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COVID-19 Stuff Here

formerflanker

Ken Catchpole (46)
I hope all the Wallabies are home.
Last thing we want to see is another bunch of Australians stranded overseas because the government re-imposes international border restrictions.
 

Kenny Powers

Ron Walden (29)
It is going to be interesting to see how Omnicron plays out.

The one thing we do know is that COVID has been good to the government in power regardless of the side of politics it has rended me opposition parties irrelevant with no profile. (US election the exception but unusual dynamic/personality at play there.)

So in a normalised COVID world we are returning to do we need to be wary of those whose power and influence is on the wane. Is it to their advantage to over react? Will know the answer in a couple of weeks.
 
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dru

Tim Horan (67)
Apparently Omicron has been confirmed in two arrivals info NSW.


All around the world. Immediately they new how to test for it, it has been found. The real issue in Australia is whether in-coming quarantine system is enough. Where we are picking up cases in Q it's not the same as getting out.

On the positive side so far indicators are the (current) vaccines available in Australia work. Though the vaccine manufacturers are already "tweaking" boosters specifically against Omicron. Increasingly it looks like this will be like the flu with annual shots required. You'd have to think those vaccines (like sino-vax) which started at 50% have to be looking shaky by now.
 

formerflanker

Ken Catchpole (46)
Barbarians-Manu Samoa clash at Twickenham was called off 90 minutes before scheduled kick-off.
Three Wallabies players have tested positive to Covid in England while preparing to play for the Barbarians.
They face further testing on day seven of their isolation and will be allowed to travel on day 10 if they again return a negative result.
(The Australian)
 

stoff

Bill McLean (32)
It is going to be interesting to see how Omnicron plays out.

The one thing we do know is that COVID has been good to the government in power regardless of the side of politics it has rended me opposition parties irrelevant with no profile. (US election the exception but unusual dynamic/personality at play there.)

So in a normalised COVID world we are returning to do we need to be wary of those whose power and influence is on the wane. Is it to their advantage to over react? Will know the answer in a couple of weeks.
Who is up soon - Feds in May 22, Victoria in November 22. Anyone else?

Morrison is way too attached to the open up mantra, although he is not exactly a conviction politician so who knows with him. I think as he gets closer to an election he would do anything to win, but he has to make it there first. Dutton seems to be circling. The hardest part for him is he put so much back on to the states to manage during the pandemic that he doesn't really have any levers to pull. Its the downside of a do as little as possible strategy - it makes it hard to do something.

Andrews doesnt face competent opposition so all this may do is help him get his pandemic bill passed this week. Short of a major corruption issue he will be elected for another four years.

I don't know if there is any political capital in over-reacting against where there is a pandemic-fatigued population. Maybe there is in the hermit states where fear of the unknown is possibly greater.
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
NZ moving to what's colloquially termed the Traffic Light system as of midnight Thursday/ Friday:

IMG_1126.JPG


Auckland at Red initially as it accounts for 90% of cases most days. Other areas at Red are Northland & a cluster of districts* in the Eastern & Central North Island but extending down to Whanganui on the West coast of the Island on account of their vaxx rates being well below the national average esp among Maori who are over-represented in any at-greater-risk category you'd care to name. Classic carrot & stick move by Government, I just hope it motivates people to go get their jabs but as previously posted, I believe there's going to be carnage in those areas once Covid spreads beyond Auckland & Waikato.

Rest of North Island, including me in Hamilton & Dan54 in South Taranaki, plus the entire South goes to Orange. Southerners will moan their tits off about that but, again, Covid is coming to a town near them over Christmas & New Year's so Green just isn't an option until the Auckland outbreak is suppressed. Soz, guys.

All of the above pre-supposes that Omricon when it gets here isn't more dangerous than Delta. I guess we'll know more about that when the settings are reviewed on 13 December.

* Taupō and Rotorua Lakes Districts, Kawerau, Whakatane, Ōpōtiki Districts, Gisborne District, Wairoa District, Rangitikei, Whanganui and Ruapehu Districts. Northland comprises Far North, Kaipara & Whangarei Districts.

