COVID-19 Virus.

[onetrack]

I can't see manipulation behind the variants, because each new variant causes some major economic damage. As it stands, the share market fell on Friday due to concerns about economic damage from the Omicron variant.

The share market stands to fall quite a bit more this week, and some major industries and a lot of countries and their Govts stand to suffer a lot more pain if the Omicron outbreak produces a major increase in cases. 

Of course, there are plenty of people who thrive on chaos and who love speculating on the gains to be made by severe swings in values.

 

I think the most interesting thing is how NK is going to come out of all this. They have sealed themselves up as tight as drum, fully intending to be a COVID-free paradise forever - but eventually, I suspect the viruses will leak in, and then rage through their nation, with a pretty serious long-term effect.

[nomadpete]

Our son's mother in law is a creative one. She claims to be unable to work in an office because the wifi gives her a headache. And she actually did wear a foil hat to get some sleep after a mobile phone tower went up nearby. Believe it or not, she doesn't wear a foil hat now. Somebody sold her some metallised fabric and now she wears a conductive Quaker style bonnet!

 

For some reason, I'm not allowed to talk to her anymore (apparently I'm too argumentative for her)

 

Perhaps it comes as no surprise to hear that according to this creative lady, covid is a government scam and vaccines are all poisonous.

Edited November 28, 2021 by nomadpete

[Marty_d]

Anti-vaxxers and conspiracist theorists have been around for a long time.  In 1796 Edward Jenner considered the fact that dairymaids who contracted cowpox did not seem to get smallpox.  He subsequently trialled this theory on a child by infecting him with the contents of a dairymaid's lesion, and after he recovered deliberately infecting him with smallpox (medical ethics were a bit looser then).  The child was unaffected by the smallpox.

This method quickly spread around the globe.  (The etymology of the word "vaccine" by the way, is the French "vache" - cow.)

The first anti-vaxxers started appearing then.  Rumours spread that getting this vaccine, derived from animals, would cause people to grow horns, tails and cow faces.

Easy to laugh at them, but consider the modern anti-vaxxer is no more sensible - they think it's a tracking device planted by the government, an attempt for Bill Gates to control everyone, or just an attempt at government control. 

 

[Old Koreelah]

1 hour ago, onetrack said:

I think the most interesting thing is how NK is going to come out of all this. They have sealed themselves up as tight as drum, fully intending to be a COVID-free paradise forever - but eventually, I suspect the viruses will leak in, and then rage through their nation, with a pretty serious long-term effect.

That’s very likely and might be a regime-breaker.

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

I'm impressed by just how bad the govt is about quarantine. We could keep this south african variant out for example, but they allow it in so easily....   why?

[spacesailor]

MONEY .

spacesailor

[facthunter]

They didn't count on something like this happening. It doesn't fit the dialogue. Nev

[spacesailor]

Even the NSW government changed it,s mind as soon as Qantas said it would bypass Sydney, & go to Darwin,

( via the pole route ). 

With overseas passenger's.

spacesailor

[facthunter]

The Government used to own Qantas. Now it's the other way around.  Nev

[red750]

Somewhat ironic that an anagram of Omicron is moronic.  Like the passing of Herr Andrews' extension of powers bill.

[Yenn]

All this talk of having to have a certificate to prove vaccination makes me wonder why. A couple of old people who have home help, were wondering if those home helpers were going to be vaccinated. They phoned up the office that runs the home helps and asked if their staff would be fully vaccinated. The answer was that they are not allowed to ask that question. That is the office, not the oldies.

I certainly wouldn't want an un vaccinated person in my house if I am considered susceptible to covid because of my age.

[Marty_d]

On 04/12/2021 at 5:19 PM, Yenn said:

All this talk of having to have a certificate to prove vaccination makes me wonder why. A couple of old people who have home help, were wondering if those home helpers were going to be vaccinated. They phoned up the office that runs the home helps and asked if their staff would be fully vaccinated. The answer was that they are not allowed to ask that question. That is the office, not the oldies.

I certainly wouldn't want an un vaccinated person in my house if I am considered susceptible to covid because of my age.

I'd say they were talking to someone in the office who didn't know the facts, either that or whoever is running the company has a policy that's way out of line with the rest of the country and common sense.

If Health departments and Age Care centres can FIRE nurses and carers for not getting jabbed, there's no way in hell a home help company can't know the vaccination status of their staff.

[Jerry_Atrick]

There is quite some debate about this sort of thing over 'ere.

 

As far as I can tell, if people don't want to suffer adversely* from COVID, it is more important than they get vaccinated than their carers; of course, with the exception of those with co-morbid conditions that prevent it.

 

One of the issues apparently is that the reduced transmissability after getting the jab diminishes in almost a linear fashion for about 12 weeks, after which you will privide the same payload as if you were unvaccinated. And, of course, being vaccinated does not stop you getting the jab. The latest generic advice is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection#:~:text=Even if you are vaccinated,help prevent the spread., in which it states, "If you have received one or more doses of COVID-19 vaccine and have symptoms of COVID-19 or have received a positive test result, you should still follow this guidance. This is because it is still possible to get COVID-19 and spread it to others even if you are vaccinated."

 

Maybe a better way is strict regulations and application of appropriate PPE, and regular testing?

 

* Adversely is a subjective notion in this case.. My manager still can't speak properly, and a stakeholder of mine has been a week laid up in bed....

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by Jerry_Atrick

[old man emu]

 

12 hours ago, Marty_d said:

The answer was that they are not allowed to ask that question. That is the office, not the oldies.

