Covid And The Rest of Us

[ronandannette]

Maybe this was it, ruling on earlier lockdown:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.da...UNLAWFUL-people-wrongly-forced-stay-home.html
And how some of the people felt there, took

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.da...rst-violation-Australias-civil-liberties.html

The interesting thing about the NZ case is that the ruling was the lockdown was only unlawful in March until it became lawful when the official law making it lawful was passed on April 4. Whew!
And I wonder what's even the point? Is there some sort of reparation to be paid to the entire population for their suffering in the few days between unlawful and lawful?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The interesting thing about the NZ case is that the ruling was the lockdown was only unlawful in March until it became lawful when the official law making it lawful was passed on April 4. Whew!
And I wonder what's even the point? Is there some sort of reparation to be paid to the entire population for their suffering in the few days between unlawful and lawful?

Maybe it's to prevent further issues for subsequent lock downs? Like instead of being sued/having it go through the court system/people questioning if it's legal or not, for the future it's been deemed legal. I don't profess to know about NZ's legal system though; it would just be my guess. I'm guessing countries around the world probably have had issues with this as in was this accounted for in modern laws governing their countries and authority afforded to their leaders/governing bodies.

 

[godisney14]

Max testing for PCR tests is 1,500 a day (population about 10 million). They are only testing people in the hospital, medical workers, people who died outside the hospital, and those who severe symptoms who have a known contact. Our testing rate had been 50% positive or above the whole 5 months.

You can get a rapid antibody test at the cost of anywhere from $50 to $200 dollars if you have money and can find a place selling the tests. These numbers and NOT included in any of the countries numbers,only the PCR tests.

So if testing is our only hope, we are in big trouble.

After 6 months of this, I can’t believe we still don’t have a coordinated effort across the country. Every state, region, county, locale, is all for themselves. If you have money, you can get quicker results (<24 hours versus up to one week or longer). If you play sports, you can get tested close to everyday or every other day.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

After 6 months of this, I can’t believe we still don’t have a coordinated effort across the country. Every state, region, county, locale, is all for themselves. If you have money, you can get quicker results (<24 hours versus up to one week or longer). If you play sports, you can get tested close to everyday or every other day.

That poster is in Honduras.

 

[godisney14]

That poster is in Honduras.

Ah, I quoted the wrong person. Thanks for pointing that out.
Still doesn’t change my opinion of the situation in the US.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Ah, I quoted the wrong person. Thanks for pointing that out.
Still doesn’t change my opinion of the situation in the US.

Sure. Pretty sure we all agree on the U.S. aspect honestly no argument there (though that's a topic for another thread)

 

[RamblingMad]

As predicted, the headliner this morning on Google News: Health is about the Covid mutation and how "it may be more infectious but that could be a good thing" > and in the bulk of the articles you read that that is because it causes less deaths. Once again, Daily Mail ahead of the game.

As for the frozen food debacle, I just got through reading a Reuters article this morning on Medscape called "New Zealand Considers Freight as Possible Source of New Coronavirus Cluster". Turns out the company involved in the frozen food is US-based. "China has reported several instances of the coronavirus being detected on the packaging of imported frozen seafood in recent weeks." So we'll see where that goes, but it still is being looked at as a serious consideration.

Good interview with Bill Gates over at economist.com worth checking out. He’s predicting we’re through this by the end of next year early 2022.

 

[sam_gordon]

If you play sports, you can get tested close to everyday or every other day.

I'd change that to PROFESSIONAL sports. Which again, comes down to $$$.

 

[kyton]

Here in Newcastle NSW (2hrs north of Sydney) we have multiple free testing sites where you only need a symptom - ie sore throat or runny nose - or to have visited a known hotspot. They then swab you, the cost is worn by our National Medicare system and you are sent your result between 12-24hrs later via SMS. Some places will require a doctor’s referral and some require an appointment time but others are simply drive up and get tested.

 

[godisney14]

I'd change that to PROFESSIONAL sports. Which again, comes down to $$$.

Yes, I was referring to the pro sports
But, I believe that college athletes will be tested at least twice a week, which is a lot better than what regular people can obtain.
All about the $$$$.

How lovely when the most advanced country has this capitalistic healthcare system.


