Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[kenada_blue]

You say “we cannot go down” their route - why? Lockdowns have twice reduced infection rates to low enough levels that outbreaks could have been containable.

We’d have had less death, less economic damage and less interruption in our lives; obviously that would also have required us to be competently run as a country though. Instead we are all being told getting people infected now is better than it happening over the winter, even though that is probably going to happen anyway.

I agree with that but that was earlier on in the pandemic to stop and control it until things were in place to combat it. That's where we've been wrong.

But at this moment there'll be a cross over eventually. Once Australia have a vaccine drive, they'll either lift restrictions or not. If they do, they'll still see a surge in infections. It's inevitable.

 

[grandjoeblue]

You say “we cannot go down” their route - why? Lockdowns have twice reduced infection rates to low enough levels that outbreaks could have been containable.

We’d have had less death, less economic damage and less interruption in our lives; obviously that would also have required us to be competently run as a country though. Instead we are all being told getting people infected now is better than it happening over the winter, even though that is probably going to happen anyway.

Country is far too connected with Europe (especially Ireland) for a zero approach to be effective. Isn't it something like 40,000 truckers are in the UK per day from Europe?

They shouldn't have allowed the flights from India that would have made a significant difference but we cannot be a disconnected nation like Aus/NZ. It just wouldn't work due to our location and trade routes.

You are right that there will be significant infections in winter regardless of todays policy but it seems like the approach is to get the wave now rather than peak winter.

I wouldn't be surprised if we end up in a lockdown but you can see their aim is to bring the wave forward.

 

[kenada_blue]

A dam burst that you’ve created because you have let it spread that far.

We've bust it, patched it, then bust it again...but this time with flood defences in place.

 

[kenada_blue]

Country is far too connected with Europe (especially Ireland) for a zero approach to be effective. Isn't it something like 40,000 truckers are in the UK per day from Europe?

They shouldn't have allowed the flights from India that would have made a significant difference but we cannot be a disconnected nation like Aus/NZ. It just wouldn't work due to our location and trade routes.

You are right that there will be significant infections in winter regardless of todays policy but it seems like the approach is to get the wave now rather than peak winter.

I wouldn't be surprised if we end up in a lockdown but you can see their aim is to bring the wave forward.

But what's the end game?

It was to reduce the R number below 1. We're currently at 1.1. We have the highest regular testing levels of the entire world (apparently).

What's the cut off to say "it's safe"? It when it stops killing people and becomes a cold like virus? Surely then that means more people have to get infected.

In my view there won't be as it will always be around.

 

[tsubaki]

Every country has done a containment in different ways but all lead to the same conclusion...it'll spread

Spain is going to overtake us in terms of daily infections. Rest of Europe will catch up too. The US is doing the same.

Personally it's a case of accepting it's not going anywhere. All you can do is fight against it in terms of vaccines and general hygiene.

If not, we should just go back to permanent lockdowns.

This is to take entirely the wrong lesson from this, though.

If enough countries had working and effective public health systems (and there is zero excuse for anyone in the West no to), this would have been contained a year ago. There would be far fewer countries with high disease case rates, meaning far fewer outbreaks and far less risk of spread.

Of course the majority of countries didn’t contain this effectively, or (in many cases, including our own) identify that this should be done. They instead adopted this “we’ve got to live with this” insanity, and stuck with it even though (a) it’s clearly failed and (b) if we do that with the next risk disease we are all absolutely screwed.

 

[Tramps_mate]

Every country has done a containment in different ways but all lead to the same conclusion...it'll spread

Spain is going to overtake us in terms of daily infections. Rest of Europe will catch up too. The US is doing the same.

Personally it's a case of accepting it's not going anywhere. All you can do is fight against it in terms of vaccines and general hygiene.

If not, we should just go back to permanent lockdowns.

Totally agree. This isn't going away either way. Its inevitable that the rest of the world is going to have a huge wave of this delta variant like we are doing..

Masks and hygiene are the only way for people to dodge it now. The vaccinations will lessen the effect on people and lower hospitalisations and deaths..

