COVID-19 / Coronavirus

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Simon Crawshay said:
I have a feeling that the USA is about to feel the effects of having such a s.. t health care system over the coming months.

Realistically there is probably no better place on Earth to be infected with covid-19 than Australia given our world class (and freely available) medical system.

On the flip side if I was in America right now I would be hoping like hell that I didn't get sick soon!

I don't feel much pity for them either, for some weird reason basic health care is seen as some kind of socialist evil over there (guns for everyone on the other hand is a god given right).

Sooner or later the chickens come home to roost!
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Obama will be vindicated that the country needs to get real when it comes to health care. Be interesting to get an insight from him about what could happen to the health care system once Covid-19 hits full force. They have exposed themselves to this because of irresponsible attitudes for as long as I can remember.
 
Mississippi said:
Seriously? You're re quoting the US president as some sort of authority ??

..............
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Nope, he's a bum.
But he was a very chastened bum at today's press conference, and he let out more in his usual offscript manner than he should have. He was asked the question and then boasted how that's a question he's asked a bunch of times, to somehow indicate the cleverness of the man and the question.
He looked around at Dr Fauci - who's been a godsend in all this with his realism and honesty - and then back to the reporter and gave the July/August estimate. It was clear who Trump had been given the date by.

And it shocked the shit out of everyone in the room, everyone watching the telly, and the markets dropped a 1000pts over the next 60 seconds or so.

It's probably still just a best effort guess, but I'd take it as less flat out lie to protect his image than much of the guff he shares. He also had no idea he was giving up info that Fauci probably wanted drawn out over time to stage manage population anxiety.
 
Bruno Oresar said:
Scott from marketing has made an awful balls up of the government response to this. I have a temperature sore throat runny nose and I am extremely tired. My kids go to a school where a parent has been diagnosed positive and he was in meetings with the principal and office workers who are now in isolation. Yet the school is still open. I went to get tested today and rang up the centre for information. The only thing they said was wear a mask whilst waiting in line - I laughed and asked where can I get a mask? Drs don’t even have enough masks. Then I wait in the line for an hour, feeling very sick and spluttering over everyone, only to be told I wouldn’t be tested as I haven’t been overseas. Which means what now? Do I catch the train and go to work tomorrow (don’t stress - I won’t).

Meanwhile I look overseas and see people in lock down and hospitals turning away over 80s as a lost cause. Yet our leaders are living in a fools paradise that we can still watch the ‘Sharkies’ with a tiny in hand. Get ******* real. No politician or leader remembers polio or WW2. We are stewing in our own complacency and mark my words there will be a cost. We need to shut down now.Not fly In Italians for a Grand Prix. Shut down schools. Shut down PT. Send people home from work.
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Stay safe, mate - fingers crossed it doesn't get too much worse.

I've been working from home since mid-Jan anyway as we had a very sick dog that needed care (sadly passed away last Saturday). Luckily my work (and my boss) are fine with WFH, in fact they have now made it mandatory for all office staff to do so.

We pulled the kids out of school last Friday and are pretty much staying at home as much as possible. Don't know if it's the right call, and I get the feeling the other parents think we are a bit crazy, but I think we're doing the right thing.

Daughter's teacher just gave us a home learning pack to start with, but I got the impression from speaking to her that it will be sooner rather than later that they shut the (public) school down - they've already started preparing packs for all the kids.

TBH footy is looking way down my priority or care-factor list at the moment...
 

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Simon Crawshay said:
I have a feeling that the USA is about to feel the effects of having such a s.. t health care system over the coming months.
.................
On the flip side if I was in America right now I would be hoping like hell that I didn't get sick soon!

I don't feel much pity for them either, for some weird reason basic health care is seen as some kind of socialist evil over there (guns for everyone on the other hand is a god given right).

Sooner or later the chickens come home to roost!
Click to expand...