On a side note: One problem I have with sports, particularly the BIG10 athletes, their parents and coaches of college football, is that they’re demanding everything.
You have over 1,000 people involved in a petition threatening to demand better COVID safety (https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/big-ten-covid-19-football-season). But, when league officials decide to cancel Fall football over reasonable safety concerns, many of those same people demand that football not be cancelled (https://www.espn.com/college-footba...comfortable-decision-postpone-football-season).

 

[sam_gordon]

Yes, I was referring to the pro sports
But, I believe that college athletes will be tested at least twice a week, which is a lot better than what regular people can obtain.
All about the $$$$.

How lovely when the most advanced country has this capitalistic healthcare system.


On a side note: One problem I have with sports, particularly the BIG10 athletes, their parents and coaches of college football, is that they’re demanding everything.
You have over 1,000 people involved in a petition threatening to demand better COVID safety (https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/big-ten-covid-19-football-season). But, when league officials decide to cancel Fall football over reasonable safety concerns, many of those same people demand that football not be cancelled (https://www.espn.com/college-footba...comfortable-decision-postpone-football-season).

The key word is "reasonable". What YOU think is reasonable and what I think is reasonable are two different things. I do think there is some SAFETY benefits to having fall sports...
1) The activities can be truly regulated. Whether that's mask mandates and social distancing (for players and team personnel), or reducing if not eliminating fans, a school (college, HS, or MS) will have an easier time than everyone making up their own rules.
2) It keeps the athletes active, tying up anywhere from 2-4 hours of their day at least, then they have to do school work. Compare that to NO athletics, so after they do their school work, what are they going to do... hang out with friends.
3) This probably applies more to big time colleges than lower tier and HS... testing. As you point out, even regularly testing twice a week is better than what regular people get. How nice would it be if everyone got tested going into work 2x a week (at least). Of course, to make the testing worth anything, you've got to get the results back within hours if not a day, a week or more later and it's basically worthless.

PS... when I say everyone gets tested 2x a week going into work, I think they get the test and continue on to work. If they find out they're positive within hours or the next day, then they quarantine. And this would be for asymptomatic people. If you have symptoms, you don't go into work.

 

[elphaba91]

Where you are, are tests readily available? We’ve been able to self-refer here since April and as of now there are a number of different options for drive-thru and walk-in testing, all available at no charge.

Have you been tested and if not, do you have a particular aversion to doing so? I was compelled to take one while seeking treatment for another (very obvious) condition in April. It wasn’t a choice - the medical facility where I was referred by our public health department wouldn’t even look at me until I’d been swabbed. At the time it was the only option for accessing non-emergency care; all clinics and doctor’s offices were closed.

Here in Australia you can (and should!) get tested if you have any symptoms whatsoever as well as if you are a close contact of a confirmed case (there were some issues with people being told they had to wait for the contact tracers to contact them even if they knew someone who had tested positive, but I think that's been fixed). There are testing clinics at most big public hospitals and some GPs, drive through and walk through clinics at places like shopping centres, community centres and the airport and some pathology places are doing tests with referrals from a doctor. I think some GPs are also doing testing for their patients (without running an actual testing clinic). Testing is free and if you don't have any sick or annual leave then you can even receive a government payment for the isolation period.

At the moment they are actually disappointed with the testing rates with about a 17% reduction in a week, meaning about 30,000 fewer tests. While this could be due to fewer people having symptoms (which I think is likely) they are worried that they aren't getting an accurate picture.

I haven't been tested, simply because I haven't had the need to, but wouldn't hesitate to do so.

 

[ronandannette]

The key word is "reasonable". What YOU think is reasonable and what I think is reasonable are two different things. I do think there is some SAFETY benefits to having fall sports...
1) The activities can be truly regulated. Whether that's mask mandates and social distancing (for players and team personnel), or reducing if not eliminating fans, a school (college, HS, or MS) will have an easier time than everyone making up their own rules.
2) It keeps the athletes active, tying up anywhere from 2-4 hours of their day at least, then they have to do school work. Compare that to NO athletics, so after they do their school work, what are they going to do... hang out with friends.
3) This probably applies more to big time colleges than lower tier and HS... testing. As you point out, even regularly testing twice a week is better than what regular people get. How nice would it be if everyone got tested going into work 2x a week (at least). Of course, to make the testing worth anything, you've got to get the results back within hours if not a day, a week or more later and it's basically worthless.

