COVID-19 Virus.

[onetrack]

It's lucky you said Trump - I would've mistaken it for an Australia Post delivery.

[old man emu]

[Old Koreelah]

Now for some good news; anyone who has been vaccinated for TB is also better able to fight other virus infections, by about 40% according to many studies.

Based on this finding, Australia researchers have been asked by the WHO to trial the TB vaccine with health-care workers, to test if it helps fight the Covid-19 virus.

 

https://www.smh.com.au/national/one-shot-to-change-the-world-20200316-p54als.html

[red750]

Just got my text saying the results of my C-19 test showed no evidence of the virus, not that I expected it would.

[spacesailor]

How do you test for the TB vaccination? .

spacesailor

Edited May 18, 2020 by Guest

[Old Koreelah]

How do you test for the TB vaccination? .

spacesailor

No idea, Spacey. I dimly recall the anti-TB campaign of the '50s, when mobile chest X-ray clinics toured the country. I don't know if we were all vaccinated, but if so, according to the article quoted in Post #203 we might have some resistance to other viruses.

[old man emu]

The Australian Parliament passed the Tuberculosis Act 1945 based on recommendations from the JPCSS. The Act created the first comprehensive national health campaign to eradicate TB. However, there were constitutional problems surrounding the Commonwealth’s involvement in the TB campaign which had to be addressed through a 1946 referendum that passed social services power to the Commonwealth. A new Act, the Tuberculosis Act 1948, permitted the Commonwealth to lead national efforts to control TB.

 

The age-standardised death rate from TB in Australia dropped dramatically during the 20th century, from 108.5 per 100,000 population in 1907 to 0.3 per 100,000 population in 2000. In 2007 the incidence rate of TB in Australia was 5.4 cases per 100,000, one of the lowest rates in the world. However the absolute numbers of TB cases increased by 33% between 1998 and 2008, corresponding with Australia’s migration intake and increasing population.

 

The Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) is also known as the Mantoux Test. It is a skin test to detect if you have been infected with TB bacteria. A small amount of purified protein – taken from dead TB bacteria – is injected under the top layer of the skin, on the forearm. A small lump may form at the injection site over the next few days. The size of your lump – measured in millimetres – will indicate whether or not you have a latent TB infection.

 

I can remember lining up with my classmates in the local School of Arts and having a nurse inject something into my forearm. At least the size of that needle was small. The polio vaccine needle looked like a Shelley's Lemonade bottle.

[willedoo]

Just got my text saying the results of my C-19 test showed no evidence of the virus, not that I expected it would.

That's good news, Peter. My Doc got me to do the test today. The swab on the back of the tongue was ok, but I didn't think much of the ones up the nose. It really tickled and made you feel like sneezing. I didn't realize there were so many live nerves in the back of the nostrils.

Edited May 18, 2020 by Guest

[onetrack]

I see where the health experts say TB vaccination is only good for 15 years. I had a TB vaccination in the Green Machine (along with every other vaccination the Army could think up) - but that was over 50 years ago, so I doubt whether there's much strength left in my vaccination from back then.

I'm fairly lucky, I seem to have resistance to a lot of common diseases, I've never had mumps, measles, chickenpox, or any of the standard childhood diseases, even though all the kids around me had them.

I did get Whooping cough, though, and I did suffer from Asthma as a child. However, I've never had an Asthma attack since I was about 18, and that's 52 years ago. I have had my share of doses of the 'flu.

Dad claimed his Dad was remarkably resistant to a lot of diseases - so much so, the Army wanted to make him a Doctor! (around the 1870's). He never did take up their offer, and I think that was because his early education was poor.

[red750]

I see on the news that in Thailand, they have installed a lift with foot pedals to save people pushing buttons. The stickers on the floor marking the standing spots for social distancing feature two footprints facing the wall of the lift.

[pmccarthy]

A

I see on the news that in Thailand, they have installed a lift with foot pedals to save people pushing buttons. The stickers on the floor marking the standing spots for social distancing feature two footprints facing the wall of the lift.

And a target on the floor to pee at.

[pmccarthy]

When my wife gets up in the morning she asks Alexa “ what will the weather be like today?” . It always gives a good summary. This morning it said “What does it matter - you aren't going anywhere”.

