Corona virus and other pestilences. Poxes ‘n stuff. Part 5.

[Festerz]

I agree about the 'vaccines will fix it' message. Vaccines have helped but as we are about to see with North Korea, they are not the silver bullet that Governments the world over were promoting.

This revised narrative, being repeated by vaccine sceptics here, that governments and health authorities in Australia were saying vaccines were the 'silver bullet' simply does not align with the facts.

State Premiers and CMOs were saying from the day the first vaccines became available that vaccines are our best defence against the spread of the virus, to prevent severe illness and deaths from covid and to prevent severe overcrowding of intensive care units of our hospitals.

They are still saying that. Because it is true -then and now.

But at no stage do I recall Australian medical authorities saying vaccines were the silver bullet that would alone stop the virus in its tracks.

Professor Tania Sorrell, Chair of the AHHMS COVID-19 Expert Committee made it clear back in 2020 that a vaccine alone is unlikely to hold the key to a return to normality:

‘If we were really relying on the vaccine alone, then we would have to have a vaccine that is highly effective, that is relatively long lasting in terms of its protective immunity, that is taken up by a very high proportion of the population – and even then, no vaccine is 100% effective,’

‘We would need a vaccine that not only reduces the severity of disease, but prevents transmission of infection and the current crop of vaccines do not appear to do the latter.’

The Expert Committee Report on the covid response plan released in December 2020 had this as its first sentence:

It is unlikely that a single ‘silver bullet’ will return Australia and the world to what we now consider as pre-COVID ‘normality’. Instead, we anticipate a scenario in which the vaccines, anti-viral therapies and other tools that become available will reduce COVID-19 associated hospitalisation and deaths.

newsGP - Vaccine not Australia’s COVID transmission ‘silver bullet’

A new report informed by leading experts urges a multi-pronged response to the pandemic in 2021. But what does that look like?

www1.racgp.org.au

Sure, health authorities, governments and the general public were hoping that we would quickly come up with a broad spectrum vaccine that would be more effective at stopping all variants of the virus, but to say the authorities were broadly promising vaccines would be the 'silver bullet' is demonstrably false.

They were actually saying the complete opposite.

 

[raptalia]

This revised narrative, being repeated by vaccine sceptics here, that governments and health authorities in Australia were saying vaccines were the 'silver bullet' simply does not align with the facts.

State Premiers and CMOs were saying from the day the first vaccines became available that vaccines are our best defence against the spread of the virus, to prevent severe illness and deaths from covid and to prevent severe overcrowding of intensive care units of our hospitals.

They are still saying that. Because it is true -then and now.

I was not referring to Health Authorities just politicians. The fact is 66 Australians died of Covid related causes yesterday so the politicians claims about opening up and living with the virus have to be balanced against the cost. I do not dispute that politicians were spruiking the value of vaccines but when people like Gladys Berejiklian and Josh Freydenberg told us to, 'live with the virus' they conveniently forgot to mention that despite vaccines some Australians would pay with their lives. There was a hidden agenda in the NSW and Federal Government moves to open up. I suspect the 'learn to live with the virus' message had more to do with the economy and getting re elected than our lifestyle or personal freedom. I am not saying they were right or wrong just that they had ulterior motives.

Just yesterday, when questioned about a possible return to mask mandates in WA the Premier, Mark McGovern cited WA's world leading
Covid booster rate as the reason why WA could cope with a spike in numbers. Looks like politicians are still falling back on the, 'we are well vaccinated therefore there are no worries' line.

McGowan REFUSES to rule out return of masks

The Premier won’t rule out bringing back mandatory mask-wearing after today’s massive surge in COVID cases.

www.perthnow.com.au

Hopefully it is never put to the test but it will be interesting to see what Governments do if a more deadly Covid variant suddenly appears. Will they revert to mask mandates or lockdowns or will they continue the 'vaccination will save us' line? Do not get me wrong as I do not decry the value of vaccines, in fact I have just returned from getting my second booster, I just think the silver bullet message was, and still is, the first refuge of a bunch of politicians with ulterior motives.

 

[raptalia]

I am now second boosted. We did a walk in at the local SA Health Vaccination Centre this morning. The whole process took half an hour including filling in paper work before the jab and waiting 15 minutes after the jab. You would think that the Commonwealth Govt had a data base and access to all our health info and we would not have to fill out the same forms every time we presented for a jab.

If you feel the need for a laminated business card size vaccination record Officeworks will reduce and copy your SA Health vaccination certificate so that it fits your wallet. Maybe handy if you leave your phone at home and in my case it is actually quicker to pull the wallet and flip open to the card. I had mine done at a cost of $1.35.

While I think of it, we had to wear masks and check in with the QR Code. Fortunately I had not deleted the app from my phone. I guess SA Health Vaccination Hubs are considered medical facilities and hospital rules apply.