IMG_1127.JPG
 
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waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Just comparing the list of Red districts to the vaxx rate table & there's a few anomalies that will probably cause some discontent. While the bottom six districts for vaxx rate are all in the Red setting group, there's a bunch of others in the Orange with lower rates. Most notably Rangatikei at 42 is Red while 12 districts with lower rates are Orange.

Red districts by vaxx rate (all are below 80% double-dose):
66 Kawerau
65 Opotiki
64 Ruapehu
63 Whakatane
62 Far North
60= Wairoa
59 Kaipara
58 Gisborne
51= Whanganui
50 Rotorua
46= Taupo
46= Whangarei
42 Rangitkei

Orange districts with lower vaxx rates than one or more Red districts:
60= South Waikato +
57 Waitomo +
56 Otorohanga +
55 Hauraki
54 Buller (West Coast of South Island)
53 Stratford
51 Tararua
49 Southland (South Island)
48 South Taranaki
45 Grey (South Island, adjacent to Buller)
44 Horowhenua
43 Kaikoura (South Island)

+ I think we here in the Waikato/ King Country are very fortunate to be in the Orange given there's a number of towns recording cases just about every day.

Clearly other factors in play incl how easy or hard it is to isolate different areas (e.g. West Coast South Island very easy, Waikato/ King Country just about impossible) but I can see a few upset mayors popping up on breakfast TV in the morning & talkback radio is gunna go more ballistic than usual over this.
 
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formerflanker

Ken Catchpole (46)
So it seems there is a chance omicron is a more transmissible and less virulent coronavirus.
If so and it becomes the dominant strain it may be the holy grail that leads us out of the pandemic.
The WHO might be chastened they didn’t name it Xi after all
Hasn't that been the history of all viruses ever?
 

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Honest question FF (Folau Fainga'a), do you actually believe that cartoon is appropriate?

Between the false claim that “vaccines don’t work,” and the tinfoil inclusion of Bill Gates… it’s my personal opinion that you’d have to be pretty thick to agree with its message…
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Between the fully vaccinated new arrivals and the fully vaccinated Wallabies in the Barbarians team, all with Covid, this cartoon seems an appropriate reminder that vaccinations should be a personal choice:
View attachment 12795

Data says otherwise:

Who contracted Covid-19 in the last two weeks?​

Based on the cases in the last fortnight, unvaccinated people are 13 times more likely to get Covid-19 than people who have received two doses, and 47 times more likely to be hospitalised.
Vaccination statusTotal cases per millionHospitalised cases per million
Fully vaccinated115
115
2
2
Partially vaccinated1501
1501
66
66
Unvaccinated1512
1512
97
97
Not eligible969
969
22
22
Per million rates compare number of incidents within a vaccination group to that group’s population.
Vaccinated population counts based on MoH vaccination data from the start of the period.
Unvaccinated and ineligible population counts are calculated from StatsNZ population estimates.
Source: Ministry of Health (cases between Nov 15 and Nov 29) Created with Datawrapper



datawrapper.gif
 

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
Data says otherwise:

Who contracted Covid-19 in the last two weeks?​

Based on the cases in the last fortnight, unvaccinated people are 13 times more likely to get Covid-19 than people who have received two doses, and 47 times more likely to be hospitalised.
Vaccination statusTotal cases per millionHospitalised cases per million
Fully vaccinated115
115
2
2
Partially vaccinated1501
1501
66
66
Unvaccinated1512
1512
97
97
Not eligible969
969
22
22
Per million rates compare number of incidents within a vaccination group to that group’s population.
Vaccinated population counts based on MoH vaccination data from the start of the period.
Unvaccinated and ineligible population counts are calculated from StatsNZ population estimates.
Source: Ministry of Health (cases between Nov 15 and Nov 29) Created with Datawrapper



datawrapper.gif
Rational arguments against a position arrived at via emotion don't work.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
So it seems there is a chance omicron is a more transmissible and less virulent coronavirus.
If so and it becomes the dominant strain it may be the holy grail that leads us out of the pandemic.
The WHO might be chastened they didn’t name it Xi after all

I read something in The Age yesterday suggesting that it's possible and that the experience so far in South Africa has been that it's not as serious.