 

[kenada_blue]

This is to take entirely the wrong lesson from this, though.

If enough countries had working and effective public health systems (and there is zero excuse for anyone in the West no to), this would have been contained a year ago. There would be far fewer countries with high disease case rates, meaning far fewer outbreaks and far less risk of spread.

Of course the majority of countries didn’t contain this effectively, or (in many cases, including our own) identify that this should be done. They instead adopted this “we’ve got to live with this” insanity, and stuck with it even though (a) it’s clearly failed and (b) if we do that with the next risk disease we are all absolutely screwed.

Absolutely. But the countries that effectively put a stamp on it were communist regimes (China) where huge lockdowns and government forced restrictions were obeyed. Ones that dealt with these things before (Korea). Or ones that went down the hard route (Australia - can't travel over state lines in some places) that the population are now getting tired of.

Everywhere else has dealt with it pretty similar and all hit the same points eventually as everyone else. Each country hates how their government has dealt with it, all have excess deaths that could've been avoided. Then there's health of the population (we have the biggest obesity levels in Europe) and general respect for rules.

It's a huge issue but one that every other country follows

 

[toffee82]

Australia and NZ have withdrawn from the rugby league World Cup over here.

They are going to be hermits for years and years if they don't sort out their vaccine drives.

They have kept cases far lower than any other "Westernised" countries but will need to keep themselves isolated and in perpetual lockdowns.

 

[grandjoeblue]

Australia and NZ have withdrawn from the rugby league World Cup over here.

They are going to be hermits for years and years if they don't sort out their vaccine drives.

They have kept cases far lower than any other "Westernised" countries but will need to keep themselves isolated and in perpetual lockdowns.

Seen the new lockdown rules for Sydney? Extremely strict rules.

I struggle to see their long term plan.

 

[tsubaki]

Absolutely. But the countries that effectively put a stamp on it were communist regimes (China) where huge lockdowns and government forced restrictions were obeyed. Ones that dealt with these things before (Korea). Or ones that went down the hard route (Australia - can't travel over state lines in some places) that the population are now getting tired of.

Everywhere else has dealt with it pretty similar and all hit the same points eventually as everyone else. Each country hates how their government has dealt with it, all have excess deaths that could've been avoided. Then there's health of the population (we have the biggest obesity levels in Europe) and general respect for rules.

It's a huge issue but one that every other country follows

Which is why we’ve got to learn from this failure, to get to where South Korea is (at least).

Even naturally there is going to be another one of these diseases along at some point in our lifetimes, and then there is the huge vulnerability that has been exposed by this that hostile regimes will have noticed.

 

[kenada_blue]

Australia and NZ have withdrawn from the rugby league World Cup over here.

They are going to be hermits for years and years if they don't sort out their vaccine drives.

They have kept cases far lower than any other "Westernised" countries but will need to keep themselves isolated and in perpetual lockdowns.

And they'll pop once they vaccinate and remove restrictions like everywhere else. It's a guarantee.

 

[kenada_blue]

Seen the new lockdown rules for Sydney? Extremely strict rules.

I struggle to see their long term plan.

The delta variant has spread there. How did that happen with closed boarders and strict lockdowns?

It finds away. Simple. You can't stop it until it runs out of legs.

 

[grandjoeblue]

The delta variant has spread there. How did that happen with closed boarders and strict lockdowns?

It finds away. Simple. You can't stop it until it runs out of legs.

They'll need to have a next level lockdown if they plan to carry on with this zero covid strategy. Delta spreads so easily that basically no human interaction can happen or it will spread.

The people of Sydney and other areas need to be prepared for a 3-4 month or longer lockdown.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Crazy queuing in supermarkets, we've progressed from toilet roll, it's fresh foods and beer that people are snapping up.
It's end of days.

 

[Deleted member 48881]

The delta variant has spread there. How did that happen with closed boarders and strict lockdowns?

It finds away. Simple. You can't stop it until it runs out of legs.

exactly, the evolution will make sure of that. we have to stop with plastic and out of touch measures.

If God exists he's laughing at us.