Novel Coronavirus COVID-19

[Ellener]

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/11/covid-19-is-out-of-control-what-can-we-do/617097/ is a recent article by former CDC head Thomas R Frieden entitled 'We Know How to Beat COVID-19. We Just Don't Do It.' 

 

[Prudence V]

On 11/17/2020 at 9:56 PM, basil67 said:

Here in OZ, we get tested if we have symptoms of COVID, cold or flu, or if we've been in proximity with someone who's positive...

Ah - how testing should work. Here in the U.K., no test for you if you’ve been exposed, *unless* you go on to develop symptoms (by which stage you’ve exposed a whole bunch more people....). They have started community-based testing in Liverpool, but there is no way they have the capacity to scale that up and the outsourced track and trace system is a standing joke. 

[basil67]

@Prudence V yes, with the way testing is in the UK, it's no surprise COVID is out of control for you.    Our contact tracing is excellent, but this would be helped by having low rates of transmission to start with.    When Melbourne got locked down a couple of months ago, the contact tracers started to really struggle to keep up.

[SincereOnlineGuy]

On 11/17/2020 at 1:56 PM, basil67 said:

Here in OZ, we get tested if we have symptoms of COVID, cold or flu, or if we've been in proximity with someone who's positive...much like the testing that you have.  

I don't have a month by month breakdown, but our positivity rate between states for the duration of COVID is 0.01% to 0.06%   So yeah, 60% positivity is extraordinary. 

 

If five South Dakotans, each feeling sick... show up at a Covid testing site, and three test positive for Covid...   that is not significant data by any sensible measure.

 

Have you ever been to South Dakota?     It's like the outback (with presidents carved into a mountain)

[Prudence V]

10 hours ago, basil67 said:

@Prudence V yes, with the way testing is in the UK, it's no surprise COVID is out of control for you.    Our contact tracing is excellent, but this would be helped by having low rates of transmission to start with.    When Melbourne got locked down a couple of months ago, the contact tracers started to really struggle to keep up.

The irony is the U.K. looks at the successes of NZ and Oz and says, “well, it’s easy for them. They’re islands” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

... and still refuses to close its borders. 🙄

[basil67]

2 hours ago, SincereOnlineGuy said:

If five South Dakotans, each feeling sick... show up at a Covid testing site, and three test positive for Covid...   that is not significant data by any sensible measure.

 

Have you ever been to South Dakota?     It's like the outback (with presidents carved into a mountain)

No, I have not been to South Dakota.   But it's not like our outback - because our outback has no cases.   And our outback has no cases because nobody is near anyone else.   Well that, and the fact that we've proactive about dampening transmission where it does pop up and so nobody takes COVID to the outback.

If a 60% positive rate among people who are nowhere near each other is insignificant to you, I hate to think what the positive rate is in your crowded states 😳

 

[basil67]

2 hours ago, Prudence V said:

The irony is the U.K. looks at the successes of NZ and Oz and says, “well, it’s easy for them. They’re islands” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

... and still refuses to close its borders. 🙄

Yes, I keep reading this from certain people in other countries too.   

The writers seem to ignore the fact that our government hit it hard and fast.  They ignore our closed borders.  They ignore that we have to log in to an app every time we go to a venue (gym, pub, restaurant, museum, etc).  They ignore that our contact tracers are doing an amazing job.   They ignore that our public transport is mostly empty.  They ignore that our citizens are compliant.  They ignore that we value the wellbeing of the whole over the freedom of the individual.   They ignore that we've got a very high rate of testing per capita.  They ignore that we will shut cities down if we get a spike.

Yep.....it's just damn luck because we're an island.

[Prudence V]

5 hours ago, basil67 said:

Yep.....it's just damn luck because we're an island.

Whereas the U.K... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[basil67]

4 hours ago, Prudence V said:

Whereas the U.K... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Yes, that thought popped into my head this morning.  I'm a bit slow at the moment....blame the hayfever  🤣

[sothereiwas]

Several vaccines are entering production basically now, both highly effective. This thing is going to be over soon.

[SincereOnlineGuy]

On 11/21/2020 at 2:38 AM, basil67 said:

60% positive rate among people who are nowhere 

 

The population density in South Dakota is such that a handful of people who get together on 'Bridge night' and also sport a 60% Covid-positive rate is not significant.

 

Who are they going to spread Covid to?   The cattle?      The carved presidents?     The people in Sturgis off-season?

[Libby1]

On 11/21/2020 at 4:44 PM, Prudence V said:

Whereas the U.K... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Yeah, I think the fact that there's so much promise of a vaccine is potentially making a lot of people more careless than they've been in previous months.  I think that kind of "end in sight" situation can often result in people becoming more lax.  My dad, who is in a care home, has tested positive.  I don't blame the home at all - up until now they've had a superb record, but with the rate of infection we have, there's an inevitability about it.