Coronavirus

[Azza]

Oh well. WA probably won't open up till 2034 at this rate.

[-PJ-]

ATAGI have recommended Covid booster shots be 5 months after 2nd jab, it was 6 months.

I’m no scientist, but I’m starting to believe they are making this up as they go.

[gangrenous]

You’re jesting right?

[-PJ-]

I trust the research gangers.

I’ll have a booster a day if needed.

[gangrenous]

Good to hear.

There’s no pre-existing data and experiments on the best separation across situations with so many moving parts - how long does the protection last? What’s the difference between 2 and 3 doses against emerging strains like Omicron.

They have to make expert judgments on the fly. There’s no way to do otherwise, unless you’d prefer they stick to sub-optimal answers in the face of new evidence purely to be consistent.

[-PJ-]

Covid numbers have exploded today in NSW.

804 statewide today.

[gangrenous]

Looks like just a continuation of the trend we’ve been on that the weekend masked a bit.

We’re about to see some large numbers I suspect…

[-PJ-]

Up here in Newy I’m certainly concerned.

[Off]

Full lockdown for Christmas please, i miss it and roll out the handouts, can dodge all inlaws and all the dont want to but have to people.

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[FuiFui BradBrad]

Yeah typical. Nothing to see for months, major holiday event around the corner, massive spike in cases.

Covid hates holiday seasons

[-PJ-]

1360 today in NSW.

[-PJ-]

424 in Hunter today.
It was 200+? yesterday.

[-PJ-]

Anyone having trouble getting to sleep ?

Try listening to Martin Foley, he’ll fix it.

[gangrenous]

424 in Hunter today.
It was 200+? yesterday.

Hold onto your hats. Next week you’ll look back at 424 with fond recollection of when it was 3 digits.

[Coastalraider]

This climb was inevitable, and I’m surprised it took so long. Hospitalisation rates is key.

[gangrenous]

This climb was not inevitable. This climb is Omicron and people are acting like it’s still Delta.

[greeneyed]

This climb was not inevitable. This climb is Omicron and people are acting like it’s still Delta.

And they’re pretending like it’s business as usual. NSW is clearly rejecting the advice of their Chief Health Officer, that broader mask mandates should continue. She wore her mask today, while the Ministers didn’t and joked behind her while she advised people to wear them. I guess we will see if the gamble pays off or not. Victoria is maintaining stronger mask mandate requirements. The ACT is being complacent too. Wearing a mask indoors is not a hard thing to do. Echos of Trumpism in NSW. At least the ACT still has very low numbers still.

[gangrenous]

In the grand scheme of things I don’t think masks v no masks will be the difference. It’s still going to climb rapidly enough in NSW in the coming weeks. Why you wouldn’t keep them though…

Better hope the severity of symptoms/hospitalisation rate in Omicron is a crapload lower. Because we’re going to have a crapload of cases fast.

I’ll still be wearing a mask for sure.

Echos of Trumpism in NSW.

Well we know the Premier’s a fan

[zim]

Hospitalisation rates and severity were greatly improved because of the vaccine. How those rates change under Omicron will depend on how effective the vaccine is against that variant.

[RedRaider]

In the grand scheme of things I don’t think masks v no masks will be the difference. It’s still going to climb rapidly enough in NSW in the coming weeks. Why you wouldn’t keep them though…

Better hope the severity of symptoms/hospitalisation rate in Omicron is a crapload lower. Because we’re going to have a crapload of cases fast.

I’ll still be wearing a mask for sure.

Echos of Trumpism in NSW.

Well we know the Premier’s a fan

I think we should all still be wearing masks. I have been out and about this week from Moree to Moonbi and wore a mask each time I got out of the car. People serving in shops still wearing masks but few others. Mary Louise McLaws earlier this week said masks are necessary so I'll go with her advice.

[BJ123]

Anyone with knowledge of a Raiders player testing positive for Covid?

[EJ]

Staff member apparently.

https://www.raiders.com.au/news/2021/12 ... -covid-19/

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[zim]

Look at those case numbers!

[-PJ-]

We are going to have 100,000 crook with this by new year.

[Mr Squiggle]

Omicron is a nice way to kick off the second half.

[-PJ-]

Another 2200+ cases in NSW today.

I’m not going anywhere for Christmas, sorry family.

It’s out of control here.

[Off]

Christmas had bern cancelled this year, Ive demanded a halt to all presents and frivolity. It will be business as usual in preparation for the next more virile strain.

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[Off]

Dont you love all the whingeing from top end Restaraunt owners bitching and moaning to open international borders so they can get their hands on slave labour again.

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[bonehead]

Another 2200+ cases in NSW today.

I’m not going anywhere for Christmas, sorry family.

It’s out of control here.

I was in isolation yesterday waiting a contact trace on the littlest that insisted on going to school Thursday, today we are off to the beach

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[Off]

Nice boner... Dickies,boardies or footy shorts?

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[-PJ-]

Nice boner... Dickies,boardies or footy shorts?

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Dickies for sure.

[Coastalraider]

I know it’s a work in progress and there is a delay on case/hospitalisation rate, but I’m following this quite closely and looks promising so far. Remembering of course that this is TOTAL current hospitalisations not daily.

We are running in the 200s now, September was in the 1000s. Vaccines doing their job?

https://covidlive.com.au/report/daily-hospitalised/nsw

[Boomercm]

Sorry to break it to you folks, but our mask mandates were always just political/symbolic. Cloth masks have been shown time and again to provide no protection whatsoever - so unless you mandate the type of mask you're only doing it for show. The science says either mandate medical masks with education campaigns to show ppl how to don and doff, or you're just helping bacteria breed in people's faces. Our mandates just helped bacteria breed in people's faces.

IMO calling the unscientific approach 'science' (such as mandating masks like we did) has eroded confidence in science, and therefore measures that do work - such as vaccines.

The vaccines are extremely effective. And the need for boosters does not mean your protection against severe illness wears off - it just means your protection against catching COVID wears off after about 5 months. So boosters will help to slow the spread which will protect the old, obese, or ill - who are at some risk even when vaccinated (higher risk than young healthy unvaccinated people).

There is no evidence that Omicron is deadly or vaccine resistant, btw. It' just another variant, and there will be many. They are sold as scary by people trying to keep themselves in the newspapers and influence funding and elections (e.g., McLaws, who is a nutter like all of the other OzSAGE nutters. Whoever heard of a scientific lobby group? Scientific lobby group is a contradiction in terms and just its existence helps destroy the good reputation of science).

Summary: Get your vaccinations, and boosters too when it is your turn. And get on with your lives.

Gosford hospital cleared out their last COVID patient last week, btw.

[greeneyed]

That’s not entirely correct on masks. Here’s a summary of the evidence on masks: https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default ... d-19_0.pdf

I think we’re still waiting to see how effective the various vaccines are for Omicron. But preliminary studies are suggesting they’re probably less effective for that strain, so boosters will be important.

https://www.reuters.com/business/health ... 021-12-17/

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/how-effecti ... 9a5e93b393

[zim]

This is a maskarama for anyone interested:
https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/12 ... -covid-19/