All borders to reopen.
Good question. By stupid behaviours I guess I was thinking of what we see from America, where people are quick to loudly insist on their rights while completely ignoring their responsibilities. After the vaccine has had wide scale take-up I don’t know what the limits of prudence will dictate. We should always keep the hygiene practices, and where possible, social distancing. Would it be a bad thing to embrace the Asian habit of wearing a mask when suffering from a cold?
I expect that with enough of the population inoculated Covid-19 will eventually be like the flu: mostly sporadic manageable cases with the odd mortality.
Also understand that I am writing from an Australian perspective. The virus is all but eradicated here, and people are now behaving more normally. We are however aware that international arrivals can spark yet another outbreak that may re-introduce the virus so so e safeguards like masks indoors are still in wide use. The flights are pretty full, and the airport reunions all seem pretty joyous and pretty intimate. Just a few more months (6?) and this will be mostly behind us.
I expect that with enough of the population inoculated Covid-19 will eventually be like the flu: mostly sporadic manageable cases with the odd mortality.
Also understand that I am writing from an Australian perspective. The virus is all but eradicated here, and people are now behaving more normally. We are however aware that international arrivals can spark yet another outbreak that may re-introduce the virus so so e safeguards like masks indoors are still in wide use. The flights are pretty full, and the airport reunions all seem pretty joyous and pretty intimate. Just a few more months (6?) and this will be mostly behind us.
Join Date: Oct 2019
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Before anyone jumps down my throat about not being an expert, I am asking because I genuinely want to learn. I always thought (because I was told), that your immune system gets stronger by being exposed to germs. I thought exercise, eating veggies, letting kids play in dirt, were all factors? Now its avoid everything at all costs. If we have kids soon, do doctors recommend keeping them as sanitised as possible? Again, I am seriously not being facetious. It just seems that we have drastically changed our thinking over the last few months.
Like was said for the most part these aren't a factor in Australia. Look at how much media attention the one case of the German tourists (it was not their stuff up btw, it was NSW Police) attracted and they did not even have the virus. These points are a factor in other nations, just last week in the US a one day death toll exceeded those killed in the WTC attacks, and the numbers are spiking upward through their dark winter.
Now you can travel around Australia, see mates, party for the most part at bars and restaurants. Once the vaccine uptake is widespread here and protocols for allowing immunised travelers into the country are put in place that will be extended to overseas travel. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
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Turns out (according to model based analyses) that if the objective was to reduce the size and duration of outbreaks, so that we could relax social distancing and give maximum social freedom, then we'd concentrate on vaccinating the people in high-contact professions immediately after covering the healthcare and critical professions like firefighters and defence personnel. But nup, after healthcare they're working their way down the age curve, oldies first - despite the fact that the elderly spread the virus less (they are more commonly "sinks" in the social networks) compared to taxi drivers, people in retail, etc etc. Basically every vax given to an oldie just protects them, there is no (disease spread( spinoff benefit for society more broadly.
I fear that Dec 2021 could still look a lot like Dec 2020 for much of the world's younger generations, and FWIW, they have my blessing to act up about this.
We should have seen so much more innovation around maintaining normality and enjoyment for the under-30s during the COVID period. But when doctors are put in charge, alongside mainly married-with-children middle aged+ pollies, that is just not on the radar.
Japan 18
China 3
South Korea 11
Malaysia 12
Vietnam 0.5
Thailand 1
Singapore 5
And some western countries for comparison:
USA 870
UK 900
France 840
Brazil 830
Italy 1000
I think it would be a very beneficial thing for Australia to adopt far more aspects of Asian culture into our own than just the wearing of masks.
Last edited by dr dre; 7th Dec 2020 at 17:55.
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unexplained blip, exactly. Everyone who tells me to stay home and isolate, can either work from home, or has money saved up. And they say that I should have saved more (fair enough and lesson learned, but I'm 29 years old). I got sent home from Dubai to a country that pays 31 Aussie dollars unemployment per month and since March I am yet to receive that. I have a uni degree in Computer Science and economics, and the best job I could find was delivering pizzas. When I got covid 2 months ago, I was told how irresponsible I've been by driving around. Again, not looking for sympathy, but sometimes people don't seem to realise that not everyone has a nice trust fund or big savings to live off. I realise I don't really have the right to be posting on an Aussie forum so I'll stop after this one. Chins up everyone and let's hope this nonsense is nearly over. I'm off to deliver another Margherita. Fingers crossed for a tip.
