Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[tsubaki]

Is testing for other viruses really necessary? Either you test for the known (which has never been needed) or you can't test for the unknown as it doesn't exist yet.

Making tests for a virus that is vaccinated for is just a waste of resources and more importantly money long term. Elements need to be in place for a future pandemic , preparation etc. But for the here and now you have to wind them down because it's just not needed.

Theoretically speaking , Less tests means less focus on a number that is here nor there. You can then measure hospital cases rather than daily tests as a go to with the vaccine in full flow.

Yes, it is. To have a hope of containing an outbreak of something dangerous you've got to detect it quickly and then be able to quickly identify how far it has gone in the community - that means having testing facilities, testers and tracers available and ready to go (not on the scale we have now, but able to be ramped up if needed). When people talk about having defences in place for a future pandemic, that is what they mean - its what many Asian countries did after SARS and it unquestionably resulted in an initial response that was vastly superior to ours.

I mean, if something is out there that is "unknown" we need to know about it PDQ, not wait until people start presenting at A&E with some mysterious respiratory illness. Doing that just results in what we saw in March and April 2020; tens of thousands of dead and society shut down because its spread way past the point of containment.

 

[Neiler]

Looks like most of Europe is on course to introduce partial restrictions over the next week, four have jumped already, Norway, Iceland, Austria and the Netherlands. Matter of time for everyone else I’d say.

 

[BlueToff]

I'd love to be able to say the article below is amazing, unbelievable or any other word that implies severe surprise. Sadly it isn't:

UK officials have compiled ‘Covid exit strategy’ from April – report

No 10 sources say ministers had not seen leaked plan to wind down testing and self-isolation

www.theguardian.com

so what they started doing a few weeks ago in Germany etc when we discussed it on here?

For the record, I think it's daft, testing has to be available for the time being. Eventually it should stop, mind, but I don't think that time is now.

 

[Billy Dean]

Looks like most of Europe is on course to introduce partial restrictions over the next week, four have jumped already, Norway, Iceland, Austria and the Netherlands. Matter of time for everyone else I’d say.

Just read in the paper this morning the new coalition in Germany is planning a "lockdown for the unvaxxed" - apparently getting legislation ready to that effect.

 

[arminisgod]

Looks like most of Europe is on course to introduce partial restrictions over the next week, four have jumped already, Norway, Iceland, Austria and the Netherlands. Matter of time for everyone else I’d say.

It's ridiculous now.

 

[Deleted member 48881]

Operation scare ?

 

[Dharma]

It's ridiculous now.

Trying to save lives is ridiculous?

 

[COYBL25]

Just read in the paper this morning the new coalition in Germany is planning a "lockdown for the unvaxxed" - apparently getting legislation ready to that effect.

And just like that, a two tier society was born.

 

[JLW]

And just like that, a two tier society was born.

What's worse is people advocating it.

 

[Deleted member 48881]

So how the police in Austria and Germany will operate that? They have to ask for everybody's covid pass in the street. In a full curfew (for everybody) you don't need that, as if people are not they are not out, if they are, you go and check if they were allowed to do so. Not that much of a tiring job. this time they will try to punish the %15/20 among the %85/%80...won't be easy, what a chaos.

 

[Neiler]

It's ridiculous now.

The sounds from even the most positive immunologist seem to be that some form of regressive intervention is required analsying the situation. Dont think it will be a full lock down but perhaps what we are seeing in Austria and the Netherlands, get to Jan and see what that brings.

 

[Billy Dean]

And just like that, a two tier society was born.

I think the term perhaps makes it sound a bit more dramatic than it is. It will probably amount to unvaxxed not being allowed to take part mostly in the hospitality sector.

 

[Billy Dean]

So how the police in Austria and Germany will operate that? They have to ask for everybody's covid pass in the street. In a full curfew (for everybody) you don't need that, as if people are not they are not out, if they are, you go and check if they were allowed to do so. Not that much of a tiring job. this time they will try to punish the %15/20 among the %85/%80...won't be easy, what a chaos.

There won't be curfews for unvaxxed under the proposals. It will just mean unvaxxed won't be able to go to bars/restaurants basically, and they'll have to show a negative test before using public transport.

 

[Deleted member 48881]

There won't be curfews for unvaxxed under the proposals. It will just mean unvaxxed won't be able to go to bars/restaurants basically, and they'll have to show a negative test before using public transport.

Ah. OK. Thought you would pull Austria. Hm. are they allowed to go bars without a PCR as things stand?

 

[Billy Dean]

Ah. OK. Thought you would pull Austria. Hm. are they allowed to go bars without a PCR as things stand?

It varies, they have this 2G and 3G system here. 2G means only vaxxed and recovered can enter. 3G is vaxxed, recovered and tested. As far as I know it only needs to be an antigen test rather than PCR. Most late night type of bars tend to be 2G whilst restaurants tend to be a mixture of 2G or 3G. None of them really check thoroughly either way though lol - we have a covid app where we can store our vax certs with a QR code. But nowehere scans them, just a waiter or bar staff takes a quick look at your app and then waves you through in most cases.