General Coronavirus chit chat thread - non-travel specific

[MEL_Traveller]

This is going to be a significant problem moving forward.

Yup. A complex and difficult issue. *just because* the government says we can all go shopping now or eat in restaurants doesn't mean it is safe to do so. *just because* rules have been relaxed doesn't mean it is risk free.

 

[DC3]

However, the Freedom-dayers are dancing in the streets and in the bars, aren’t they? Freedom! . If you aren’t all vaxxed-up, then start booking those ICU beds.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

However, the Freedom-dayers are dancing in the streets and in the bars, aren’t they? Freedom! . If you aren’t all vaxxed-up, then start booking those ICU beds.

I suppose if you are a casual then market forces will help determine your desire for freedom... go to the gym or lose out on work if you get sick. For full time employees... bit tough on employers.

 

[Princess Fiona]

New paper from CDC on COVID-19 reinfection after either natural immunity or being fully vaccinated.

TL;DR People who had natural immunity were 5.5 times more likely to be reinfected than fully vaccinated people with no prior infection.

 

[Flashback]

This is going to be a significant problem moving forward.

If only they'd catch up to the UK and exclude people from pingdom when fully vaccinated

 

[Pushka]

If only they'd catch up to the UK and exclude people from pingdom when fully vaccinated

I figure once SA opens they will get swamped and not ping like now.

 

[Lynda2475]

TL;DR People who had natural immunity were 5.5 times more likely to be reinfected than fully vaccinated people with no prior

Last week some here were advocating for people who have had a confirmed covid diagnosis and recovery to be exempt from the need to be vaccinated in order to enter Australia without Hotel Quarrantine.

Research like this shows us why we should be insisting that they too get fully vaccinated with a recognised vaccine, if they want to avoid quaratine on arrival.

 

[MARTINE]

I’ll answer it.

So far the answer has been no…

Each state based workers comp system is different. In Vic this was accepted from last year.

Post automatically merged: Oct 30, 2021

Yup. A complex and difficult issue. *just because* the government says we can all go shopping now or eat in restaurants doesn't mean it is safe to do so. *just because* rules have been relaxed doesn't mean it is risk free.

Given I hate shopping in loud gaudy shopping malls the fact I now - can - means I continue to ‘dont’! Knowing you can do more and choose not to IS certainly better than having v few choices

 

[Quickstatus]

state based workers comp system is different.

Ours was no this March.
When a nurse who was nursing a CovidPos patient in a CovidWard and did not live in an LGA of concern got Covid, they said she could have got it anywhere.

Yep the media putting on the virtue signalling hat calling nurses heroes but the system does not protect them.

 

[Lynda2475]

Whilst there are 8 different state/territory based workers compensation schemes, there is also Comcare Scheme (which is not just for government, you can apply to self insure under this is industries including transport).

If genomic sequencing could prove a direct link to the source and the only crossover with that source was at place of employment that would make proving a case easier. Especially in circumstances where there was not widespread covid circulating in the community. Of course youd actually need to have long term health consequences impacting your ability to return to work, not just have had 2 weeks of self iso at home.

 

[Quickstatus]

New paper

A study comparing CovidInfection vs CovidInfection+ CovidVax is required.

That study didn’t drill down further to see why. Is it due to low antibody levels in those breakthrough infections, or something else.

And also actually breakdown the initial CovidInfection group into CovidInfectionNotDelta and CovidInfectionYesDelta

So some extra work to do but I don’t think that will help the AntiVaX group change their minds.

 

[MARTINE]

From WorkSafe Vic website.

 

[Quickstatus]

not just have had 2 weeks of self iso at home.

2 weeks taken off the sick leave bank or covered by WC is important for many nurses.
……

WorkSafe Vic

what most reasonable people would expect.

 

[Lynda2475]

Sick leave and many good employers now also have a special policy for covid leave (work form home if feeling well or bonus sick leave if unwell) is the correct first avenue of claim.

This is why the govt instigated weekly payments for anyone with a positive diagnosis whose employer did not offer sick or covid leave coverage and wasnt released by the state from iso.

Income protection insurance (taken out individually or as part of your worers comp coverage) doesnt usually kick in until you have had more than one month off work (3 months for some coughpy policies).

Where work place injuries are incurred (the injury in this case being covid), the employer's policy will generally pay for initial treatement and put a return to work plan in place which will generally cover rehab if neededand wages until you can return to work, and any moficiations to equpment etc beeded for you to return to work. Lump sum compensation is generally only payed out where it is deemed there is a long term impairment or disablity resulting from the injury which would impact the employees ability to continue in their role or work at all.

 

[drron]

Last week some here were advocating for people who have had a confirmed covid diagnosis and recovery to be exempt from the need to be vaccinated in order to enter Australia without Hotel Quarrantine.

Research like this shows us why we should be insisting that they too get fully vaccinated with a recognised vaccine, if they want to avoid quaratine on arrival.

Except the Israelis have released their study on natural immunity v vaccination effectiveness and the results are the exact opposite.Taking unvaccinated previously infected with covid v double vaxxed it was the doubke vaxxed who were 5 times more likely to get an in fection.
And when comparing unvaxxed previously infected with double vaxxed patients who in both groups had their sentinel occurrence in ja/feb 2021 the vaxxed had a 13 times risk of having a breakthrough infection.Of course this in a country that only used Pfizer.

Comparing SARS-CoV-2 natural immunity to vaccine-induced immunity: reinfections versus breakthrough infections

Background Reports of waning vaccine-induced immunity against COVID-19 have begun to surface. With that, the comparable long-term protection conferred by previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 remains unclear. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study comparing three groups...

www.medrxiv.org

 

[OZDUCK]

A big surge in cases and hospitilisations is currently occurring in Europe. "Where vaccine uptake is low – in many countries in the Baltics, central and eastern Europe, and the Balkans – hospital admission rates are high,". "The infection rate is now the highest in the world, at 192 new cases per 100,000 people." & ""The WHO's technical lead on Covid-19, Maria Van Kerkhove, said over the past four weeks cases across Europe had soared over 55%, despite an "ample supply of vaccines and tools" Some of the low vaccination rates in Europe, including Germany, surprised me. In Russia only 32% are fully vaccinated.The death rates have not yet reached previous levels.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59160525

WHO says Europe COVID-19 surge 'a grave concern' as hospitalisations double in a week

The World Health Organization is warning 500,000 people could die in the next three months in Europe and central Asia, as COVID-19 surges across the region.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Flashback]

Not sure where they're getting their stats but 192/100,000 (I assume over 14 days) is not high, in fact Australia is just over 100 itself. UK is nearly 1000 etc.

I've recently been to 2 Baltic countries, Latvia and Lithuania and it didn't feel unsafe at all.

 

[OZDUCK]

Another trail of a new Covid treatment has been stopped early because of ethical concerns as the results appear so good. As always very early days but at least it is another hopeful sign. Maybe Pfizer will make a lot of money out of it but if it works and saves lives then that is acceptable to me.

Covid: Pfizer says antiviral pill 89% effective in high-risk cases

The company stopped clinical trials early because initial results for the drug were so positive.

www.bbc.com

Pfizer says its antiviral pill cuts severe risk of COVID by nearly 90 per cent

Pfizer will ask regulators for the pill to be made available for global use as soon as possible after clinical trials suggested it was 89 per cent effective in cutting the risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Flashback]

They've started using it in the UK, though.

 

[Pushka]

They've started using it in the UK, though.

It means they don’t feel it’s ethical to continue the trials anymore because they don’t like giving placebos when they know the actual drug is super effective.