Join Date: Aug 2014
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boeinga320 let me guess. Even though you have had COVID-19 *and* the governments of the world are obsessed with vaccines and how quickly they can get hold of them, you have gone and got yourself vaccinated naturally, and yet have not one jot of extra freedom or privilege --- despite having obtained exactly what they are all so desperately scrambling and longing for? And since then, nobody has asked you to step into a critical role to exploit your immune status - am I right? You are not flying freight around the globe, carefree and safe as houses? Drafted into Medivac? Tending to the sick and needy? Nup, you are delivering pizza.
And it is exactly the same here. It's infuriating.
And it is exactly the same here. It's infuriating.
boeinga320 let me guess. Even though you have had COVID-19 *and* the governments of the world are obsessed with vaccines and how quickly they can get hold of them, you have gone and got yourself vaccinated naturally, and yet have not one jot of extra freedom or privilege --- despite having obtained exactly what they are all so desperately scrambling and longing for? And since then, nobody has asked you to step into a critical role to exploit your immune status - am I right? You are not flying freight around the globe, carefree and safe as houses? Drafted into Medivac? Tending to the sick and needy? Nup, you are delivering pizza.
And it is exactly the same here. It's infuriating.
And it is exactly the same here. It's infuriating.
Join Date: Aug 2014
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Even PCR (swab) tests are maximum just over 75% reliable (!!) and so people as potential recurrence cases would need blood analysis done in order to be confirmed. Pseudo-reinfection, or long-running infection that was never fully cleared, masked by dud PCR tests is an option that remains in play at least in theory.
Immunized people present surfaces for transporting the virus, and some people might have a residual susceptibility (what infectivity that will relate to is unknown), So some precautions may remain necessary. Nevertheless these previously-infected people are an asset that at least in Australia don't seem to be being utilized, and this is inconsistent other strategy elements. Aircrew going o/s still have to isolate for two weeks despite their personal COVID history afaik.
There was a philosophical decision early on to dismiss the idea of an immunity passport for those that caught the virus naturally. Maybe this was because there'd then be a whole lot of frustrated under-30s licking each other with the intention of gaining freedom? This policy has stuck and also remains at odds with the vaccination orientation. I am cynical and put it down to medicine's god-complex mixed-in with a lack of imagination and innovation of behalf of our governments.
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"There was a philosophical decision early on to dismiss the idea of an immunity passport for those that caught the virus naturally. Maybe this was because there'd then be a whole lot of frustrated under-30s licking each other with the intention of gaining freedom? This policy has stuck and also remains at odds with the vaccination orientation. I am cynical and put it down to medicine's god-complex mixed-in with a lack of imagination and innovation of behalf of our governments."
"dud PCR tests"
Kind of answered your own question there.
"dud PCR tests"
Kind of answered your own question there.
Join Date: Jun 2019
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What does McIdiot over in the west have to gain by carrying on like a 2 yr old kid do WA ppl really like this fool? He is not attending national cabinet in Canberra because SM the SA premier is attending saying he doesn’t want to catch cooties from him.
My mother in law and the rest of the family live in WA, and I can assure you they are more than happy with us COVID carrying eastern staters to stay out of WA. They are a very parochial bunch anyway, but this has just reinforced it. They love McGowan, but word on the street is they don’t have a contact tracing division, or a decent supply of respirators and other ICU type medical equipment, and after the SA blip, they are madly trying to get their act together just in case.
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As a tax payer I would like to see all of them doing a lot more on zoom....
My mother in law and the rest of the family live in WA, and I can assure you they are more than happy with us COVID carrying eastern staters to stay out of WA. They are a very parochial bunch anyway, but this has just reinforced it. They love McGowan, but word on the street is they don’t have a contact tracing division, or a decent supply of respirators and other ICU type medical equipment, and after the SA blip, they are madly trying to get their act together just in case.
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I don’t really understand why East Coasters care about WA, with the vast majority of us having nothing to do with the sandgropers. Queensland and NSW border on the other hand is understandable, there’s a huge mixing of people.
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I don't care to much for the West either, there are others that do for reason like family employment etc. Still no need for an elected leader to carry on like a child, its the whole school yard taunt " I don't want to touch him he has cooties"
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