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

[drron]

Another study finding that the booster ( third dose ) wanes quickly and is not significant in preventing infection but more worringly hospital admission.

https://dgalerts.docguide.com/ncov-home/article/study-finds-third-dose-bnt162b2-vaccine-protection-against-sars-cov-2-outcomes-including-hospitalisation-from-omicron-wanes-after-3-months

 

[drron]

Taiwan is having a major spike in cases but that has a lesson for the covid zero followers.

 

[drron]

Denmark has announced it is pausing their vaccination program and will restart in Autumn. It is also only recommending a 4th dose to those with very compromised immune systems.

Denmark's High Vaccination Rate Delays COVID-19 Vaccination Invitations

The Danish Health Authority recently announced it is suspending its COVID-19 vaccination efforts, given the high vaccine uptake and the diminishing epidemic. However, they added that the vaccine program would 'resume in Fall 2022 when SARS-CoV-2 virus infections could increase.' Since December...

www.coronavirustoday.com

And in the USA surveys taken between December and February showed that 58% of adults had covid antibodies produced by covid infection and not by vaccines. The figure for young people was 75%

More than half of Americans have had COVID infections, U.S. study shows

Following the record surge in COVID-19 cases during the Omicron-driven wave, some 58% of the U.S. population overall and more than 75% of younger children have been infected with the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to a U.S. nationwide blood survey released on Tuesday.

www.reuters.com

 

[drron]

Even the CDC head Dr. fauci has come out and said we are over the worst of the pandemic. Interesting to see the different headlines.
From the slightly optimistic from the US ABc.

Fauci said the US is 'out of the pandemic phase.' What does that mean?​

Fauci said the US is 'out of the pandemic phase.' What does that mean?

The worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic may be over in the United States, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, who recently said we are "out of the pandemic phase."

abcnews.go.com

To the fear and horror of our ABC.

Dr Anthony Fauci warns the COVID-19 pandemic is not over and another dangerous variant is possible​

Anthony Fauci says US can not afford to 'take our foot off the pedal' in fight against COVID-19

The United State's top infectious diseases expert says the coronavirus is under better control in the country but the pandemic is not over and the challenge is how to keep improving the situation.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Must...Fly!]

Even the CDC head Dr. fauci has come out and said we are over the worst of the pandemic. Interesting to see the different headlines.
From the slightly optimistic from the US ABc.

Fauci said the US is 'out of the pandemic phase.' What does that mean?​

Fauci said the US is 'out of the pandemic phase.' What does that mean?

The worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic may be over in the United States, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, who recently said we are "out of the pandemic phase."

abcnews.go.com

To the fear and horror of our ABC.

Dr Anthony Fauci warns the COVID-19 pandemic is not over and another dangerous variant is possible​

Anthony Fauci says US can not afford to 'take our foot off the pedal' in fight against COVID-19

The United State's top infectious diseases expert says the coronavirus is under better control in the country but the pandemic is not over and the challenge is how to keep improving the situation.

www.abc.net.au

About as expected.

Your tax dollars at work. I find the level of journalism the ABC has sunk to is disgraceful and it doesn't have much to do with money given we're not talking high budget items here.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Another study finding that the booster ( third dose ) wanes quickly and is not significant in preventing infection but more worringly hospital admission.

https://dgalerts.docguide.com/ncov-home/article/study-finds-third-dose-bnt162b2-vaccine-protection-against-sars-cov-2-outcomes-including-hospitalisation-from-omicron-wanes-after-3-months

I think this is cautionary for those that want to dispense with even the simplest of covid-prevention protocols.

The vaccine may not be enough.

 

[Pushka]

Even the CDC head Dr. fauci has come out and said we are over the worst of the pandemic. Interesting to see the different headlines.
From the slightly optimistic from the US ABc.

Fauci said the US is 'out of the pandemic phase.' What does that mean?​

Fauci said the US is 'out of the pandemic phase.' What does that mean?

The worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic may be over in the United States, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, who recently said we are "out of the pandemic phase."

abcnews.go.com

To the fear and horror of our ABC.

Dr Anthony Fauci warns the COVID-19 pandemic is not over and another dangerous variant is possible​

Anthony Fauci says US can not afford to 'take our foot off the pedal' in fight against COVID-19

The United State's top infectious diseases expert says the coronavirus is under better control in the country but the pandemic is not over and the challenge is how to keep improving the situation.

www.abc.net.au

Kind of sums up all the various contradictory decisions made in SA if not Australia. At last SA contact rules have been released after midnight last night.

 

[SydneySwan]

Kind of sums up all the various contradictory decisions made in SA if not Australia. At last SA contact rules have been released after midnight last night.

Yes I hadn't noticed AFL fans wearing gloves recently!

 

[drron]

Yes I hadn't noticed AFL fans wearing gloves recently!

Well how are they going to catch those footballs then?

 

[mrsterryn]

When countries have changed their stance on covid negative testing requirements ....what has been the usual time frame ?
Just curious as I am due to go to Hawaii in early June and currently USA still has negative covid on entry (whoohoo Aust doesn't need me to have a year to re enter )

 

[Pushka]

Well how are they going to catch those footballs then?