The same article likened it to the Russian Flu from the 1890's, which was initially very bad but got weaker as time went on. It's still with us but basically as the common cold. I read an article by Matt Ridley last year, I think it was, that said something similar. His commentary about this pandemic and ones earlier has been good reading.
 

formerflanker

Ken Catchpole (46)
Honest question FF (Folau Fainga'a), do you actually believe that cartoon is appropriate?

Between the false claim that “vaccines don’t work,” and the tinfoil inclusion of Bill Gates… it’s my personal opinion that you’d have to be pretty thick to agree with its message…
Is the cartoon appropriate? It does have a sense of humour but it goes against the narrative of mandatory vaccinations, so your definition of appropriate becomes the pivotal criterion. I'm OK with the blog owner deleting it because it's his/their blog.

"Vaccines don't work" is a blunt expression. "Don't work as well as initially claimed" is more like the reality of covid experiences around the world.

For example, Gibraltar is the most vaccinated place on earth, having inoculated the entirety of its adult population. But, case numbers steadily rose throughout the months of October and November.
Health Minister Samantha Sacramento called it a "drastic increase". If vaccinations were to be the silver bullet, Gibraltar says otherwise.

Bill Gates involvement = tinfoil hat territory? A simple internet search will lead you to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sponsorship of Event 201, a simulation of a Coronavirus pandemic that occured in New York City in October 2019. Bill was there. The only aspect in dispute is whether the topics were a discussion about public health or lockdowns/mandatory vaccines.

Waning vaccine effectiveness (hence the need for boosters) and the WHO's statement that vaccines do not replace the need for other precautions tell me that vaccinations should be an individual choice and not compulsory. Another worrying sign is the number of fit young athletes collapsing with heart problems during games and training . This issue alone should boost the arguments of those who are vaccine-hesitant.
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
Is the cartoon appropriate? It does have a sense of humour but it goes against the narrative of mandatory vaccinations, so your definition of appropriate becomes the pivotal criterion. I'm OK with the blog owner deleting it because it's his/their blog.

"Vaccines don't work" is a blunt expression. "Don't work as well as initially claimed" is more like the reality of covid experiences around the world.

For example, Gibraltar is the most vaccinated place on earth, having inoculated the entirety of its adult population. But, case numbers steadily rose throughout the months of October and November.
Health Minister Samantha Sacramento called it a "drastic increase". If vaccinations were to be the silver bullet, Gibraltar says otherwise.

Bill Gates involvement = tinfoil hat territory? A simple internet search will lead you to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sponsorship of Event 201, a simulation of a Coronavirus pandemic that occured in New York City in October 2019. Bill was there. The only aspect in dispute is whether the topics were a discussion about public health or lockdowns/mandatory vaccines.

Waning vaccine effectiveness (hence the need for boosters) and the WHO's statement that vaccines do not replace the need for other precautions tell me that vaccinations should be an individual choice and not compulsory. Another worrying sign is the number of fit young athletes collapsing with heart problems during games and training . This issue alone should boost the arguments of those who are vaccine-hesitant.
There is copious scientific data to the effect that vaccines do work. And yet you still post vague assertions that they do not.
By "work", that means they reduce transmission, reduce severity of disease, and reduce hospitalisations and death from the disease.
Significantly. Plenty of data available to this effect from epidemiological sites world-wide.
"Work" does not mean this disease disappears. I cannot recall anyone claiming that they do this.
By the way, what is the number of fit young athletes collapsing with heart problems proven to be caused by vaccination? The number worries you. What is it? How many young athletes collapse from cardiac events (many are associated with dysrhythmias) prior to Covid-19? I can't answer either question of the top of my head, and unless anyone can, it's a meaningless "stat", since it's just a vibe statement.
You post a lot of generic statements, which seem like they're lifted from conspiracy sites. I think that's why many seem to react negatively to them.
 
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