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

[Quickstatus]

Hmmm no…..

 

[tgh]

Interbreeding with Neanderthals is generally not recommended.

If the equation was that simple it wouldn't be so interesting….

 

[ethernet]

Country NSW, Young NSW and surrounds. Tried to get a booster today. Seems nobody has any, earliest chemist is the 10th, some the 17th. Rubbing it in, plenty at a priceline pharmac_ surry hills , hardly any waiting on walkin. Canberra AIS stadium online webpage said* 'Booster 6 month later', not the new 3 to 4. My gut feeling is there was a supply shortage, and paperwork, someone to gum up speed. Many other practices not answering the phone.

 

[Quickstatus]

RATS

Given out to incoming travellers - no cost

No cost to Concessional card Holders

Some public Covid testing facilities giving out to symptomatic people at no cost

RAT in order to go to work. Tax deductible?

 

[Lynda2475]

Where testing is required to go to work the employer pays.

Most workplaces do surveillance testing onsite, one friend gets 3 x PCR a week, her employer contracted a pathology lab to provide the service. Anofher friend who is a nurse gets work supplied RAT at start of each shift, if anyone positive walk across the road for pcr confirmation (although this may not be required now).

Absolutely tax deductible if employment contract/policy requires it to attend, but really employers responsibility to provide.

 

[ethernet]

RATS

Given out to incoming travellers - no cost

No cost to Concessional card Holders

Some public Covid testing facilities giving out to symptomatic people at no cost

RAT in order to go to work. Tax deductible?

Qualification: When in stock - underlined. There is pent up community anxiety about this.
My time is valuable. The opportunity cost of not having immediate access to testing (N hours waiting in lines) is huge. Some multiplier for truckies and tradies - some who will cheat.

 

[VPS]

Article in UK Times today speculating Johnson is thinking of stopping the supply of free RAT

 

[drron]

An article from South Africa re the different experiences in outcomes in the various waves they have experienced with covid.

Study describes characteristics and outcomes of hospitalised patients during COVID-19 Omicron wave compared with previous waves

A study published in JAMA describes characteristics and outcomes of hospitalised patients in South Africa during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Omicron wave compared with previous waves....

dgalerts.docguide.com

 

[drron]

A couple of articles from Yahoo which feature misleading headlines.

NJ COVID hospitalizations still spiking, but patients recovering faster than in first wave

The average stay is five to eight days, down from 10 to 15 in the first wave. This time around, there are no morgue freezer trucks.

news.yahoo.com

But read down and you find this.

“The only silver lining in this is that the patients are not as sick,” said Dr. Robert Brenner, president for clinical integration and physician enterprise at Valley Health System, where in the last six weeks the number of COVID patients spiked from three to 122. “They’re coming in quicker, getting sick quicker, getting better quicker and going home.”

Hospitals are operating differently, too. They haven't needed to reopen the hastily created overflow COVID units of 2020. They can accommodate their census of COVID patients in regular hospital wards, albeit carefully segregated from other patients.

Most importantly, they can continue to care for patients who don’t have COVID.

Or this.

NJ COVID hospitalizations surpass 6,000 for first time since April 2020

The increase of 328 was among the largest single-day jumps during the current wave of the pandemic.

sports.yahoo.com

Many hospitalized patients who have COVID were admitted to the hospital because of other medical conditions. Of the 6,075 currently hospitalized with COVID, 2,963 of them — about 49% — are hospitalized primarily because of their COVID diagnosis. The rest were hospitalized for other reasons, and then tested positive for COVID in the hospital.

