General Discussion/Q&A on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[NM]

I guess this brings e to my next question hehe.

Besides the usual suspects; Booking.com, Agoda etc - Does anyone know any booking sites that offer free cancellation 24 hours out and pay at the hotel?

Thanks in advance once again!

I tend to avoid the commercial booking sites, other than to see what options may exist in the market I am looking for. I normally book directly with the hotel and they normally offer rates that require no deposit and no fee to cancel up until the day before arrival. But those flexible rates are often more expensive than the pre-paid rates. Someone pays for the flexibility. I rarely take a pre-paid rate unless almost certain I will be traveling and I am willing to accept the risk of losing my deposit if my plans have to change.

I think the only pre-paid hotel bookings I have made in the last few years is when using Amex credits and for a skiing chalet in NZ where they required a 50% deposit (and refunded all but NZ$35 admin fee when our flights were cancelled for July this year).

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I tend to avoid the commercial booking sites, other than to see what options may exist in the market I am looking for. I normally book directly with the hotel and they normally offer rates that require no deposit and no fee to cancel up until the day before arrival. But those flexible rates are often more expensive than the pre-paid rates. Someone pays for the flexibility. I rarely take a pre-paid rate unless almost certain I will be traveling and I am willing to accept the risk of losing my deposit if my plans have to change.

I think the only pre-paid hotel bookings I have made in the last few years is when using Amex credits and for a skiing chalet in NZ where they required a 50% deposit (and refunded all but NZ$35 admin fee when our flights were cancelled for July this year).

Agree. If it was me, I’d also look at the relevant hotel loyalty program accommodations - a lot are effectively giving rollovers or other relaxations so getting to a higher tier might be easier.

 

[Flashback]

So a friend of mine who lives a few miles down the road from me (London) has tested positive for COVID-19. She thinks she may have picked it up at a gym in Mayfair she teaches at. It seems that has then passed onto some of her friends she was with, when she had no symptoms. Interesting also that it took a week before she lost her sense of taste/smell. Just goes to show how quickly/easily it can spread.

 

[Flashback]

UK restricts South Africa travel amid new Covid variant fears

The UK has introduced new border restrictions on South Africa, effective immediately, amid concerns that a new Covid-19 variant has been imported from the country.

www.telegraph.co.uk

We're not even close to getting out of the woods. There is no light at the end of the tunnel, even with the vaccination program having already started.

 

[tgh]

We're not even close to getting out of the woods

Perhaps not , but you are probably a lot closer than a large chunk of the rest of the world

 

[drron]

Sydney University's coverage of Covid for those who want to learn more.

Infection and immunity masterclass

Gain time critical knowledge in the specialist field of infection and immunity with a series of free, online seminars led by highly respected senior clinicians and health professionals from the University of Sydney.

www.sydney.edu.au

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Greg Norman positive to covid....after a recent negative test

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Greg Norman positive to covid....after a recent negative test

Seems not to be uncommon. Friend of mine in the UK also felt unwell, mild symptoms. Test result was negative. Three months later needed a blood test and asked to have a covid antibody test as well... came back positive!

Dunno what that says for the notion of 'rapid resting' before getting on flights etc.

 

[Flashback]

Depressing to read, given the reliance some places put on things.

 

[Quickstatus]

Dunno what that says for the notion of 'rapid resting' before getting on flights et

All diagnostic tests have a specificity and sensitivity rate. It is being kept secret from the public but is not zero and significant enough to recommend people re-test if they have symptoms.

It is the elephant in the room scenario

Specificity- ability of test to detect a true positive
Sensitivity- ability of test to detect a true negative

BMJ suggests in one article
98% Specificity (2% were tested positive when they were negative)
85% sensitivity (15% were tested negative when they should have been positive
Now it gets a bit complicated because for those who have a positive PCR test (the one which takes a day or two to get the result) can be tested negative.
The sensitivity for those people are 93% (7% who were known to be positive actually tested negative). Seems like the higher the antibody level the higher the accuracy of the rapid tests.

SO IF 200 PEOPLE BOARD AND AIRCRAFT AND ALL TEST NEGATIVE ON THE RAPID TEST, POTENTIALLY 30 HAVE A FALSE NEGATIVE RESULT

One of the problems is there is no reference standard to measure the Accuracy of tests against.

Read this:

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2015897

 

[Quickstatus]

Why not?....