Let me just say this about the USA in my experience over the last 20 years here.
Much of what you say is true.
What you underestimate is what these people CAN and WILL do when the shit is piled up lips high.
There is so much I hate about the joint.
But the people, in terms of sacking up and getting what has to be done - I wouldn't bet against them in any kind of disaster moment against any another mob in the world.

I've already mentioned how pathetically behind we are because of incompetence at Governance level to be prepared and take affirmative action. That's what you get when you elect a President who doesn't value technocrats who are industry respected and knowledgeable. He wants yes people around him, so we got what we got.

However over the last 24hrs, there is a surge movement being taken on by State governments to get shit done themselves, to get people off the streets. It's the No.1 play that's gotta be made.
While people here have been panic shopping too, other things are playing out..... many private businesses that had large workforces doing non-interface with the public work have been sent home with computers and are working remotely. Public restaurants and schools and points of gathering and contact have all shut down.
The public is steadying themselves to hunker down and deal with whatever's coming.
Retired nurses and other staff are offering to step in and be an extra workforce.
The National Guard of nearly half a million men and women are about to be called in to assist.

The shit will be ugly with this virus because it is damned ugly.
I wouldn't crow that America will get some 'just deserts'. In the end, they will pull together and have extraordinary resources to call upon. If they need to convert industry that makes one product to switch over and make ventilators, they will do it.
If patients need to stay somewhere because of shortage of hospital beds, local governments will co-opt (they've already mentioned this) large hotels to situate the sick and isolate them.

Yeh, they are stupid to not want to take the best the rest of the world has to offer because of some ridiculous sense of nationalism that is not reflected in World's best practices of today. They still think they're the US of the 50's / 60's / 70's / 80's and 90's, where variously people wanted their jeans, were wowed by their writers/musicians/artists, were inspired by their scientists, their industry practices, their entrepreneurship that lead to dot come billionaires...

But I'll put money on them beating this shit and then probably having the first true cure and offering it to the world.
I don't understand these people, but I ain't laughing at them.
 
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Spoke with a mate I know in the UK today
On Friday he was forced to close his business which had been incredible successful for 30 years .

His conceeding that he wont have a business or job when this through.
Also had to let go employees.

He reckons its a mess . They got told 'all good, nothing to see here ' 3 weeks ago them it exploded
Said to me whatever you do lockdown even if your not getting told too.

Said the one positive was the shops had returned to normal as far as having stock.
He is in the midlands btw.
 
[/QUOTE]
thejockey said:
Spoke with a mate I know in the UK today
On Friday he was forced to close his business which had been incredible successful for

His conceeding that he wont have a business or job when this through.
Also had to let go employees.

He reckons its a mess . They got told 'all good, nothing to see here ' 3 weeks ago them it exploded
Said to me whatever you do lockdown even if your not getting told too.

Said the one positive was the shops had returned to normal as far as having stock.
He is in the midlands btw.
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Very sad to read this.

Our work is changing its mind more than its underwear at the minute and the confusion is doing our heads in.
Yesterday crisis meetings and then today we are back and facing customers and being told to wash our hands and hold our breath for 10 seconds to see if we have the symptoms.

crazy times.
 
flinchfree said:
Let me just say this about the USA in my experience over the last 20 years here.
Much of what you say is true.
What you underestimate is what these people CAN and WILL do when the shit is piled up lips high.
There is so much I hate about the joint.
But the people, in terms of sacking up and getting what has to be done - I wouldn't bet against them in any kind of disaster moment against any another mob in the world.

I've already mentioned how pathetically behind we are because of incompetence at Governance level to be prepared and take affirmative action. That's what you get when you elect a President who doesn't value technocrats who are industry respected and knowledgeable. He wants yes people around him, so we got what we got.

However over the last 24hrs, there is a surge movement being taken on by State governments to get shit done themselves, to get people off the streets. It's the No.1 play that's gotta be made.
While people here have been panic shopping too, other things are playing out..... many private businesses that had large workforces doing non-interface with the public work have been sent home with computers and are working remotely. Public restaurants and schools and points of gathering and contact have all shut down.
The public is steadying themselves to hunker down and deal with whatever's coming.
Retired nurses and other staff are offering to step in and be an extra workforce.
The National Guard of nearly half a million men and women are about to be called in to assist.