 

[Lawnchair Larry]

Only really started looking at CV19 deaths from 10 March onward but have included death by age grouping for 17 May as well.
No real surprises, I guess.
Including both dates gives a reasonable idea about which age ranges are being hammered currently.
Also looked at the ratio of [Male/Female] deaths in each category for 17 May data. Males are likely 40-50% more likely to die from CV19 than females, as judged by the median and the weighted mean of the 17 May data
The middle 50% of deaths (ie the interquartile range) indicate males are between 10% and 70% more likely to die.
The weighted mean is the summation of the fraction of total deaths in each category multiplied by the raw [male/ female deaths].

 

[Festerz]

I was not referring to Health Authorities just politicians. The fact is 66 Australians died of Covid related causes yesterday so the politicians claims about opening up and living with the virus have to be balanced against the cost. I do not dispute that politicians were spruiking the value of vaccines but when people like Gladys Berejiklian and Josh Freydenberg told us to, 'live with the virus' they conveniently forgot to mention that despite vaccines some Australians would pay with their lives. There was a hidden agenda in the NSW and Federal Government moves to open up. I suspect the 'learn to live with the virus' message had more to do with the economy and getting re elected than our lifestyle or personal freedom. I am not saying they were right or wrong just that they had ulterior motives.

Just yesterday, when questioned about a possible return to mask mandates in WA the Premier, Mark McGovern cited WA's world leading
Covid booster rate as the reason why WA could cope with a spike in numbers. Looks like politicians are still falling back on the, 'we are well vaccinated therefore there are no worries' line.

McGowan REFUSES to rule out return of masks

The Premier won’t rule out bringing back mandatory mask-wearing after today’s massive surge in COVID cases.

www.perthnow.com.au

Hopefully it is never put to the test but it will be interesting to see what Governments do if a more deadly Covid variant suddenly appears. Will they revert to mask mandates or lockdowns or will they continue the 'vaccination will save us' line? Do not get me wrong as I do not decry the value of vaccines, in fact I have just returned from getting my second booster, I just think the silver bullet message was, and still is, the first refuge of a bunch of politicians with ulterior motives.

Got it. Agreed. And I was not really referring to the specifics in your post.

As this policy document from 18 months ago clearly highlights, Australia's response to the ongoing pandemic has to be multi-layered, with 'the optimal roll-out of effective and safe vaccines' being just one component:

https://aahms.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/AAHMS_COVID-19_2021_report_15-Dec-2020.pdf

I just reckon a large chunk of people are only listening to the parts of the message that fit their own particular perspective. That's been the problem from day 1 and is continuing with the 'it's over' BS we are getting now.

 

[OneGreatClub]

 

[OneGreatClub]

Got it. Agreed. And I was not really referring to the specifics in your post.

As this policy document from 18 months ago clearly highlights, Australia's response to the ongoing pandemic has to be multi-layered, with 'the optimal roll-out of effective and safe vaccines' being just one component:

https://aahms.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/AAHMS_COVID-19_2021_report_15-Dec-2020.pdf

I just reckon a large chunk of people are only listening to the parts of the message that fit their own particular perspective. That's been the problem from day 1 and is continuing with the 'it's over' BS we are getting now.

Exactly, there are layers of protection, layers.

 

[raptalia]

At the time of that letter the Commonwealth Deputy Cheif Medical Officer was Dr Nick Coatsworth who had previously told the world that Covid was not spread via aerosol agents but via contact and droplets. The Nation is probably far better served now that Nick is the Administrator of a hospital in Canberra rather than determining Public Health Policy.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/covid19-overwhelming-evidence-virus-spreads-through-contact-droplets-not-air/news-story/93a14be040e2677ec406ff6895cfa420

 

[OneGreatClub]

Mild…

 

[OneGreatClub]

At the time of that letter the Commonwealth Deputy Cheif Medical Officer was Dr Nick Coatsworth who had previously told the world that Covid was not spread via aerosol agents but via contact and droplets. The Nation is probably far better served now that Nick is the Administrator of a hospital in Canberra rather than determining Public Health Policy.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/covid19-overwhelming-evidence-virus-spreads-through-contact-droplets-not-air/news-story/93a14be040e2677ec406ff6895cfa420

I had forgotten about him. He must have changed his mind about running for a Lib seat. Wise move. Poor Canberra hospital however. Just imagine being a HCW and having him as your administrator.

 

[OneGreatClub]

 

[OneGreatClub]

Nobody with any sense thinks it's over. I strongly suspect it won't ever be over. The vast majority of people though are now prepared to accept the risk and go back to living normal lives, as is their right. That's not behaving as if it's over, it's just prioritising one thing over another.

Every time I get in my car and drive somewhere, it doesn't mean I think car crashes are over. I'm just prepared to accept the risk that I might end up in a car crash one day if that means I have the freedom to drive.