Duck silly.

Post automatically merged: Apr 30, 2022

When countries have changed their stance on covid negative testing requirements ....what has been the usual time frame ?
Just curious as I am due to go to Hawaii in early June and currently USA still has negative covid on entry (whoohoo Aust doesn't need me to have a year to re enter )

I suspect when USA does this then the travel will really open up.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

When countries have changed their stance on covid negative testing requirements ....what has been the usual time frame ?
Just curious as I am due to go to Hawaii in early June and currently USA still has negative covid on entry (whoohoo Aust doesn't need me to have a year to re enter )

Hard to say. When the last - albeit failed - attempt to extend the mask mandate was made it was only a week or two before the expiry of the existing rules. So it could be as little as that.

The Netherlands announced an easing of restrictions that took place a week later.

We had a little more notice in Australia, prolly because it was tied to a finite and time limited emergency order, with some grounds such as the outbound travel ban that couldn’t be satisfied going forward.

 

[Lynda2475]

I too am hoping USA drops entry test requirements before i head there in August as have quite a busy schedule my last day in London so will be tough to squeeze in.

That said the 48-72hr arrival test in Fiji was pure theatre, they barely inserted the cotton bud 1-2mm inside my nose, and told me i was fine to go within 2mins, had chucked the test in the trash well before 15mins was up. I dont blame them for not wanting to find cases, its detrimental for tourism.

 

[drron]

Good to see Norway studying their response to the pandemic and noting not everything was done right. Emphasis was on the problems of the young.
“To put it a little simply, we can say that children and young people are worse affected by restrictions than by infections and that there is a difference between what you miss out on over a year when you are 16 compared to when you are 46,” the report states

VERDICT: How well did Norway handle the Covid-19 pandemic?

Norway’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic was given an overall positive scorecard in an official commission report published on Tuesday.

www.thelocal.no

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Pre vaccination I don’t think we had much choice. The restrictions were in place for everyone.

 

[drron]

Pre vaccination I don’t think we had much choice. The restrictions were in place for everyone.

Though Norway reopened schools in May 2020 well before vaccines available.. Only 2 months lockdown. How long was it here? And they thought that was too long in retrospect.
Taiwan only closed it's schools for 2 weeks.

Respiratory viral pandemic plans never had widespread lockdowns as a plan before 2020. Concentrated on the vulnerable so aged care,hospitals and medical centres for example.

 

[drron]

Interesting looking at the cities in the USA who had enforced mask mandates. case figures from John Hopkins but with timing of mask mandates added.


Increased mask enforcement doesn't look like it prevented infection.
Philadelphia. Nope chart looks like anywhere else in the world.


Maybe in LA.


Just look when they had 955 mask compliance.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Another study finding that the booster ( third dose ) wanes quickly and is not significant in preventing infection but more worringly hospital admission.

https://dgalerts.docguide.com/ncov-home/article/study-finds-third-dose-bnt162b2-vaccine-protection-against-sars-cov-2-outcomes-including-hospitalisation-from-omicron-wanes-after-3-months

There is still a lot we don't know about the vaccines in terms of efficacy. Yes the study shared does cast doubt on Pfizer's efficacy over time, particularly against Omicron, but the study made a huge (and arguably fatal) assumption IMHO, namely that people received the same vaccine across the board. Perhaps I am speaking for a tiny minority of people, but some of us have received different vaccines throughout the phase of the pandemic. I started off with AstraZeneca as the two prime doses, then received a Pfizer booster and a few weeks ago a Moderna booster. Where is the data on such cross-immunity?

The other thing I wonder to is what impact does vaccination in addition to other measures have on contracting COVID? Is someone who is fully vaccinated but wears an N95 mask indoors have better efficacy against infection and hospitalization versus someone who is just fully vaccinated? I suspect so, but again the data needs to be borne out here!

-RooFlyer88

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Three people I know have contracted covid this week.

37 year old male, otherwise perfectly fit… difficulty breathing, fevers, bad muscle pain. Can hardly talk.
45 year old female, otherwise perfectly fit… full time work and mother of two young children… difficult breathing, considered calling an ambulance last night because it was so bad
50 year old female, otherwise perfectly fit… nurse… contracted covid for second time in 8 weeks. Feeling ‘like cough’.

All triple vaxxed.

Covid is not always ‘just’ a mild cold, or symptomless, or only affecting the weak and elderly

 

[TheRealTMA]

Three people I know have contracted covid this week.

37 year old male, otherwise perfectly fit… difficulty breathing, fevers, bad muscle pain. Can hardly talk.
45 year old female, otherwise perfectly fit… full time work and mother of two young children… difficult breathing, considered calling an ambulance last night because it was so bad
50 year old female, otherwise perfectly fit… nurse… contracted covid for second time in 8 weeks. Feeling ‘like cough’.

All triple vaxxed.

Covid is not always ‘just’ a mild cold, or symptomless, or only affecting the weak and elderly

Most Australians are very lax with precautions now. News says Australia now has the highest (per capita) infection rate in the world with over 5300 deaths dramitically up on last year. Go figure.