The shit will be ugly with this virus because it is damned ugly.
I wouldn't crow that America will get some 'just deserts'. In the end, they will pull together and have extraordinary resources to call upon. If they need to convert industry that makes one product to switch over and make ventilators, they will do it.
If patients need to stay somewhere because of shortage of hospital beds, local governments will co-opt (they've already mentioned this) large hotels to situate the sick and isolate them.

Yeh, they are stupid to not want to take the best the rest of the world has to offer because of some ridiculous sense of nationalism that is not reflected in World's best practices of today. They still think they're the US of the 50's / 60's / 70's / 80's and 90's, where variously people wanted their jeans, were wowed by their writers/musicians/artists, were inspired by their scientists, their industry practices, their entrepreneurship that lead to dot come billionaires...

But I'll put money on them beating this shit and then probably having the first true cure and offering it to the world.
I don't understand these people, but I ain't laughing at them.
Click to expand...

That all makes sense finchfree, but it‘s too late to prevent the disaster that’s going to unfold in the next week in the US.

The graphs on this site tell the story -

www.worldometers.info

United States COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer

United States Coronavirus update with statistics and graphs: total and new cases, deaths per day, mortality and recovery rates, current active cases, recoveries, trends and timeline.
www.worldometers.info www.worldometers.info

What has occurred over the past week or so in the US is inevitably going to create disastrous consequences over the next 2 weeks or so despite the belated actions the authorities have now decided to take. Given the incubation perood of 5 days, those graphs, sadly, are going to go berserk in the coming days.
 
VandoHawk said:
America is going to get slammed by this. Not just because of their lack of action but also because of the privatisation of their healthcare system.
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This is the big issue - at the moment if you don't have insurance you have to pay to get tested. Those who can't afford insurance (50% of the total pop) are also those that can't afford to be told they can't work for two weeks. So those people just won't get tested. It will be a miracle if the USA can contain it as a result.
 
Holy Rioli said:
This is the big issue - at the moment if you don't have insurance you have to pay to get tested. Those who can't afford insurance (50% of the total pop) are also those that can't afford to be told they can't work for two weeks. So those people just won't get tested. It will be a miracle if the USA can contain it as a result.
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Not to be a conspiracy nut but if you were a foreign power wanting to bring America to its knees this virus is the perfect weapon.

You are attacking the weakest point of their society (woeful health care / inadequate social security). No nation can match the yanks in a military/technological conflict but this virus has the potential to really weaken their country.

I don't believe that this virus was manufactured at all (all indications are it was transmitted from bat guano to a pangolin) but its an interesting observation.
 
Holy Rioli said:
This is the big issue - at the moment if you don't have insurance you have to pay to get tested. Those who can't afford insurance (50% of the total pop) are also those that can't afford to be told they can't work for two weeks. So those people just won't get tested. It will be a miracle if the USA can contain it as a result.
Click to expand...
The queues at American airports over theweekend of people returning from Europe was frightening. Many of them standing shoulder to shoulder for 4/5 hours. In adddition, they have not had the tests available to accurately diagnose people. it has the potential to get really nasty.
 

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Holy Rioli said:
This is the big issue - at the moment if you don't have insurance you have to pay to get tested. Those who can't afford insurance (50% of the total pop) are also those that can't afford to be told they can't work for two weeks. So those people just won't get tested. It will be a miracle if the USA can contain it as a result.
Click to expand...
Generally it's not the test cost that is the issue it's what happens if you've got it or if you can only get tested in an emergency room
 
I look after an 89 year old basically because no one else can F... be bothered. No relation or anything.

Last week after 2 aborted attempts to do the surgery 'we' mostly the hospital call in the OPA and they did a wonderful job get him into surgery.
He's basically got an unfixable twisted bowel so needs a bag. No Issue.

