Corona Virus

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Originally Posted by bob10

Three new cases in NSW were out & about in the community while infectious, missed by contact tracers.

Three new cases as NSW restrictions ease (msn.com)

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Makes it sound like there was a slip up made by the contact tracers...This is what happened and I expect will happen again and again:

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"As you can imagine, people do their best in giving us a history of who attended their house or who they had contact with (but) there are always times where that fails."

"We do occasionally find people that have been missed because people forget to tell us despite everyone's best endeavours."

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I think one of the issues we as a country will struggle with as time goes on with the low number cases we have, is people not continuing to get tested. We see it all the time, testing rates dropping to dangerously low levels as time goes on when no locally acquired cases being are reported. It's the perfect scenario for the virus to get away if it breaks out of quarantine. It's essentially what happened with the Northern Beaches cluster. The country has dodged a bullet numerous times in all major centres with the odd traveller doing the wrong thing.

With the billions of generations the virus is able to advance through thanks to the unchecked infection of millions of people, it seems bound to develop even more infectivity beyond the UK or SA strain along with potentially more dangerous ramifications for health outcomes for all ages.

I feel that there will need to be another solution to the way international travellers are managed through quarantine. The fact that thousands of people fly into our most densely populated centres, only to be quarantined there and serviced by people (police, army, drivers, medical staff, cleaners, hotel staff etc etc) who, through no fault of their own, risk introducing the virus into the broader community.

I have no idea what the solution is but, I reckon something has got to change....the vaccines are only one part of the answer.

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Originally Posted by 1950landy

With the new lockdown rules in Qld I am not sure why we need to wear a mask while driving in our cars with windows up & a/c on recycle , wife's side only , all it does is fog up my glasses & can't see to drive.[bigsad] Guess our premier knows best. [smilebigeye]
Attachment 167519 Me driving with wife in car.[bigrolf]

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I don't understand it either, does this mean motorcyclists have to wear a mask as well?

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Originally Posted by SBD4

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With the billions of generations the virus is able to advance through thanks to the unchecked infection of millions of people, it seems bound to develop even more infectivity beyond the UK or SA strain along with potentially more dangerous ramifications for health outcomes for all ages.

I feel that there will need to be another solution to the way international travellers are managed through quarantine. The fact that thousands of people fly into our most densely populated centres, only to be quarantined there and serviced by people (police, army, drivers, medical staff, cleaners, hotel staff etc etc) who, through no fault of their own, risk introducing the virus into the broader community.

I have no idea what the solution is but, I reckon something has got to change....the vaccines are only one part of the answer.

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I think the theory goes that a virus will evolve to become more virulent but less deadly as it wants to replicate not kill the hosts and therefore itself off.

A possible solution is quarantine on islands, ships, the outback, Christmas Is. springs to mind, but they could use resort islands instead to make it more palatable.

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Originally Posted by RANDLOVER

I think the theory goes that a virus will evolve to become more virulent but less deadly as it wants to replicate not kill the hosts and therefore itself off.

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Yes I've heard this too and may be the general rule but there are plenty of examples of viruses evolving to become more deadly and plenty that already have a 100% mortality rate. An example from the article below is the Marburg Virus which initially had a mortality rate of 25% but in a later outbreak rose to more than 80%. Again in the article, MERS which is a part of the Coronavirus family has a mortality rate of 30-40% so it stands to reason that there is the potential for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19) to mutate into a more dangerous pathogen because of the increased opportunity it has to do so but....I like what you said more.[biggrin]

The 12 deadliest viruses on Earth | Live Science

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Originally Posted by RANDLOVER

A possible solution is quarantine on islands, ships, the outback, Christmas Is. springs to mind, but they could use resort islands instead to make it more palatable.

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Right with you there. Fly them straight into the middle of the desert (like the NT facilities that have been used for China/cruise ship repatriations). Leave them there for 3 weeks. All workers on two weeks on with one week clear on tests before returning to communities for 2 weeks rest. Would that work?[thumbsupbig]

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Originally Posted by bob10

Three new cases in NSW were out & about in the community while infectious, missed by contact tracers.

Three new cases as NSW restrictions ease (msn.com)

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Rubbish !! ............................... don't you listen to the PM. NSW is the 'gold standard' for contact tracing.

