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

[Cruiser Elite]

I am neither Lib nor Lab / neither Left nor Right - but IMHO our Prime Minister spoke extremely well this morning - proud to have him at the helm ATM

 

[get me outta here]

My ophthalmic surgeon who is incredibly busy just advised that after tomorrow he's doing no face to face cons. I luckily get one of the last tomorrow arvo. Phew. This will be a big issue for people with serious probs.

 

[p--and--t]

The reasoning behind the schools policy..

30% of health care workers would leave their post, go home and look after their kids
Kids flooding the general population including grandparents
Any closure would be for a minimum of 6 months
Massive job losses across the country
It's the same policy that Singapore has implemented - and it's worked
Supported unanimously by the fed, states and territories and their respective CMO and CHO

The difference with Singapore is that from day one every student is stopped before entering and temperature checked. Students & staff with any easily detectable illness (with a temperature) are barred from entry to the premises.

 

[dajop]

The difference with Singapore is that from day one every student is stopped before entering and temperature checked. Students & staff with any easily detectable illness (with a temperature) are barred from entry to the premises.

Yes, I think Singapore learnt a lot from SARS how to deal with this, and with government continuity there is a strong "corporate" memory within the government and bureaucracy as well. I suspect Australia simply wouldn't have access to enough thermometers and infra red scanning equipment to implement this, whereas Singapore, I assume had a stash to be turned on when necessary (although when in Australia last month, I did buy a ear thermometer to bring back for a friend who runs a GP practice, as he couldn't get them here).

The other thing that really surprised me when I went back in MEL last month was the lack of temperature screening of arriving passengers at MEL international arrivals. That is par for the course all across Asia. Not sure how effective it is, but looking at the case details of recent COVID-19 cases in SG it does seem to be picking up a few on arrival.

 

[opusman]

It's definitely comforting to convince yourself that what's happening overseas won't happen here. I'll pop back here in 3 weeks and say I told you so

 

[Must...Fly!]

I am neither Lib nor Lab / neither Left nor Right - but IMHO our Prime Minister spoke extremely well this morning - proud to have him at the helm ATM

Actually agree. It was his best showing as PM.

Faltered badly early, but there is plenty of time (unfortunately for those who may get sick) to make up on that. I think many will understand the early missteps in the fullness of time given what we are facing.

 

[Must...Fly!]

It's definitely comforting to convince yourself that what's happening overseas won't happen here. I'll pop back here in 3 weeks and say I told you so

The thing is @opusman , what's happening overseas depends on where you look.

 

[N860CR]

It's definitely comforting to convince yourself that what's happening overseas won't happen here. I'll pop back here in 3 weeks and say I told you so

It’s certainly very possible that it will. But that said, it’s not turned into a massive outbreak in every country in the world. A small handful of countries exposed early in the piece have had extremely severe outbreaks. Australia has taken amongst the strongest steps in the world to keep it under control. Realistically, few new cases will now be imported from overseas so we are working with what is already here.

 

[Max Samuels]

Someone really needs to tell Beijing to SHUT UP

'Chinese solution': Melbourne's Chinese medicine stores sell out after Beijing spruiks COVID-19 benefits

The Chinese government, which has managed to slow the COVID-19 outbreak, claims it has treated 85 per cent of patients with traditional remedies, with successful results.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Pushka]

Someone really needs to tell Beijing to SHUT UP

'Chinese solution': Melbourne's Chinese medicine stores sell out after Beijing spruiks COVID-19 benefits

The Chinese government, which has managed to slow the COVID-19 outbreak, claims it has treated 85 per cent of patients with traditional remedies, with successful results.

www.theage.com.au

I don't see any harm in this if it makes them feel better and items that people need for normal life aren't being bought out. And that they aren't harming animals in getting them.

The one data point that is missing in our Aus statistics , and that is an indication of the health of those who have tested positive. How many of those are needing intensive care for survival. And how many are just unwell. But there's nothing?

 

[Max Samuels]

I don't see any harm in this if it makes them feel better and items that people need for normal life aren't being bought out. And that they aren't harming animals in getting them.

Sure - but do you see that happening?
Remember, Beijing also ordered its client states to tell people things such as to put "7 black peppercorns under their tongues"...

 

[Pushka]

Sure - but do you see that happening?
Remember, Beijing also ordered its client states to tell people things such as to put "7 black peppercorns under their tongues"...

If that's what they want to do then go for it. Can't legislate against stupid.

 

[Max Samuels]

the promotion party...

Well I know this must be from a real Italian... "promotion party" - do we do those here?