He went in last Thursday for the Op, I attendended got the TV put on etc and asked when he was coming out. Was told Thursday a week later at the earliest.
Called again Sunday night to confirm so I could get in once off liquid diets and get him a pack of TimTam's which is about the only thing he will eat. That is not just a meal the nursing home gives. Frank's a hard guy to get to eat anything but if you dump it in front of him he eventually nibbles.

If anyone has ever been to Seddon station he was the paper boy there for well over 20+ years after he retired (at 60, he's now 89). So you would know who i'm talking about.

After Daniel Andrews announced a State of Emergency because no person had died in Victoria by coronavirus.

Part of that was emptying the hospitals immediately. So Frank got sent home (nursing) delirious an unable to care for himself. Nursing homes do their best but they ain't a hospital teaching him how to survive. And while some nurses are ok or doing their best your not getting the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) ones and once again no issue with that, I'd prefer they were doing ICU.

Frank's woke up still struggling with 3 anaesthetics in a week and bit which would hurt most average Australians let alone an 89 year old, pulled out his tube the pulled out the stuff inside of him not knowing what it is. So immediately been sent to emergency. I do realise Coronavirus has the chance 'worst case scenario' can impact us all, but so can every meteorite about to hit us that hasn't turned up yet but apparently hit Siberia once upon a time.

Isn't it better we look after what we can rather than listen to what 'may', 'could'. 'possibly' and we have have a dozen 'may', 'could'. 'possibly' cures as well which have done nothing. And say every time a politician or news organization actually or boffin/researcher/university paid government employee says 'may', 'could'. 'possibly' they get banned from their job for 3 months without pay the first time, a year second time and life (I'l like to say in prison but i'm not that harsh) next time.

Yeah I'm pissed off, but I like Frank and he's 89, perfect target to get off the pension and get buried by our government to save them money and that's how I feel after today.

Anyway apologies for the vent, but I'm disgusted with our government and medical authorities after this incident.

Gralin hopefully I've been fair, so you don't delete it.
 
Simon Crawshay said:
Not to be a conspiracy nut but if you were a foreign power wanting to bring America to its knees this virus is the perfect weapon.

You are attacking the weakest point of their society (woeful health care / inadequate social security). No nation can match the yanks in a military/technological conflict but this virus has the potential to really weaken their country.

I don't believe that this virus was manufactured at all (all indications are it was transmitted from bat guano to a pangolin) but its an interesting observation.
Click to expand...

No - the perfect weapon was the bloated, orange-coated buffoon.
 
Zack said:
I look after an 89 year old basically because no one else can F... be bothered. No relation or anything.

Last week after 2 aborted attempts to do the surgery 'we' mostly the hospital call in the OPA and they did a wonderful job get him into surgery.
He's basically got an unfixable twisted bowel so needs a bag. No Issue.

He went in last Thursday for the Op, I attendended got the TV put on etc and asked when he was coming out. Was told Thursday a week later at the earliest.
Called again Sunday night to confirm so I could get in once off liquid diets and get him a pack of TimTam's which is about the only thing he will eat. That is not just a meal the nursing home gives. Frank's a hard guy to get to eat anything but if you dump it in front of him he eventually nibbles.

If anyone has ever been to Seddon station he was the paper boy there for well over 20+ years after he retired (at 60, he's now 89). So you would know who i'm talking about.

After Daniel Andrews announced a State of Emergency because no person had died in Victoria by coronavirus.

Part of that was emptying the hospitals immediately. So Frank got sent home (nursing) delirious an unable to care for himself. Nursing homes do their best but they ain't a hospital teaching him how to survive. And while some nurses are ok or doing their best your not getting the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) ones and once again no issue with that, I'd prefer they were doing ICU.

Frank's woke up still struggling with 3 anaesthetics in a week and bit which would hurt most average Australians let alone an 89 year old, pulled out his tube the pulled out the stuff inside of him not knowing what it is. So immediately been sent to emergency. I do realise Coronavirus has the chance 'worst case scenario' can impact us all, but so can every meteorite about to hit us that hasn't turned up yet but apparently hit Siberia once upon a time.