PS... when I say everyone gets tested 2x a week going into work, I think they get the test and continue on to work. If they find out they're positive within hours or the next day, then they quarantine. And this would be for asymptomatic people. If you have symptoms, you don't go into work.

I'd be willing to take frequent tests; I probably even could go ahead and do it on my own with the system we have here. The problem would be our corporate policies require anybody who has been tested to quarantine until they can produce a negative result in writing. This rule was implemented back in March when a very extensive set of Covid-Safety Protocols were hastily written. As we go on though, it's likely something they should look at revising for people who are asymptomatic.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Max testing for PCR tests is 1,500 a day (population about 10 million). They are only testing people in the hospital, medical workers, people who died outside the hospital, and those who severe symptoms who have a known contact. Our testing rate had been 50% positive or above the whole 5 months.

You can get a rapid antibody test at the cost of anywhere from $50 to $200 dollars if you have money and can find a place selling the tests. These numbers and NOT included in any of the countries numbers,only the PCR tests.

So if testing is our only hope, we are in big trouble.

Maybe they should consider pool testing.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Maybe they should consider pool testing.

That would work but I think you're supposed to utilize that when you have plentiful supplies in testing. Pooling just speeds up the process allowing more tests to be completed in a given day (I believe the U.S. was authorized or was looked at for authorizing up to 4 samples to be pooled together--haven't looked into that in a while though).

I got the impression the situation in Honduras is very much like how it was in the early early days for the U.S. where testing supplies are quite limited and thus conserved for those potentially in most need.

 

[MommyinHonduras]

I got the impression the situation in Honduras is very much like how it was in the early early days for the U.S. where testing supplies are quite limited and thus conserved for those potentially in most need.

This is what it is always like. I often say this place is like the wild west. As posted several days ago, we have 250,000 test donated but they were ruined sitting in a warehouse. so it is more incompetence and lack of caring of those with the power to make any changes.

 

[TLSnell1981]

That would work but I think you're supposed to utilize that when you have plentiful supplies in testing. Pooling just speeds up the process allowing more tests to be completed in a given day (I believe the U.S. was authorized or was looked at for authorizing up to 4 samples to be pooled together--haven't looked into that in a while though).

I got the impression the situation in Honduras is very much like how it was in the early early days for the U.S. where testing supplies are quite limited and thus conserved for those potentially in most need.

I think we are better at diagnosing COVID even without a test. A test only possibly confirms the infection. If you’ve been exposed and have symptoms... quarantine and treat as if you have COVID. Otherwise continue to use precautions.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think we are better at diagnosing COVID even without a test. A test only possibly confirms the infection. If you’ve been exposed and have symptoms... quarantine and treat as if you have COVID. Otherwise continue to use precautions.

I was speaking to your comment of pool testing

 

[godisney14]

I think we are better at diagnosing COVID even without a test. A test only possibly confirms the infection. If you’ve been exposed and have symptoms... quarantine and treat as if you have COVID. Otherwise continue to use precautions.

What about those who are asymptomatic?

 

[godisney14]

The key word is "reasonable". What YOU think is reasonable and what I think is reasonable are two different things. I do think there is some SAFETY benefits to having fall sports...
1) The activities can be truly regulated. Whether that's mask mandates and social distancing (for players and team personnel), or reducing if not eliminating fans, a school (college, HS, or MS) will have an easier time than everyone making up their own rules.
2) It keeps the athletes active, tying up anywhere from 2-4 hours of their day at least, then they have to do school work. Compare that to NO athletics, so after they do their school work, what are they going to do... hang out with friends.
3) This probably applies more to big time colleges than lower tier and HS... testing. As you point out, even regularly testing twice a week is better than what regular people get. How nice would it be if everyone got tested going into work 2x a week (at least). Of course, to make the testing worth anything, you've got to get the results back within hours if not a day, a week or more later and it's basically worthless.

PS... when I say everyone gets tested 2x a week going into work, I think they get the test and continue on to work. If they find out they're positive within hours or the next day, then they quarantine. And this would be for asymptomatic people. If you have symptoms, you don't go into work.

https://www.espn.com/college-footba...virus-protocols-more-tests-enhanced-screening
SEC just announced they will test football players at least 3 times per week.
(Of course they’ll also be paying for the <24 hour turnaround service. Otherwise, like you said, there’s no point in the tests).

Money surely talks.