 

[VPS]

Lots of lockdowns in China

As China locks down a third city, about 20 million people are now confined to their homes

With the massive travelling event of Lunar New Year and the Beijing Winter Games both soon to start, China's officials bring in the broadest lockdowns since the early days of the pandemic.

www.abc.net.au

Meanwhile I received this article from my conspiracy theorist friend in the US asking me to read this and send it far and wide. He's now blocked

UPDATE: US Military Report States COVID-19 Was Created by a US-Funded EcoHealth Alliance Program at Wuhan Institute of Virology​

 

[Quickstatus]

He's now blocked

Why?
It has been apparent that Covid misinformation is not one sided. Increasingly it is coming from within Government and sadly from Judges in the highest Courts. The former precipitated a smackdown

The Lab leak theory is gathering steam.

 

[VPS]

Why?
It has been apparent that Covid misinformation is not one sided. Increasingly it is coming from within Government and sadly from Judges in the highest Courts. The former precipitated a smackdown

The Lab leak theory is gathering steam.

You haven't read the rest of the cr@p he sends me - he thinks Fauci was involved in this and that the American government knew the Ivermectin works and won't allow it to be used

 

[drron]

Bill Gates also thinks that the pandemic will be over after the Omicron surge finishes.

Bill Gates says 'COVID can be treated more like seasonal flu' after Omicron surge peaks

With COVID cases spiking and hospitals stretched to the limit, Gates said the Omicron variant brings some hope: A potential end to the pandemic.

www.yahoo.com

On Twitter he was asked had he been responsible for inserting 5G chips with the vaccine. he just said that idea is laughable.

Also in the USA there is the first indicator that the Omicron surge has peaked.


Yes it is all in the poop!

 

[Pushka]

Bill Gates also thinks that the pandemic will be over after the Omicron surge finishes.

Bill Gates says 'COVID can be treated more like seasonal flu' after Omicron surge peaks

With COVID cases spiking and hospitals stretched to the limit, Gates said the Omicron variant brings some hope: A potential end to the pandemic.

www.yahoo.com

On Twitter he was asked had he been responsible for inserting 5G chips with the vaccine. he just said that idea is laughable.

Also in the USA there is the first indicator that the Omicron surge has peaked.
View attachment 269072

Yes it is all in the poop!

Drove past Adelaides main processing centre a couple of days ago and boy did it smell. I thought at the time, does Covid smell?

 

[Quickstatus]

does Covid smell?

Could be a screening test if RATs are unavailable. Drive past a poo processing plant. If no smell then positive.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Drove past Adelaides main processing centre a couple of days ago and boy did it smell. I thought at the time, does Covid smell?

Some dogs can be taught to smell it apparently. Were used at a Metallica concert recently.

Metallica thinks COVID-sniffing dogs are a great idea. The founder of the Big Day Out festival disagrees

The creator of the Big Day Out festival doesn't like the idea of COVID-19 sniffing dogs at shows, pointing to how bomb-sniffing dogs were repurposed after the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

www.abc.net.au

 

[PineappleSkip]

RAT in order to go to work. Tax deductible?

Probably, you’d need to satsfy the usual tests around connection to income or business. Beware the FBT trap if providing self testing to employees.
ATO FBT providing testing to employees

cheers skip

 

[Pushka]

Probably, you’d need to satsfy the usual tests around connection to income or business. Beware the FBT trap if providing self testing to employees.
ATO FBT providing testing to employees

cheers skip

Good grief. Can the ATO stoop any lower than this?

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Probably, you’d need to satsfy the usual tests around connection to income or business. Beware the FBT trap if providing self testing to employees.
ATO FBT providing testing to employees

cheers skip

Getting off topic, but those FBT rules could be seen as flying in the face of the PM's comment a few days ago that he expected employers to provide RAT testing for required critical workers (ie a segment). Not a direct contradiction but one could say - not entirely aligned.

 

[PineappleSkip]

This has been pointed out when Scomo made the comment that tests would be deductible. Others are gunning for a fight over this.
AFR | Tax could double RAT costs for bosses

It’s a bit silly that one way to avoid FBT s to get a health professional to provide the tests. As if they don’t have enough to do.

Haven’t seen any Treasurer announcement although I’d hope to see one soon…

cheers skip