Qld police are saying they need to rethink their approach to road safety after a whopping 120 people died on the roads this year.
Meanwhile 993 have died of covid19 in the same time period.

 

[OneGreatClub]

This should be interesting.
Would people be willing to take precautions to stop the spread of monkey pox, quite a disfiguring disease in some?
‘I just want to get on with my lifers’ be willing to mask up, ventilate, antivaxxers be willing to take a smallpox vaccine?

 

[Lawnchair Larry]

Unvaxxed Pauline Hanson with CV19.
Will be a test.

 

[EskimoPAFC]

Unvaxxed Pauline Hanson with CV19.
Will be a test.

Apparently she's been swamped with a virus from Asia and she doesn't like it.

 

[OneGreatClub]

 

[sobrave]

Unvaxxed Pauline Hanson with CV19.
Will be a test.

Most of the high profile anti vaxxers would be double vaxed and boosted privately, just courting the 5g demographic for cheap votes.

Although it would be nice if she became horribly ill.

 

[EskimoPAFC]

Thread title change:

 

[Powerade 08]

Why do you put yourself through reading all of this stuff when you have no power to do anything about it? It must be miserable.

With OGC finding a new paranoia and pafc66 going AWOL, I've almost forgotten the Crows exist. Pretty impressive considering the first five weeks of the season.

 

[OneGreatClub]

Most of the high profile anti vaxxers would be double vaxed and boosted privately, just courting the 5g demographic for cheap votes.

Although it would be nice if she became horribly ill.

She’s happy to take one for the team apparently

 

[OneGreatClub]

With OGC finding a new paranoia and pafc66 going AWOL, I've almost forgotten the Crows exist. Pretty impressive considering the first five weeks of the season.

Always glad to be of assistance

 

[OneGreatClub]

The US is ordering smallpox vaccines.
Monkeypox continues to spread.

 

[Festerz]

The New York Times is not regarded as a hysterical news outlet, which is why today's headline stories on the increase in covid cases for the US is pretty sobering, including:

• The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged local leaders and individuals to at least consider returning to wearing masks in indoor public settings.
• The world is as vulnerable as ever to pandemics, an expert panel concludes.
• Mayor Eric Adams resists mask mandates as N.Y.C. enters a high alert level for the virus.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/05/18/world/covid-19-mandates-vaccine-cases

Are the differences between the re-escalating alarm in the US and the continuing calm of Australia caused by our high levels of full vaccination compliance here compared to many of the US states? Not sure really.

Probably the most concerning part of the reports is the revelation that fewer than 13 percent of people in high population low-income countries are considered fully vaccinated against Covid-19 - presenting a clear path for further mutation of covid variants.

But I do think the the story on the world being unprepared for the next pandemic (whether it is a resurgent covid outbreak or something that doesn't happen for another 50 years) is worth considering. For example, are those planned isolation centres that were constantly talked about by the PM and state Premiers at National Cabinet during 2021 been commissioned yet and mothballed for future use or have they been forgotten about until the next crisis?

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” is a well known quote. But it seems that in 2022 there are many who are unwilling to even contemplate the ramifications of what we are still going through and the lessons it provides for the future in terms of preventing future outbreaks.

 

[OneGreatClub]

The New York Times is not regarded as a hysterical news outlet, which is why today's headline stories on the increase in covid cases for the US is pretty sobering, including:

• The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged local leaders and individuals to at least consider returning to wearing masks in indoor public settings.
• The world is as vulnerable as ever to pandemics, an expert panel concludes.
• Mayor Eric Adams resists mask mandates as N.Y.C. enters a high alert level for the virus.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/05/18/world/covid-19-mandates-vaccine-cases

Are the differences between the re-escalating alarm in the US and the continuing calm of Australia caused by our high levels of full vaccination compliance here compared to many of the US states? Not sure really.

Probably the most concerning part of the reports is the revelation that fewer than 13 percent of people in high population low-income countries are considered fully vaccinated against Covid-19 - presenting a clear path for further mutation of covid variants.

But I do think the the story on the world being unprepared for the next pandemic (whether it is a resurgent covid outbreak or something that doesn't happen for another 50 years) is worth considering. For example, are those planned isolation centres that were constantly talked about by the PM and state Premiers at National Cabinet during 2021 been commissioned yet and mothballed for future use or have they been forgotten about until the next crisis?

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” is a well known quote. But it seems that in 2022 there are many who are unwilling to even contemplate the ramifications of what we are still going through and the lessons it provides for the future in terms of preventing future outbreaks.

We have not learned many lessons. It is quite sobering really. The world has changed, is still changing, people don’t want to accept that, eventually we will have to.

 

[dirty2]

Never heard of bloody monkey pox before