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

[Pushka]

And by the end of the month there may be quite a few Australians that might have to return from Thailand.There was a visa extension granted until 31/7 but sources say it is unlikely to be extended.

Thailand’s Visa Amnesty For Visitors Is Running Out, Immigration And Embassies Advising Foreigners To Prepare For Departure

Thailand Visa Amnesty Ends on July 31, 2020.

loyaltylobby.com

It can be extended if the Embassy issues a certificate saying there are no flights home though there are QR flights via Doha so might not be possible.

That article gives a link to the twitter page of richard barrow who is a good source of info on Thailand.He reports that from yesterday diplomats or their staff and families returning to Thailand must wait at the airport until the result of their Covid test is available.A great idea.
View attachment 222561.

Bali has done likewise to its remaining tourists. Thailand a likely safer bet than Bali.

 

[drron]

Any degree of obesity is a risk factor or severe Covid infection.That is anyone with a BMI >30.

Study finds higher risk of greater COVID-19 severity and death in people with any obese BMI

The risk of greater COVID-19 severity and death is higher in people with any obese body mass index (BMI), according to a study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology. Matteo Rottoli, MD, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Italy, and colleagues analysed the outcomes of 482...

dgalerts.docguide.com

And more on possible complications of Covid.
Bilateral Spontaneous pneumothorax.

Case report details bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax in SARS-CoV-2 infection

A COVID-19 case complicated with bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax was detailed in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine.“Bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax is a very rare, potentially life-threatening complication in patients with COVID-19,” reported Héctor González-Pacheco, National...

dgalerts.docguide.com

Kawasaki syndrome in an adult.

Case reports detail adult presentations of Kawasaki-like disease related to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Two case reports were published in The Lancet journals describing a case of an adult with Kawasaki-like multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19, and an adult presentation consistent with paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with severe acute...

dgalerts.docguide.com

Severe bradycardia in older patients treated with Lopinavir/Ritinavir.

NTK Institute

 

[Lynda2475]

Any degree of obesity is a risk factor for severe Covid infection.That is anyone with a BMI >30

This is pretty much the case with most ailments is it not?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Any degree of obesity is a risk factor or severe Covid infection.That is anyone with a BMI >30.

Study finds higher risk of greater COVID-19 severity and death in people with any obese BMI

The risk of greater COVID-19 severity and death is higher in people with any obese body mass index (BMI), according to a study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology. Matteo Rottoli, MD, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Italy, and colleagues analysed the outcomes of 482...

dgalerts.docguide.com

Though that paper only looked at hospitalised Covid 19 patients rather than the general population at large and indicates anyone with a BMI >30 who has been hospitalised with Covid 19, rather than just anyone with a BMI >30 .

“In a population of patients hospitalised for COVID-19, a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 was associated with a significantly higher risk of respiratory failure, admission to the ICU and death.

The current CDC BMI cutoff of 40 kg/m2 should be reassessed in order to properly identify patients at higher risk, and avoid an underestimation of the potential impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large proportion of the general population,” the authors concluded

So it may or may not hold true for the population at large. But yes if overweight there is even more reason to be careful.

 

[get me outta here]

 

[TheRealTMA]

View attachment 222711

Freedom to die is universal. There’s even the Darwin prize for the exceptional.

 

[sinophile888]

Now that most compulsory hotel quarantine must soon be self funded, how do the relevant governments collect? Can a traveller arrive at their destination and say "I've run out of money and can't pay the hotel cost"?
I overheard a woman in a café recently saying that her son planned to try that.

 

[drron]

Though that paper only looked at hospitalised Covid 19 patients rather than the general population at large and indicates anyone with a BMI >30 who has been hospitalised with Covid 19, rather than just anyone with a BMI >30 .

“In a population of patients hospitalised for COVID-19, a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 was associated with a significantly higher risk of respiratory failure, admission to the ICU and death.

The current CDC BMI cutoff of 40 kg/m2 should be reassessed in order to properly identify patients at higher risk, and avoid an underestimation of the potential impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large proportion of the general population,” the authors concluded

So it may or may not hold true for the population at large. But yes if overweight there is even more reason to be careful.

They were studying risk factors for severe Covid illness and death.So yes they were looking at hospital patients because that's where those patients are.
To have a greater incidence in the hospital patients means it is true in the wider population as that is where the patients came from in the first place.
The only confounding factor is those who died in aged care facilities.

 

[p--and--t]

Despite the protestations of tRump about China and demanding opening up of the economy, some interesting revelations here about the source of the virus on the east coast and the status of "opening" up in NYC is nowhere near where many AU states are at currently.

CDC confirms that coronavirus already spreading in New York City when European travel ban went into effect in March

 

[Hvr]

Can a traveller arrive at their destination and say "I've run out of money and can't pay the hotel cost"?

