The Reality of Living in Australia and Covid

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by pdjb

I feel sorry for the people of Australia, they are arresting people for being outside breathing air, and they fine them,What Re we turning into? IF YOU HAVE NO JOB,HOW ARE YOU GOING TO PAY THE FINES, GOD HELP US ALL, YOU MAY READ THIS AND THINK THIS IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR,,,,History repeats itself, Laugh all you want, the US will be next,,,,All because of covid, the CCP did a excellent job making this virus and no one on the planet says anything about this, but take the vaccine and you be fine,,,every GOVERNMENT on the planet know all the answers, not the citizens, Ithis will never end the virus, something to think about,,,,,believe what you what. You are borne into this world with nothing and you die with nothing this is how I see the world that I live in.My life is my own, I make my own choices in life right or wrong. I read all the comments that people say here, AMAZING. THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA ARE TREATED LIKE CRIMINALS. THAT IS MY VIEW ON THIS COVID DEATH SENTENCE THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT LAUGHT ALL YOU WANT?

Don't get out much do you. Apparently don't understand much outside your somewhat insular little world either.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by SV DINGO

Can someone please remind Chairman Dan that 12 year old kids have many years to go before they can vote , over 60th can vote at the next election. Pfizer just for kids ok , over 60 votes go to the opposition.

Job done.

Voting age is 18 --- 6 years is not 'many years' --- pretty much election after next.

You want Phizer ? Take it up with the Q'lnd health authorities.

Or go to Sydney - Gladys' politics may be more to your taste - and take it up with them.

Good luck!

(extra bit - I'm cooking dins at the moment - multitasking isn't my strong point ) And also - unvaccinated over 60s may not be around at the next election - think about it.

[SV DINGO]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Voting age is 18 --- 6 years is not 'many years' --- pretty much election after next.

You want Phizer ? Take it up with the Q'lnd health authorities.

Or go to Sydney - Gladys' politics may be more to your taste - and take it up with them.

Good luck!

(extra bit - I'm cooking dins at the moment - multitasking isn't my strong point ) And also - unvaccinated over 60s may not be around at the next election - think about it.

Only the next election matters. Chairman Dan out , job done.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by SV DINGO

Only the next election matters. Chairman Dan out , job done.

And that will improve your life how exactly?

Answers on the back of a self addressed envelope por favor.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by pdjb

, AMAZING. THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA ARE TREATED LIKE CRIMINALS. THAT IS MY VIEW ON THIS COVID DEATH SENTENCE THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT LAUGHT ALL YOU WANT?

Thank you I shall
Can I point at you while I do it?

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

... now that the thinking is that spread will eventually occur regardless.
SWL

A very interesting and informative editorial article, from ‘The Atlantic’, August 12 & 18, 2021

“How the Pandemic Now Ends” ~ Ed Yong

Cases of COVID-19 are rising fast. Vaccine uptake has plateaued. The pandemic will be over one day [it will become endemic] - but the way there is different now.

Here ➥ https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...ndgame/619726/

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by GordMay

A very interesting and informative editorial article, from ‘The Atlantic’, August 12 & 18, 2021

“How the Pandemic Now Ends” ~ Ed Yong

Cases of COVID-19 are rising fast. Vaccine uptake has plateaued. The pandemic will be over one day [it will become endemic] - but the way there is different now.

Here ➥ https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...ndgame/619726/

Vaccine uptake hasn't plateaued in Australia by a long shot.

But yes Covid will be endemic.

[Alan Mighty]

Originally Posted by GordMay

A very interesting and informative editorial article, from ‘The Atlantic’, August 12 & 18, 2021

Cases of COVID-19 are rising fast. Vaccine uptake has plateaued. The pandemic will be over one day [it will become endemic] - but the way there is different now.

Thanks, Gord.

For the stories of HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43, two coronaviruses that likely started off quite viciously when they first jumped to humans, and then became endemic as 'common cold' viruses over some period of time, see:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7252012/

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by GordMay

A very interesting and informative editorial article, from ‘The Atlantic’, August 12 & 18, 2021

“How the Pandemic Now Ends” ~ Ed Yong

Cases of COVID-19 are rising fast. Vaccine uptake has plateaued. The pandemic will be over one day [it will become endemic] - but the way there is different now.

Here ➥ https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...ndgame/619726/

Sounds right to me. The bit which is relevant to Oz is this:


"[H]erd immunity—the point where enough people are immune that outbreaks automatically fizzle out—likely cannot be reached through vaccination alone. Even at the low end of the CDC’s estimated range for Delta’s R0, achieving herd immunity would require vaccinating more than 90 percent of people, which is highly implausible. At the high end, herd immunity is mathematically impossible with the vaccines we have now. This means that the “zero COVID” dream of fully stamping out the virus is a fantasy. Instead, the pandemic ends when almost everyone has immunity, preferably because they were vaccinated or alternatively because they were infected and survived. When that happens, the cycle of surges will stop and the pandemic will peter out. The new coronavirus will become endemic—a recurring part of our lives like its four cousins that cause common colds."