[red750]

Alexa is listening to everything you say. Big Brother is watching.

[spacesailor]

Treat her like a virus and keep her at a Social Distance.

spacesailor

[onetrack]

I hate the way the programme designers ensure the microphone link is right next to important other links - such as "search" in Google. I don't know how many times I've gone to click "search" and clicked the microphone button, only to have my phone start to listen to me. I hate it, I'm not giving Google any information data on the sound of my voice. Yet, I'll wager they already have it, and haven't deleted it - even though I've deleted the sound files. They are unscrupulous arXXholes.

[pmccarthy]

An American company is developing a covid vaccine. Phase one testing on baboons was successful. They are about to start phase two testing on Australians.

[old man emu]

They are about to start phase two testing on Australians.

 

They couldn't test it on Red Necks. They were all drinking beer and watching NASCAR.

 

[red750]

The doctor who defied Russia’s strongman.

[red750]

Thank you to all the smart alec, know-it-all a**holes who thought the restrictions were a joke, knew better and went to the BLM rally and other rallies, and gathered in large numbers. Victoria's confirmed cases have spiked and restrictions have been reimposed or extended. Some restrictions meant to be lifted tomorrow have been extended to 12 July for review, and gathering sizes have been reduced. Good one d1ckheads. 

[old man emu]

But Black Lives Matter more than yours, Whitey.

[facthunter]

Indirectly from what I'm hearing many think it's now over or a hoax or only affects people who are not THEM. Distancing hand washing etc is not being applied. Plenty of misinformation about..Plenty of "EFF you" too..People with symptoms  should isolate'.We can easily undo all the good work. Other places show you what can happen, if you are 1/2 smart. Nev

[red750]

4 hours ago, old man emu said:

But Black Lives Matter more than yours, Whitey.

Not to me.I'm from the All Lives Matter brigade, black, white, yellow, blue or brindle.

[nomadpete]

This is the Covid-19 thread

 

So, thank you to the US for showing us how badly we might have done, over the past couple of months.

 

Since leadership comes from the top, thanks Trump (our own leaders did better than him on this one, though). Look at the recent stats for US. Cases up by 50% this week.

 

Right now, the US shows us what to expect when simple social distancing is ignored. Just look at the sudden rise in covid cases in US this week. They make it clear that political pointscoring is more important than public health (and death). Maybe in Aus, football rates as more important than public safety.

 

I await the probable jump in death rate in US in coming weeks, as these cases progress.

 

I consider that Covid-19 is not a pandemic destined to rebalance human population. It's just a warning of our vulnerability. And it has illustrated that we are more at risk from our leaders than any actual virus (or the next one).

 

Meanwhile, our same leaders are using covid as a smokescreen to hide their inaction on the real (although longer term) threat of climate change. It is real. It is happening.

 

Throughout this last couple of months, it has become clear that our short term economy has been rated to be of far greater importance than the long term health and wellbeing of the people, the voters. For example,  Mining has been fast tracked, regardless of environmental impacts.

 

It's about time we took a leaf from the Asian playbook, and started planning for future generations instead of planning for a 3 year election cycle. I've heard that China teaches "The Art of War" to their business students. It'd be a step in the right direction for us.

 

Just my rant of the day. Thanks for reading it.

 

[old man emu]

2 hours ago, nomadpete said:

planning for future generations instead of planning for a 3 year election cycle.

The problem is that if some group gains control of the country on a platform of long term development, the groups who don't have control contrive to depose the controlling group and after that the power seekers spend their time scrambling to gain control. Meanwhile, the rest of the population is simply trying to keep their heads above water. The masses know that it doesn't matter which group controls the country, they will still be subjugated. In the past it was agrarian serfdom. Today it is economic serfdom..

[willedoo]

1 hour ago, old man emu said:

The problem is that if some group gains control of the country on a platform of long term development, the groups who don't have control contrive to depose the controlling group and after that the power seekers spend their time scrambling to gain control. Meanwhile, the rest of the population is simply trying to keep their heads above water. The masses know that it doesn't matter which group controls the country, they will still be subjugated. In the past it was agrarian serfdom. Today it is economic serfdom..

Too true. As Henry Lawson's Steelman said, ‘There’s only two classes in the world, spielers and mugs'.