General Coronavirus chit chat thread - non-travel specific

[Pushka]

So essentially we are no better than China or Iran or the USA? As much as many have bagged China for dodgy stats, we dont even test for it ?

Not sure about interstate but if showing flu symptoms you are told to go the Casualty section or specialist clinics just set up and they test for it. If you ring that's the first message you get. So yes, Australia is testing for it just not at the GP where you shouldn't be going anyway. You will be assessed first with your symptoms and up until recently needed to have come from overseas in last week or so. Joe Blow sniffles not having moved from his local abode etc will not be.

 

[drron]

Fortunately where I was working this week there were quite a few cases of the RS Virus so those turning up for a Covid-19 test were instead swabbed for the usual respiratory viruses and most were very soon advised they didn't have Covid 19 but RSV.

 

[TheRealTMA]

From Facebook (sorry)

 

[rainbowgirl]

I was at a sci fi, comics and gaming convention on the weekend at the Melbourne Showgrounds. There were changes to the usual procedures at the convention. Most of the guests weren't shaking hands. One guest started an elbow tapping tradition to show he cared and still wanted to interact with his fans. The convention often uses portaloos as there aren't enough permanent toilets on the site. This year there were no portaloos. I hadn't planned on going near the portaloos anyway. They had staff in the permanent toilets who were constantly cleaning and checking for supplies. They were probably also making sure no-one was trying to steal toilet paper. There were hand sanitation dispensers in various buildings as well. In the question and answer sessions the person with the microphone taking questions wouldn't hand the microphone to the audience members like they usually do, they just put the mic near the persons face. One of the major guests pulled out shortly before the convention but I don't know whether this had anything to do with the fear of the spread of the virus.

 

[Austman]

So tell me:

If I have a runny nose, but nothing much more (no fever, no sore throat, no cough and no shortness of breath).

What in the hell am I supposed to do???

 

[TheRealTMA]

So tell me: if I have a runny nose, but nothing much more.

What in the hell am I supposed to do???

Use some tissues? I have a runny nose every morning.

 

[I love to travel]

So tell me: if I have a runny nose, but nothing much more.

What in the hell am I supposed to do???

Yes agree it would be helpful to have advice if you only have 1 to 2 symptoms. I have had a sore for a week but feel fine. Am I meant to be going to the GP? Messaging from government needs to be very specific now.

 

[amaroo]

From Facebook (sorry)

Use to work with a couple of guys from Bosnia and Kosovo ..... they said when things like flour and sugar are on their way to be worth more than Gold - it's time drop everything and get out.

 

[Austman]

Use some tissues? I have a runny nose every morning.

Of course I meant a runny nose that's not an "every day" event.

But still it's a runny nose. Not normal. So it's *something*... But doesn't seem to match too many of the criteria of COVID-19 infection.

It's actually cleared up now. And I always felt fine. But the info about what to do in such a ordinary circumstance seems very poor.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Use to work with a couple of guys from Bosnia and Kosovo ..... they said when things like flour and sugar are on their way to be worth more than Gold - it's time drop everything and get out.

So where you gunna go? I read that Haro (Rioja wine centre) was in quarantine today.

You can run but you can’t hide.

 

[amaroo]

So where you gunna go? I read that Haro (Rioja wine centre) was in quarantine today.

You can run but you can’t hide.

We have a rural property that is completely isolated and well stocked - the ultimate getaway.

It was going to be Europe and USA this year, but it's good to have another option.

 

[juddles]

Of course I meant a runny nose that's not an "every day" event.

But still it's a runny nose. Not normal. So it's *something*... But doesn't seem to match too many of the criteria of COVID-19 infection.

It's actually cleared up now. And I always felt fine. But the info about what to do in such a circumstance seems very poor.

I understand - everyone in my family (and quite a few others we know) have has some sort of mild almost-flu-like thing over the past two weeks. General ill feeling through to some coughing and some mild sore throats. I know I have had SOMETHING, but it certainly hasn't been enough for me to go see a doctor. These sorts of things happen from time to time, and usually you would not even think about it. But at the moment you still can have some lingering doubts - Do I have coronavirus? Should I see a doctor, not for them to help me, but as a good citizen thing in case I am inadvertently spreading corona?? At what point do you self-quarantine, an action that for most people involves an inability to earn a wage....

 

[Pushka]

So tell me:

If I have a runny nose, but nothing much more (no fever, no sore throat, no cough and no shortness of breath).

What in the hell am I supposed to do???

In the post submitted in another thread by tgh, a runny nose with mucus isnt a symptom. If my comprehension is correct it starts with a sore throat that then proceeds to a dry cough when it starts trekking to the lungs.

 

[Austman]

Yes but have a read of the current controversy in VIC where a doctor on a flight from the USA, or in the USA developed a runny nose:

Coronavirus-infected GP hits back after criticism from Victorian Health Minister

A GP who tested positive for the coronavirus after treating dozens of patients lashes out at Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos who was "flabbergasted" he returned to work.

www.abc.net.au

The doctor thought he had recovered and returned to work. But a few days later did a test to ensure his diagnosis. He tested positive.

Now he's being blasted by the VIC health minister but is supported by many in the medical profession.

What is the public supposed to do? When even doctors and the government are fighting about it?

 

[oirets]

Ultimately, I think what's most worrying about this is simply the lack of honest reporting and the lack of common sense from everyone around us (though common sense seems increasingly less common).