There seems to be a clash between Health Orders and the Privacy and Fair Work Acts.  The Acts say that an employer cannot require an employee to disclose their vaccination status, nor can an employer suspend an employee for being unvaccinated unless the type and conditions of the employment would require it. The requirement for vaccination of an employee can be assessed as one of four tiers. When undertaking this case-by-case assessment, it may also be helpful as a general guide to divide work into 4 broad tiers:

 

Tier 1 work, where employees are required as part of their duties to interact with people with an increased risk of being infected with coronavirus (for example, employees working in hotel quarantine or border control). 

Tier 2 work, where employees are required to have close contact with people who are particularly vulnerable to the health impacts of coronavirus (for example, employees working in health care or aged care).

Tier 3 work, where there is interaction or likely interaction between employees and other people such as customers, other employees or the public in the normal course of employment (for example, stores providing essential goods and services).

Tier 4 work, where employees have minimal face-to-face interaction as part of their normal employment duties (for example, where they are working from home).

 

The whole of the advice to employers is given here by the FairWork Ombudsman:

https://coronavirus.fairwork.gov.au/coronavirus-and-australian-workplace-laws/covid-19-vaccinations-and-the-workplace/covid-19-vaccinations-workplace-rights-and-obligations

 

 

[Yenn]

I don't know which acts apply to whatever, but as I see it an employer has a duty of care to his employees. If an employer employs un vaccinated people who interact with other employees then he would be at fault for not looking after those employees.

I have to prove my vaccination status to Meals on Wheels as I am a volounteer with that organisation.

Similarly I have to undergo a police check and provide 100 points to prove my identity. To get an ASIC card you have to provide 100 points, but for the purposes om my police check an ASIC is worth only 20 points. Bureaucracy gone mad.

[red750]

To attend our Men's Shed, just as a member, you have to provide evidence you are double vaxxed. The shed is run by a community health organisation under the Dept of Health, and are meticulous in observing safety precautions. Although the Gov't lifted density limits a couple of weeks ago, we are still obliged to have two groups on alternate weeks because VicHealth have not notified our parent organisation of the lifting. They will not do anything that could put their licence in jeopardy

[spacesailor]

Bloodi ' shed ' licence !.

spacesailor

[red750]

No Spacey, the Community Health Service which runs the Shed is licenced to perform health related activities, such as gymnasium, dentist, rehab and occupational therapy, care of elderly etc., the Shed is just one of their activities, for the mental health and wellbeing of men. They are at risk of loosing their Gov't funding to perform these functions unless they meet Health Dept. criteria.

[old man emu]

6 hours ago, red750 said:

They are at risk of loosing their Gov't funding to perform these functions unless they meet Health Dept. criteria.

That's one of the rules for operating a business. How are they going with their compliance with WH&S, environmental,  the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999? You should also check requirements under the Barbed Wire Entanglement Act 1943.

 

 However a lot of that is overridden by the Canvas and Tarpaulin Act 1947, which covers just about everything.

[Yenn]

I heard a business council member in Rocky this morning on the radio, explaining what will happen with businesses when Qld opens its borders.

Restaurants and similar will not be legally open to. So if you are not vaccinated you will be advised at the door not to enter. This bloke said that the business owner had to take reasonable steps to ensure non vaccinated people didn't enter. He failed to mention if reasonable included asking for proof of vaccination.

From what I see of the anti vaxers, they will ignore any written advice and that means that those of us who are vaccinated will be mingling with the anti vaxers. Not a good outcome. Businesses seem to be scared of asking for proof and I have heard that some bosses are not vaccinated. Covid is going to celebrate Christmas this year.

[nomadpete]

Yes, it's going to be a covid xmas. And all kinds of nuts will be served.

[old man emu]

Way, way back at the start of this, I said that every person "conducting a business or undertaking" had a duty under WH&S to ensure a safe and healthy workplace.  If it is a condition of entry into a shop that the management has the right to inspect bags, then it a business owner can set up a condition of entry that unvaccinated persons cannot enter. For Sod's sake, it's been a condition entry for two years that people wear a mask and sign in. How many places have got signs up that people cannot enter if they are not wearing suitable footwear? By that I mean wearing solid shoes or boots when entering places where heavy things can drop.

 

Everyone is jack of masks and covering up and checking in, but it has (?) proven to minimise the spread of the disease. And you can't get a kid into kindergarten if they haven't had their early childhood vaccinations. 

 

Once again we are being lead by the nose by ratbags from the USA whose greatest contribution to Mankind is to serve as living, breathing examples of paranoia. 

[red750]

The Phantom knew in 1957....

 

[Yenn]

What is the real news on Covid?

Today it seems that the Omicron strain is so terribly dangerous. It is highly transmissable and supposedly the dominant variety.

What happened to the really deadly Delta virus that we were all told was going to cause so much disease?

Our pollies have no idea how to handle the problem now. PMT says no more lockdowns, but then he said a load of bull dust a year ago. Everyone agrees we must do what the medical experts say, but they don't know what the Omocron virus will do, although according to the media they have forgotten Delta.

It seems that the general concensus it to have a booster jab and no doubt that jab will require another booster in three, four or five months.

The Spanish flu, which is thought to have originated in China killed millions, but how long did it go on for and what stopped it in the end? I shall have to do some research if OME doesn't beat me to it.

[onetrack]

The Omicron variant has rapidly displaced the Delta variant as the dominant virus strain. It seems the Delta variant is dying out and Omicron is now what you catch.

The interesting part that I read today, is that even thought Qld has recorded a record new high of 369 cases today - only one person with the virus in Qld, is in hospital - all the rest are recovering at home.

So it appears the virus has weakened, but has become a lot more transmissible (contagious) - but Omicron doesn't kill on the same level, as the Delta variant did.

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by onetrack