Isn't it better we look after what we can rather than listen to what 'may', 'could'. 'possibly' and we have have a dozen 'may', 'could'. 'possibly' cures as well which have done nothing. And say every time a politician or news organization actually or boffin/researcher/university paid government employee says 'may', 'could'. 'possibly' they get banned from their job for 3 months without pay the first time, a year second time and life (I'l like to say in prison but i'm not that harsh) next time.

Yeah I'm pissed off, but I like Frank and he's 89, perfect target to get off the pension and get buried by our government to save them money and that's how I feel after today.

Anyway apologies for the vent, but I'm disgusted with our government and medical authorities after this incident.

Gralin hopefully I've been fair, so you don't delete it.
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What happened to frank is disgraceful. He never should have been sent home. It is great he has you to help him out like you have done.

reality is we live in an uncertain world and if we simply wait for certainty before acting (or speaking) nothing will be done. We have to play the odds. Politicians shouldn’t be shy about it either. They need to stop pretending they are in full control as well. But that doesn’t mean it is acceptable to apply a policy without considering the human consequences. That seems to be the point which was missed by the hospital in frank’s case.
 
Zack said:
I look after an 89 year old basically because no one else can F... be bothered. No relation or anything.

Last week after 2 aborted attempts to do the surgery 'we' mostly the hospital call in the OPA and they did a wonderful job get him into surgery.
He's basically got an unfixable twisted bowel so needs a bag. No Issue.

He went in last Thursday for the Op, I attendended got the TV put on etc and asked when he was coming out. Was told Thursday a week later at the earliest.
Called again Sunday night to confirm so I could get in once off liquid diets and get him a pack of TimTam's which is about the only thing he will eat. That is not just a meal the nursing home gives. Frank's a hard guy to get to eat anything but if you dump it in front of him he eventually nibbles.

If anyone has ever been to Seddon station he was the paper boy there for well over 20+ years after he retired (at 60, he's now 89). So you would know who i'm talking about.

After Daniel Andrews announced a State of Emergency because no person had died in Victoria by coronavirus.

Part of that was emptying the hospitals immediately. So Frank got sent home (nursing) delirious an unable to care for himself. Nursing homes do their best but they ain't a hospital teaching him how to survive. And while some nurses are ok or doing their best your not getting the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) ones and once again no issue with that, I'd prefer they were doing ICU.

Frank's woke up still struggling with 3 anaesthetics in a week and bit which would hurt most average Australians let alone an 89 year old, pulled out his tube the pulled out the stuff inside of him not knowing what it is. So immediately been sent to emergency. I do realise Coronavirus has the chance 'worst case scenario' can impact us all, but so can every meteorite about to hit us that hasn't turned up yet but apparently hit Siberia once upon a time.

Isn't it better we look after what we can rather than listen to what 'may', 'could'. 'possibly' and we have have a dozen 'may', 'could'. 'possibly' cures as well which have done nothing. And say every time a politician or news organization actually or boffin/researcher/university paid government employee says 'may', 'could'. 'possibly' they get banned from their job for 3 months without pay the first time, a year second time and life (I'l like to say in prison but i'm not that harsh) next time.

Yeah I'm pissed off, but I like Frank and he's 89, perfect target to get off the pension and get buried by our government to save them money and that's how I feel after today.

Anyway apologies for the vent, but I'm disgusted with our government and medical authorities after this incident.

Gralin hopefully I've been fair, so you don't delete it.
Click to expand...
Good effort Zack. God bless or best wishes to you and your friend depending on which way you role. The world needs more people like you who give a shit about their isolated people.
 
Zack said:
I look after an 89 year old basically because no one else can F... be bothered. No relation or anything.

Last week after 2 aborted attempts to do the surgery 'we' mostly the hospital call in the OPA and they did a wonderful job get him into surgery.
He's basically got an unfixable twisted bowel so needs a bag. No Issue.