Deano :)

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Originally Posted by SBD4

Yes I've heard this too and may be the general rule but there are plenty of examples of viruses evolving to become more deadly and plenty that already have a 100% mortality rate. An example from the article below is the Marburg Virus which initially had a mortality rate of 25% but in a later outbreak rose to more than 80%. Again in the article, MERS which is a part of the Coronavirus family has a mortality rate of 30-40% so it stands to reason that there is the potential for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19) to mutate into a more dangerous pathogen because of the increased opportunity it has to do so but....I like what you said more.[biggrin]

The 12 deadliest viruses on Earth | Live Science



Right with you there. Fly them straight into the middle of the desert (like the NT facilities that have been used for China/cruise ship repatriations). Leave them there for 3 weeks. All workers on two weeks on with one week clear on tests before returning to communities for 2 weeks rest. Would that work?[thumbsupbig]

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. Well it did work when they were banged up for 40 days on Torrens island.

I find it amazing that we are still talking about Total Quarantine this far into the outbreak & thought that this would have been a Primary Consideration from the off.

Are we employing idiots?

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Originally Posted by SBD4

Right with you there. Fly them straight into the middle of the desert (like the NT facilities that have been used for China/cruise ship repatriations). Leave them there for 3 weeks. All workers on two weeks on with one week clear on tests before returning to communities for 2 weeks rest. Would that work?[thumbsupbig]

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I take it you haven't been to the NT ? Howard Springs is 25 KM south of Darwin. How about this. Hard lock down as soon as you get a case. All close contacts are then kept at home until they can be traced. All close contacts to self isolate [ may take a while to find them, as NSW has found out.]In a nutshell, Close down the movement of the virus by hard lock down, then by contact tracing and isolation keep it under control. Hotel quarantine will always be the weak point, granted. Tightening of rules and testing workers every day [ as they are now] is about the best you can do. Removing positive tested travellers to hospital quarantine immediately on getting a positive test would be an extra precaution. Every day is a learning curve with this virus. We must have confidence in our health professionals to find a solution.

EDIT. Mandated mask wearing should be one of the first things done in the virus fight.

Inside the Darwin quarantine camp, where life is 'like a holiday' for people escaping lockdown - ABC News

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Originally Posted by 4bee

. Well it did work when they were banged up for 40 days on Torrens island.

I find it amazing that we are still talking about Total Quarantine this far into the outbreak & thought that this would have been a Primary Consideration from the off.

Are we employing idiots?

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Not at all. But right from the start people [ as in citizens] didn't take this seriously. Some doubted that the virus was even real. No social distancing, gathering in large groups, the list goes on. Thankfully it seems that most have woken up that this is real, is serious , and must be taken seriously. Hotel quarantine is the weak link, but it's the human element in the system , so far, that has made it so. Slowly, they are tightening the system up. Until each and every one of us follows the rules closely, to the letter, there will be slip ups. And until governments get serious about hard lockdowns, mandated mask wearing, and isolation, we will be playing wack a virus for a long long time.

Day two of the lockdown, zero cases. 147 contacts found and interviewed, and 122 tested negative, so far. 19,000 tests. We all know positive cases could pop up any time in the next two weeks. So far, so good.

Greater Brisbane records zero new coronavirus cases overnight, as investigation into initial case launched - ABC News

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Originally Posted by bob10

Not at all. But right from the start people [ as in citizens] didn't take this seriously. Some doubted that the virus was even real. No social distancing, gathering in large groups, the list goes on. Thankfully it seems that most have woken up that this is real, is serious , and must be taken seriously. Hotel quarantine is the weak link, but it's the human element in the system , so far, that has made it so. Slowly, they are tightening the system up. Until each and every one of us follows the rules closely, to the letter, there will be slip ups. And until governments get serious about hard lockdowns, mandated mask wearing, and isolation, we will be playing wack a virus for a long long time.

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This is what an infectious disease Prof from ANU thinks of hard lockdowns

Coronavirus NSW: Sydney shows dire COVID-19 predictions and lockdown demands were wrong

Disclaimer. I used to do work in the med school there, the head of the anatomy lab is a friend.