 

[Max Samuels]

Having lived in Singapore for many years previously I have seen all of the cheers and celebration from a lot of my Singapore-based friends and acquaintences. Much like China currently, there's a lot of opinion that the measures until now have been wildly successful (same with South Korea) and the countries have largely escaped the terrible current fate of Europe and future fate of US and others (seen as one category - "the west"), with the exception of China who obviously paid a steep price, but are now relaxing many of the controls that allowed them to flatten the curve of infection.

No doubt the west has dropped the ball in containment but I can't help but feel all of these densely populated and heavily transited countries celebrating now is akin to a victory lap at first quarter time. I can already see that the narrative going forward will be that the west dropped the ball and dumped it back on Asia, but the global nature of the world today is that no country is safe, and blaming other countries (as the west has tended to do to China) is pointless, we are literally in this together.

100% agree.
TRIGGER WARNING: I am about to say something unkind about The Government

Countries such as Singapore and China, whose governments are really about saving face for themselves and not really about the "good" of the people, are not really ones we should look to for any kind of solice.

Does anyone actually BELIEVE that in China the rate is going down?? It just CANNOT be true. Sure - they locked entire cities in their homes - but that is only effective is every single infection was contained... which we know cannot be the case. So just as we are seeing it spread from a handful of passengers that came in from X, surely the same can be said about Chinese people that managed to flee the lockdown areas, and who were infected....

Without incurring the wrath of the censors, I just find it mind-blowing that we take any info that comes out of those places at face value.

 

[Anna]

Friday - person turns up in the office with a streaming cold / virus or something, says 'oh I guess I shouldn't really be here', doesn't go home though and as she's the office no. 2 only no. 1 can tell her to go home but doesn't do so

Tuesday - another person turns up to a meeting in the office with a streaming cold / virus or something, says defiantly 'it's hay fever', refuses to leave that meeting but is firmly directed to attend later meetings on the same day by phone instead

Today - another person who has been away sick all week comes in to work saying cheerfully 'I'm feeling well enough to work', goes home at 10.30am saying she doesn't feel so good after all

Honestly what is wrong with people? What is so hard about 'if you are unwell, stay at home' ? (All of these people have jobs with sick leave included so it's not a money thing.)

 

[Denali]

Friday - person turns up in the office with a streaming cold / virus or something, says 'oh I guess I shouldn't really be here', doesn't go home though and as she's the office no. 2 only no. 1 can tell her to go home but doesn't do so

Tuesday - another person turns up to a meeting in the office with a streaming cold / virus or something, says defiantly 'it's hay fever', refuses to leave that meeting but is firmly directed to attend later meetings on the same day by phone instead

Today - another person who has been away sick all week comes in to work saying cheerfully 'I'm feeling well enough to work', goes home at 10.30am saying she doesn't feel so good after all

Honestly what is wrong with people? What is so hard about 'if you are unwell, stay at home' ? (All of these people have jobs with sick leave included so it's not a money thing.)

Ive been home two days so far. I think its just a cold, runny or blocked nose (it comes and goes), slight and very occassional cough, no fever, no aches ect but Im staying home.

Lead by example! I dont need to be side eyed by coworkers, especially as I think I got this from coworker who was sick last week and I dont think the aircon at work helps either.

My entire office is doing a work from home on Friday to test remotes. Boss told me to WFH tomorrow as well

Edit. I had to go out this morning but used wipes, sanitizer and distance to get the job done and then went back home. Even wiped the trolley down after use with wipes.

 

[Pushka]

It's definitely comforting to convince yourself that what's happening overseas won't happen here. I'll pop back here in 3 weeks and say I told you so

Honestly, I'll take any positive news right now and if the virus is reducing in severity - somewhere- then I'm good with that. It also offers an opportunity for further research and discovery.

 

[QF WP]

I get (and have listened to) a lot of presenations and webinars at the moment, as face-to-face meetings are off:

Platinum Asset Management Dr Bianca Odgen (PhD in virology) discusses COVID-19 (from 12:05 to 18:45): Adviser Roadshow - Platinum Asset Management [also their International Healthcare Fund. There appears there is an existing drug used for Ebola that may have limited success with COVID-19]

 

[aweingar]

It's definitely comforting to convince yourself that what's happening overseas won't happen here. I'll pop back here in 3 weeks and say I told you so

Completely agree with you. The Australian government seems to be waiting for the situation to get as bad as Europe before taking any serious action to bring it under control. It is far from under control now, so the current measure are obviously not working.

 

[drron]

So on the Italian Government site on Covid 19 says the first cases in Italy were 2 Chinese tourists on 31/1
As of March 17 there were 26062 cases diagnosed with 2503 deaths.

From the CDC the first case was an American just returned from Wuhan on 21/1.
As of 17/3 there were 4226 cases and 75 deaths.This in a population 5 times the size of Italy

No way at this stage are they comparable.