He went in last Thursday for the Op, I attendended got the TV put on etc and asked when he was coming out. Was told Thursday a week later at the earliest.
Called again Sunday night to confirm so I could get in once off liquid diets and get him a pack of TimTam's which is about the only thing he will eat. That is not just a meal the nursing home gives. Frank's a hard guy to get to eat anything but if you dump it in front of him he eventually nibbles.

If anyone has ever been to Seddon station he was the paper boy there for well over 20+ years after he retired (at 60, he's now 89). So you would know who i'm talking about.

After Daniel Andrews announced a State of Emergency because no person had died in Victoria by coronavirus.

Part of that was emptying the hospitals immediately. So Frank got sent home (nursing) delirious an unable to care for himself. Nursing homes do their best but they ain't a hospital teaching him how to survive. And while some nurses are ok or doing their best your not getting the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) ones and once again no issue with that, I'd prefer they were doing ICU.

Frank's woke up still struggling with 3 anaesthetics in a week and bit which would hurt most average Australians let alone an 89 year old, pulled out his tube the pulled out the stuff inside of him not knowing what it is. So immediately been sent to emergency. I do realise Coronavirus has the chance 'worst case scenario' can impact us all, but so can every meteorite about to hit us that hasn't turned up yet but apparently hit Siberia once upon a time.

Isn't it better we look after what we can rather than listen to what 'may', 'could'. 'possibly' and we have have a dozen 'may', 'could'. 'possibly' cures as well which have done nothing. And say every time a politician or news organization actually or boffin/researcher/university paid government employee says 'may', 'could'. 'possibly' they get banned from their job for 3 months without pay the first time, a year second time and life (I'l like to say in prison but i'm not that harsh) next time.

Yeah I'm pissed off, but I like Frank and he's 89, perfect target to get off the pension and get buried by our government to save them money and that's how I feel after today.

Anyway apologies for the vent, but I'm disgusted with our government and medical authorities after this incident.

Gralin hopefully I've been fair, so you don't delete it.
Click to expand...
What happened to Frank is terrible and should not have happened.
You hear stories all the time of people kicked out of hospital too early because a bed is needed for someone in a worse situation. Shows we have an issue with our hospital funding and capacities without something like Covid19

I would hope that a state of emergency wouldn't dump a bunch of patients out of beds just in case but I don't know.

I do understand why it was called though, it allowed for Victoria to be able to legally enforce the national measures put in place like the mandatory 14 quarantine.

I think it says more about your average Australian's lack of accountability when it comes to illness than it does about Andrews.

I would rather they do the heavy stuff now before people die than wait until they start dying because if the system gets overloaded it could get Italy bad.

None of that excuses what happened to Frank though.
 
TAITA said:
mobile.abc.net.au

I'm one of 4 per cent that coronavirus might kill. What you do today could save my life

ABC journalist Mary Lloyd is in the middle of chemotherapy, and with her immunity low she is imploring you to do your bit to stop coronavirus spreading.
mobile.abc.net.au mobile.abc.net.au
Click to expand...

Great article.

I really hope the message gets through to people, but I cannot help but think there are going to be selfish individuals that will not heed the warnings and just go about everyday life regardless which will inturn affect these "4 percenters".
 
Flag08 said:
2 bus loads of “Australians” from the western suburbs of Melbourne travelled to various small towns in Gippsland today and cleanWe out their local supermarkets. You can now find these goods on eBay at 10x their face value. Charming.
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This, especially in unprecedented times like these should be a criminal offence( in fact I'm sure it is) and dealt with accordingly. It's amazing how instances like this not only bring on th the best in human nature but also the scummiest imaginable.
 
Flag08 said:
2 bus loads of “Australians” from the western suburbs of Melbourne travelled to various small towns in Gippsland today and cleanWe out their local supermarkets. You can now find these goods on eBay at 10x their face value. Charming.
Click to expand...
As I understand it, eBay has closed down all sales of Covid-19 inspired shortages.
The supermarkets now have a ”no returns“ policy in place.
These people will be stuck with their stock and no place to sell it.
They loose.
 
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