Sounds rather like what Giesecke and Tegnell in Sweden were saying at the very beginning of the pandemic -- everyone or nearly everyone will get it sooner or later. Now that it's fully loose in Oz, it's going to work its way inexorably through society as natural immunity in the population is almost non-existent. But of course Oz is extremely fortunate that this is happening so late, when it's still possible to vaccinate vulnerable people. So I still believe that Oz will never experience the death rates experienced in most of the rest of the world. But it's going to be a pretty long slog through this phase of the pandemic.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Vaccine uptake hasn't plateaued in Australia by a long shot.. . .

At this early stage, of course not.


But you do have a fairly high rate of vaccine hesitancy in Oz: https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.e...ination-report


This is the very thing which bit the U.S. in the posterior by stopping the vaccination campaign before it got far enough to do much good against the Delta variant. Would be a good time to start a vigorous information campaign to try to knock that down a bit.

[Dockhead]

Oz death rate has leapt ahead of Norway and Sweden:





Still only 0.24 per million, though -- a very low rate.

[SV DINGO]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

And that will improve your life how exactly?

Answers on the back of a self addressed envelope por favor.

For a starter i am not a Labour supporter and secondly i believe that he is a very corrupt personincluding his political friends. Now i am sure you will come back and tell me so are the Liberals but well the Greens or One nation are just no alternative ok?

[GILow]

Regarding vaccine rates in nursing homes:

I checked with my partner. She works in a private nursing home with 60 residents, covering the full range from those that have lived there ten years to acute end of life and palliative care.

The home was reasonably proactive in securing the vaccine for residents and had enough to vaccinate all residents in April. At that time ten of the sixty residents declined the vaccine. Since then a few more have agreed to be vaccinated and they are now down to six unvaccinated. All of those six are eligible but decline the offer.

Just one home I know, but interesting data.

The cynical part of me wonders if those residents declining the vaccine are influenced by their offspring, who coincidentally probably stand to benefit financially from the demise of these oldies.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

We may be able to slow down spread, but not stop it. The current thinking is that everyone will become infected eventually, vaccinated or not.
...

SWL

Exactly and this is a hugely important point.

The vaccines have never been a 100% preventer of getting the infection but some were pretty good with the first variant. For the current variants, preventing infection is worse.

COVID-19 vaccine efficacy summary | Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

Pfizer.......Alpha preventing infection - 86% Delta preventing infection - 78%
Moderna..Alpha preventing infection - 89% Delta preventing infection - 80%
AstraZ.... Alpha preventing infection - 52% Delta preventing infection - 57%
JohnsonJ..Alpha preventing infection - 72% Delta preventing infection - 56%

These vaccines are still doing well in at minimizing disease.

Pfizer.......Alpha preventing disease - 92% Delta preventing disease - 90%
Moderna..Alpha preventing disease - 94% Delta preventing disease - 93%
AstraZ.... Alpha preventing disease - 85% Delta preventing disease - 83%
JohnsonJ..Alpha preventing disease - 86% Delta preventing disease - 85%

An study from Israel is showing that the vaccines are loosing the ability to prevent infection over time, which is why some health authorities are recommending a booster. The vaccines are still effective in minimizing hospitalizations and death.

What seems to be happening, due to the ease of infection in the latest variants and diminishing vaccine effectiveness, is that most of us will be exposed.

Even if the vaccine's effectiveness did not decline over time, a bunch of people will still get very sick. The slightly decreased effectiveness over time, in preventing hospitalization and death, means that 7-17% of the population could be affected. That is a bunch of of very sick and dead people, if almost everyone is eventually exposed....

Later,
Dan

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by GILow

Regarding vaccine rates in nursing homes:

I checked with my partner. She works in a private nursing home with 60 residents, covering the full range from those that have lived there ten years to acute end of life and palliative care.

The home was reasonably proactive in securing the vaccine for residents and had enough to vaccinate all residents in April. At that time ten of the sixty residents declined the vaccine. Since then a few more have agreed to be vaccinated and they are now down to six unvaccinated. All of those six are eligible but decline the offer.

Just one home I know, but interesting data.

The cynical part of me wonders if those residents declining the vaccine are influenced by their offspring, who coincidentally probably stand to benefit financially from the demise of these oldies.

This is certainly possible. However, the attitude can also be explained by feeling that death is waiting outside for them, and is to be welcomed as a relief from a life that they no longer want to continue....especially if they are deeply disappointed by what they see their kids have become. Quite capable of donating their remaining wealth to hospice care, or the RSPCA, or...... (charity of their choice)

Ann