

 

[p--and--t]

Not sure if this has been posted before, an article about 2 strains of CoV-2. I have no medical background so will leave it for those that do to possibly add their input.

On the origin and continuing evolution of SARS-CoV-2

An Italian media outlet reported a few days back the strain circulating in Italy wasn't the same as the Wuhan one, but a descendant.

 

[drron]

If so that Italian strain seems to be more virulent.

17 Italians in India test positive for coronavirus: source

NEW DELHI: A group of Italian tourists have been put in quarantine in India, with 17 testing positive for the new coronavirus, a source told AFP Wednesday.

www.bangkokpost.com

However i have yet to see that on a medical site-though there are so many articles on this virus it is impossible to read them all.

San Francisco has gone one better than aussies collecting toot paper.

Welcome to Precision Vaccinations News

Precision Vaccinations News publishes vaccine news patients can trust to make informed immunization decisions in partnership with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.

www.coronavirustoday.com

Vaccines and other drugs to treat Covid 19 are being fast tracked.

Welcome to Precision Vaccinations News

Precision Vaccinations News publishes vaccine news patients can trust to make informed immunization decisions in partnership with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.

www.coronavirustoday.com

And the drugs and vaccines being developed-not a full list though.

Coronavirus outbreak: Top coronavirus drugs and vaccines in development

Coronavirus drugs: Here are five major coronavirus vaccines and drugs being developed for the treatment of Wuhan coronavirus. coronavirus medicine; corona virus cure; coronavirus cure update, coronavirus cure, coronavirus vaccine update, cure for coronavirus, coronavirus treatment update

www.pharmaceutical-technology.com

I would take Remdesvir is offered as it has been used in humans before so reasonably safe.

An interesting article as it explains why some people test negative when they obviously have the disease.The Chinese test misses a lot of cases.

Welcome to Precision Vaccinations News

Precision Vaccinations News publishes vaccine news patients can trust to make informed immunization decisions in partnership with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.

www.coronavirustoday.com

 

[get me outta here]

Very sad all the Aussies kids still in Wuhan without their parents, mostly with relos. Some too young to travel UM, one being 8 months old. I'd volunteer to bring one back on a return trip if in F.

 

[Melburnian1]

Very sad all the Aussies kids still in Wuhan without their parents, mostly with relos. Some too young to travel UM, one being 8 months old. I'd volunteer to bring one back on a return trip if in F.

That would be well meaning, but our health here has to come first, so I'm pleased that Mr Morrison our Prime Minister is acting decisively.

 

[JessicaTam]

Three ambulances went out to the MEL international terminal and came back with 'pax'. The paramedics I could see were wearing disposable overalls.