Demanding the surrender of travel documents (impounds) | DFAT

Authority to demand the surrender (impound) of an Australian travel document Under certain circumstances, DFAT and other authorities listed in the Determination and Schedule 2 of the Authorisations and Delegations instrument can impound a travel document and demand its surrender. (See '...

www.dfat.gov.au

I suspect that DFAT might apply this:

The Australian Passports Act 2005, Section 25 allows a travel document to be demanded up and an impound flag recorded on a holder's record where monies are owed to the Commonwealth in respect of expenses incurred by the Commonwealth:

• on behalf of the person in a foreign country; or
• money lent to the person by the Commonwealth when the person was outside Australia; or
• expenses incurred by the Commonwealth in, or in connection with, effecting the person's departure from a foreign country.

If section 25 doesn't apply for this expense I have no doubt that the government would find a way to ensure that the person's passport was either surrendered, or declared void and marked for impound.

 

[get me outta here]

This is going to make it very difficult to be adequately informed or when it might be safe to go near America, and other places.

Although, after November if there is a change of government figures might be released. But then you might get that silliness of people saying that the CDC has manipulated figures, (much like here with the far right saying that the Bureau of Meteorology manipulated figures).

“This affects all nations, because one of the CDC’s roles is to provide sound, independent public health guidance on issues such as infectious diseases, healthy living, travel health ...”

US coronavirus data will now go straight to the White House. Here’s what this means for the world

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is arguably the world’s best-placed agency to fight COVID-19. But it’s been cut out of the loop, and pandemic data will now go straight to the White House.

theconversation.com

 

[Gremlin]

Now that most compulsory hotel quarantine must soon be self funded, how do the relevant governments collect? Can a traveller arrive at their destination and say "I've run out of money and can't pay the hotel cost"?
I overheard a woman in a café recently saying that her son planned to try that.

If you are quarantining in Qld, at least, then you can apply for a hardship provision PRIOR to arriving. This may involve an instalment or loan arrangement or, in extenuating circumstances, waiving of the quarantine costs. Otherwise you're issued with an invoice and 30 day terms. Failure to pay can then be pursued through the courts.

 

[drron]

More of the problems facing the USA in the fight against Covid.
Testing finding it hard to keep up due to the shortage of reagents-this is a world wide problem.

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

And the cost of having Covid patients in hospitals.

Treating COVID-19 Patients Exceeds Cost Forecast

Hospitalization charges of a COVID-19 patient ranged from $21,407 to $93,459 depending on age group

www.coronavirustoday.com

 

[p--and--t]

I found this video interesting. The design build and deliver a new resus unit for the Victorian government at the Monash Medical Centre to provide extra capacity in the event covid exploded

15hours to deliver and assemble on site.

Two weeks from request to up & running:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If section 25 doesn't apply for this expense I have no doubt that the government would find a way to ensure that the person's passport was either surrendered, or declared void and marked for impound.

They could also add to your tax rate - like a HECS debt - say 2% or something additional until the debt is paid.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I found this video interesting. The design build and deliver a new resus unit for the Victorian government at the Monash Medical Centre to provide extra capacity in the event covid exploded

15hours to deliver and assemble on site.

Two weeks from request to up & running:

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Thanks for sharing. It is most interesting to see the video of the build.

And yes that facility plus the refurbishing of two recently decommissioned hospitals in the Peter Mac (formerly a cancer treatment hospital that had been made redundant by their opening of an entirely new hospital) and another at Geelong provided quick additional Covid 19 capacity.

Plus the speeding up of some other hospital expansions that were already well under way such as Monash Berwick Hospital, Bendigo etc.

Many of the major hospitals also have rejigged wards etc

 

[OZDUCK]

Some hopeful, but very early, results from the UK "Oxford vaccine" trials.

Coronavirus: Oxford vaccine triggers immune response

Study shows the vaccine is safe, but it is still too soon to know if it can stop people from being infected.

www.bbc.com

 

[drron]

More hotels going under.now the Sofitel Berlin.

Sofitel Berlin Goes Under

Sofitel Berlin has filed for bankruptcy.

loyaltylobby.com

And some good medical news.2020 is seeing markedly lower numbers of premature births especially seriously small babies.

During Coronavirus Lockdowns, Some Doctors Wondered: Where Are the Preemies? (Published 2020)

Hospitals in several countries saw dips in premature births, which could be a starting point for future research.

www.nytimes.com

Then reports of myocardial injury-actually over hyped as the rise in cardiac troponins occurs in any serious medical problem and does mean likely poorer outcomes.Though usually that is really obvious without that test.
But the report also has an unexpected finding.Serious Covid cases in hospital usually have a lower viral load than less serious cases.

Myocardial injury is common in hospitalised patients with COVID-19, non-hospitalised patients have higher viral load

By Denise BaezNEW YORK -- July 17, 2020 -- In today’s DG Alert, we cover the incidence of myocardial injury in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the association between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral load and symptom severity and...

dgalerts.docguide.com

 

[JohnM]

We don't seem to have had any 'world first' 'breakthroughs' in Australia pandering to the gullible for a while. What is going on? Gosh - they had it licked only a couple of months ago...

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Now that most compulsory hotel quarantine must soon be self funded, how do the relevant governments collect? Can a traveller arrive at their destination and say "I've run out of money and can't pay the hotel cost"?
I overheard a woman in a café recently saying that her son planned to try that.

For international returnees it may well be something like pre-pay before your flight.

With the airlines being advised that anyone arriving without a pre-paid receipt/voucher etc will be flown back at the airlines cost.