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

[kangarooflyer88]

And of course that graph doesnt take into account:

a. that many people choose to wear masks voluntarily even when not mandated
b. even when madated there is a significant portion of the population who dont wear them or wear them properly

and the fact that majority of tranmission is happening within households where people are generally unmasked.

It surprises me to this day that we are 2 years into this pandemic and people haven't figured out how to wear a mask. I've seen them under noses, I've seen them cover the noses but not the mouth, some are wearing in on their neck and chin like a bib they may wear if they're eating spaghetti from a TGIFridays. Then people are wearing cloth masks which are shown to not be anywhere near as effective as surgical masks or reusing their surgical masks, or wearing their surgical mask inside out because it was a meme on TikTok. At this point, I think it's fair to say that at this point when in public we shouldn't assume people will be masked properly. That's why I stick largely to N95 respirators since it's the only shield against that type of incompetence.

Ironically, the only people who I see wearing their masks correctly are travellers. In particular, I was pleasantly surprised on my last trip to MEL to see a number of fellow passengers wearing P2 (N95) respirators including 3M Auras (called the Rolls Royce of N95 respirators). I would go so far as to say you're more likely to catch COVID at a grocery store than Sydney airport.

Here’s one less thing to worry about…

Federal government to make COVID-19 PCR and rapid antigen tests tax deductible​

Not sure if it will make anything deductible that wasn’t already but the fix to the FBT anomaly is a relief.

Cheers skip

Unfortunately a lot of people are left out of the scheme. For instance, my institution doesn't require rapid antigen tests for me to go to the office. Now some will point to the rapid antigen vouchers that are being handed out, but that program is targeted at the elderly and vets, not immunocompromised people who need the peace of mind of getting a weekly rapid antigen test. The good news is I managed to source some tests on the cheap (around $8/test), but if I wasn't as financially secure I doubt I would be testing as often.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Must...Fly!]

need the peace of mind of getting a weekly rapid antigen test

What peace of mind does it give you given the accuracy is at best questionable without visible symptoms?

 

[Pushka]

It surprises me to this day that we are 2 years into this pandemic and people haven't figured out how to wear a mask.

They know how to wear them but dont. Because they no longer care.

 

[drron]

On Wednesday night at dinner a couple walked into the restaurant with their masks attached to their elbows. I had never seen that before.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Mask dangling from the ear like an earring is a thing too.

 

[Must...Fly!]

On Wednesday night at dinner a couple walked into the restaurant with their masks attached to their elbows. I had never seen that before.

I do that all the time when I'm out for a walk

 

[drron]

A case report that needs studying. Antihistamines may be a simple treatment for "long covid".

Antihistamines for Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV2 (PASC) infection is an emerging global health crisis, variably affecting millions worldwide. PASC has no established t…

www.sciencedirect.com

 

[flyinpod]

Well i did it, no hiccups either, no cancelled flights, here's what i did
1/2/22 BNE - NADI - FJ BUSINESS
1/2/22 NADI - FJ LAX BUISNESS
1/2/22 LAX- WAS UA ECONOMY
4/2/22 WAS-LHR BA BUSINESS
5/2/22 LHR -MAN BA ECONOMY
11/2/22 MAN-LHR BA ECONOMY
11/02/22 LHR -LAX BA PREMIUM ECONOMY (NEVER AGAIN-NOT WORTH THE EXTRA SPONDOOLIES)
11/02/22 LAX - NAN FJ BUSINESS
13/02/22 NAN-SYD FJ BUSINESS
13/02/22 SYD-BNE QF BUSINESS

Not yet fully recovered. Covid stuff was a bit of a pain uploading to verifly. Wearing the mask didnt bother me so much

 

[flyinpod]

A case report that needs studying. Antihistamines may be a simple treatment for "long covid".

Antihistamines for Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV2 (PASC) infection is an emerging global health crisis, variably affecting millions worldwide. PASC has no established t…

www.sciencedirect.com

Azelastine too, i used it daily whilst away ! Didnt catch the lurgy

 

[jeza]

Covid mortality in Aus from the ABS.

COVID-19 Mortality in Australia, Deaths registered to 31 January 2022

COVID-19 deaths that occurred by 31 January 2022 that have been registered and received by the ABS

www.abs.gov.au

 

[andye]

Covid mortality in Aus from the ABS.

COVID-19 Mortality in Australia, Deaths registered to 31 January 2022

COVID-19 deaths that occurred by 31 January 2022 that have been registered and received by the ABS

www.abs.gov.au

31% of deaths associated with dementia is the stand-out figure here
I'd be interested to see figures of total deaths in aged care pre and during pandemic. Despite the political uproar, I suspect the figures would provide some perspective

 

[N860CR]

31% of deaths associated with dementia is the stand-out figure here
I'd be interested to see figures of total deaths in aged care pre and during pandemic. Despite the political uproar, I suspect the figures would provide some perspective

I’d hazard a guess that those dementia associated deaths were largely all in aged care settings. Having spent too much time in the dementia wing of a nursing home, I can only think that they were the lucky ones.