 

[OZDUCK]

A woman 'broke out' of a Quarantine Hotel (not a high-risk quarantine hotel) in Perth yesterday. In an earlier report she was described as an 'alternative health' practitioner. Quotes attributed to her include -

"That's all I am asking for so they don't pump me with antihistamines or allergy drugs to cope with the toxic environment," she wrote.

In other Facebook video posts, she expressed scepticism about coronavirus.

And from another news outlet -

“They’re going to use the army to mass vaccinate you for a 0.03 per cent contraction rate of virus that does not exist with a 99 per cent healing rate.

“I’m done having to suffer because people won’t stand up for their rights … Everybody needs to start to wake up.”

She has been arrested and refused bail while she awaits trail on charges that could bring a penalty of 12 months in jail or a $50,000 fine. Based on previous cases her 14 day hotel accommodation will instead be a months or more jail time. Her lawyer has made claims about her mental state but those claims will be tested in court.

'Consequences are significant' for woman who fled Perth coronavirus quarantine hotel

Western Australia's Health Minister Roger Cook says he is "disappointed and angry" at the traveller who now faces a fine of up to $50,000 or 12 months in prison.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Flashback]

We knew it was coming, but it doesn't make it any easier. UK going back into a full lockdown, although we've been in pseudo lockdown for a while.

• PM Boris Johnson will make a televised address at 20:00 to set out further steps to deal with rising Covid cases
• People in Scotland will be legally required to stay at home - except for essential purposes - from midnight tonight
• Most schools in Scotland will remain closed until 1 February

 

[drron]

Articles with Dr.Fauci discussing vaccines.

Fauci Says It’s Likely South African Strain Already In U.S., Not Concerned About Vaccine Protection

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday that it’s likely the new strain of the novel coronavirus prevalent in South Africa has already made its way to the United States. The strain is reportedly more contagious but not more deadly. Newsweek reported: Top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has told...

www.dailywire.com

Fauci says it could be 'open season' by April for those who want to get vaccine

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's foremost infectious disease expert, said he hopes vaccinations of health care workers and other priority groups will be completed by the end of March.

www.newsday.com

 

[Flashback]

UK banning flights from most of South America due to the Brazilian strain. Will it overtake headlines from the UK strain?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1349745992099364868

 

[Flashback]

With the UAE already off the UK's travel corridor list and Qatar just about to be announced; that's pretty much most of your options (for coming here, not that you can leave anyway......) for coming to the UK and being avoid to avoid a self isolation period gone. We'll see what happens with Singapore and Hong Kong. They're safe for now, but as I said it's all theoretical really.

 

[drron]

Jordan has been my favourite M.E nation.Doing the right thing again.

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

 

[TonyHancock]

....surprisingly in Type 2 Diabetes who are hospitalised have a higher mortality if using statins.Non diabetics have a trend to less severe disease if using statins.

HIV-positive status associated with increased mortality risk among patients hospitalised for COVID-19: Study

A study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases showed that HIV-positive people hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had an age-adjusted 47% higher risk of day-28 mortality compared with HIV-negative individuals. In addition, among people aged

dgalerts.docguide.com

Bit late to the party on this, but is it possible that it is the impact of other drugs combining with statins to cause higher mortality in the case of patients with diabetes rather than the impact of statins alone?

 

[Lynda2475]

A friend of mine who works in Hong Kong went to Scotland in December, then HK suspended flights from the UK.

So he flew to Dubai and has spent 21 days there having a vacation (it doesnt apear he was required to solate there - have just seen pics of him scuba diving, visiting the desert, indoor skiing, yachting etc) so that he could fly back to HK yesterday.

Now he is doing anoher 21 days HQ in HK, which obviously will mean working form his room and none of the fun of his forced vacay in Dubai.

42 days delay to get back to home base proper, for spending two and a bit weeks in UK.

People say 14 days is tough, interesting Hong Kong require 21 days.

** Edited dunno why I typed Singapore initially, havent had a coffee yet today!

 

[Pushka]

Our beloved folk in the LOTF just make me want to bang my head on the computer. On a Cruise ship forum, for a trip from Hong Kong through Bali through to Sydney later this year. With comments like "well, I will have had two shots of the vaccine by June so of course I will be allowed on this cruise to Australia". I have given up explaining realities to them. Let them hand over their thousands of dollars of fares.