It might be worth just putting the risks in perspective first of all. Did you know that the flu killed over 3,000 people in Australia last year? Are we all panicking and acting like children when it comes to the flu? What about something most of us do daily - driving. Last year there were 1,146 road fatalities in Australia. So to all the people fearful about dying from COVID-19, perhaps you shouldn't drive.

I'm not being facetious, but rather, just pointing out that the general public does not assess danger by the probabilistic risks, but rather, by how much they know about something. People aren't afraid of driving or the flu because they've been driving for 30 years and have caught the flu every year. People get used to these risks and write them off as "it's never going to happen to me because it's never happened to me".

Ultimately, I think we need to strike a balance between protecting ourselves and being rational. Yes, I would say it's a good idea to sanitise your hands regularly and I think it's probably not the worst idea to avoid travelling to areas where there are huge outbreaks. However, the overwhelming majority of the world is okay, people are not going to drop dead around us and I wouldn't suggest stopping your life over this.

What I find increasingly worrying is that the reporting on COVID-19 is extremely vengeful. Details have been released about various individuals who are reported to have COVID-19, leading to mass defamation, online attacks. Thank god we haven't had any real-world attacks yet. Given the vitriol I've seen from some people towards others who simply may have COVID-19 (which is through no fault of their own, mind you), I'm genuinely more worried about what's happening to society than I am about the virus itself.

 

[juddles]

....Just self isolate? That seems to be the message.

Seems to be the sensible option, but as per my post a few minutes ago, self-isolation causes a level of economic harm to many people - so finding the point at which it is a valid choice of action is very important - and I have not yet seen any concise advice from our government or medical authorities regarding this.

I personally have not travelled internationally this year (except to that God-forsaken nation that claims to be an island-state of ours just south of true Australia). But I "hang out" with people almost every day who are frequent travellers. I would be completely unsurprised if I have already got the damn thing. Would be "nice to know', but I for one think that a principal need over this whole ordeal is to save medical staff and resources to deal with those who really really need it.

I am not a believer in "containment" as I think that horse bolted long ago. And although I understand and completely support the notion of trying to slow spread down to reduce the impending pressure (peaks) on medical services, IMHO the way to do that now is those common-sense things of reducing general transmission opportunities through such practices as personal hygiene and avoiding unnecessary involvement in crowds. But the government still seems to be in a mode of simply trying to quell any panic - telling us to keep going to the footy, etc.

I think the government is trying to play safe (politically, not generally) by doing everything the medical community tells them. So I think that we, as a nation, are probably doing a fantastic job of preparing as much as we can for the outbreak in the strictly medical-response sense. But I think the focus is way to much driven by the restrictions of those medicos - they know how to react to something, but they do not have the skillset required to work out how to manage the media and the publics behaviours to actually help much in the prevention side - and "how to wash your hands" advice is simply child-like action.

Why are our leaders not running a huge campaign that promotes sensible social behaviour, sensible travel choices, why are they not fostering a community spirit that harnesses the huge national resource of general decency and harmony that we have?

I see all action until now as reactionary. An over-all pattern of not standing up to a reality that even Blind Freddy should see now - that this virus will become widespread everywhere in Australia and the rest of the world. Instead of effectively publicly denying this reality, the government should be gently letting the population know that this will occur, and that by all working together we can get through this well.

 

[Pushka]

Yes but have a read of the current controversy in VIC where a doctor on a flight from the USA, or in the USA developed a runny nose:

Coronavirus-infected GP hits back after criticism from Victorian Health Minister

A GP who tested positive for the coronavirus after treating dozens of patients lashes out at Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos who was "flabbergasted" he returned to work.

www.abc.net.au

The doctor thought he had recovered and returned to work. But a few days later did a test to ensure his diagnosis. He tested positive.

Now he's being blasted by the VIC health minister but is supported by many in the medical profession.

What is the public supposed to do? When even doctors and the government are fighting about it?

Well, I suspect he had other symptoms tbh. You don't really feel ill with just a runny nose.

My understandings. The illness is not that significant for fit healthy young things. It is very significant for older people and those who are having significant health issues. If this group get the virus and are to survive then significant and extensive public resources will be required to treat them. The current trend is towards containment. To keep the virus out for as long as possible. Because if we don't, the health system simply does not have the resources to cope with a massive influx to treat those who really need it to survive. By slowing it down and almost drip feeding then we have some chance of a survival rate amongst this group. Unfortunately the cost of that to our economy is also huge.

 

[amaroo]

Nothing to do with media reports for me, it's the gov reaction around the globe that has me thinking. Makes me wonder long and hard about that Israel agent's comments from the very start of this sh$t

 

[Austman]

You don't really feel ill with just a runny nose.

But you know you are not well either. That's the dilemma. What to do?

Well, I suspect he had other symptoms tbh

The doctor himself thought he was well enough to work.

Who do we trust? The doctors, the health profession or the government? Why are they even fighting?? The health profession seems pretty angry with the minister.

 

[oirets]

Why are our leaders not running a huge campaign that promotes sensible social behaviour, sensible travel choices, why are they not fostering a community spirit that harnesses the huge national resource of general decency and harmony that we have?

If you sound the alarm bells of an outbreak and an outbreak occurs, you'll be hailed a hero for predicting a catastrophe. If the outbreak doesn't occur, you'll be hailed a hero for preventing the outbreak.

If you try to quell the public's fears and an outbreak occurs, you'll be criticised for not taking the threat seriously. If the outbreak doesn't occur, you'll be criticised for just being lucky.

There's literally no upside to being realistic and no downside to appealing to fear. The last election here in AU, the last election in the US, the last election in the UK...etc. all came down to an appeal to fear.