 

[andye]

My experience with death certificates is that dementia needs to be pretty significant to make the documentation

 

[drron]

What amazes me is how little study has been done into the various strategies used during the pandemic.Here are some.
First analyzing border closure in the UK.

Genomic assessment of quarantine measures to prevent SARS-CoV-2 importation and transmission - Nature Communications

Post-international travel quarantine has been widely implemented to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but the impacts of such policies are unclear. Here, the authors used linked genomic and contact tracing data to assess the impacts of a 14-day quarantine on return to England in summer 2020.

www.nature.com

A study from Uruquay on the effects of lockdown on young children.

Error - Cookies Turned Off

srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

And here an older study showing no difference in getting influenza in Health Care personnel whether an N 95 mask or a surgical mask.

N95 Respirators vs Medical Masks for Preventing Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza in Health Care Personnel

This cluster randomized clinical trial compares the effect of N95 respirators vs medical masks worn by health care personnel for prevention of workplace-acquired influenza and other viral respiratory infections in geographically diverse, high-exposure outpatient settings.

jamanetwork.com

 

[Quickstatus]

What amazes me is how little study

Especially by the large research institutions and government.
Follow the science? What science?
The recent studies by the CDC on masks are terribly flawed

 

[vetrade]

What amazes me is how little study has been done into the various strategies used during the pandemic.

With your extensive experience of the medical profession, I'm sure you aren't really amazed at all drron.
Through arrogance or perceptions of infallability, a not insignificant number on the academic side of medicine don't have ingrained in them the imperative to base decisions or conclusions only on facts, as those on the clinical side of medicine invariably do.

The evidence of this has been apparent since Covid began with the diverse and often contradictory range of opinions expressed by various epidemiologists. Where the epidemiologist is also a bureaucrat the potential for quoting unproven theories as fact seems to be several orders of magnitude higher.

 

[drron]

Medical research ethics have gone downhill a lot this century. Back in the day nearly 60 years ago when I dabled in research the biggest fear was someone stealing your research. I well remember a world renown researcher in asthma visited the hospital and I was ordered to lock the cabinet which held all my results.
In Australia in the main the epidemiologists that have also been Bureaucrats have been the sensible ones. It is the media chasers trying to hype their or their Institutions expertise.

 

[drron]

And a study stimulated by the controversy re HCQ in the treatment of covid. One of the things that was brought up was it causing heart problems.
Now this seemed wrong to some rheumatologists who have used it extensively in various auto immune diseases.This is a Spanish study looking at SLE and heart failure. It turned out that HCQ was associated with a lower incidence of heart failure.

Antimalarials exert a cardioprotective effect in lupus patients: Insights from the Spanish Society of Rheumatology Lupus Register (RELESSER) analysis of factors associated with heart failure - PubMed

Patients with SLE and CHF experience more severe SLE. Treatment with antimalarials appears to confer a cardioprotective effect.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

So taking HCQ was associated with less than half the incidence of heart failure whereas one of the popular cure all calcium/vitamin D was associated with a five fold increase in incidence.

 

[JohnK]

They know how to wear them but dont. Because they no longer care.

It's been almost 2 years since I've seen this thread but one thing in my mind is that people are too complacent. We gave ourselves a pat on the back for doing a great job but then didn't bother to follow through. Now we find ourselves in the middle of a unmaintainable mess.

I've been lucky enough that I've been working from home since Mar 2020. Firstly the company dealing with the pandemic and then last May successfully requesting permanent work from home and that's been granted with review every 3 months.

I don't want to go back to the office. Too stressful. But Ive been back for a few meetings and also Christmas party mid-December. The attitude in office is surprising. Strict protocols in place but people including management don't follow them.

Since just before Christmas quite a few people have caught Covid in office. In the beginning the company sent out notice that someone had Covid but that stopped early January. Why I don't know or understand. Id love to know if people in the office have Covid.

Unfortunately I know quite a few people who have had Covid including a few that have died. Not one has said getting Covid is like getting the flu. In fact it's the opposite. Covid is nothing like getting the flu.

And Covid will always be with us if peoples number 1 focus is to get back to normal and not their health. I want some sort of normality to return but Im quite happy to sacrifice some things in the process.

 

[vetrade]

.....In Australia in the main the epidemiologists that have also been Bureaucrats have been the sensible ones. It is the media chasers trying to hype their or their Institutions expertise.

Media chasers aside, one’s perception of the bureaucrats may well depend on where you live.

On a national level the commentary from the Canberra bureaucrats was invariably well considered but it has been mixed on a state level and the messaging in Victoria has seemed more like the CHO woke up with a thought bubble hovering above his head and decided to run with it.

A good comparison to illustrate this would be Nick Coatsworth’s reliable comments vs the Victorian CHO, Brett Sutton’s directives which have frequently not only lacked scientific credibility but have been plainly nonsensical at the same time.

Disclaimer: For expediency I have lumped epidemiologists and bureaucrats with post grad Public Health qualifications, such as these two, together.