Coronavirus thread

[Madmya]

I think at some point after everyone has had a chance to be fully vaccinated we're just going to have to open up to everyone, let the virus in, and those that didn't want to vaccinate can wing it.

[Reka]

That falls under the "my body, my choice" and "personal freedoms" banners, so I can be onboard with that.

Though I would add a disclaimer: there shouldn't be any discrimination between vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups. No special rules for one group or the other. But you know what... there's a good chance 'special rules' will be implemented and used as leverage/coercion to 'encourage' more people vaccinated. Let's be clear here: coercion is not free choice.

[Peppermint Lounge]

I've had the vaccine. So far so good. Every drug carries risk. Women are at risk of blood clots on the contraceptive pill. You're more likely to have a heart attack with daily asprin use than get fatal blood clotting from a COVID vaccine. It's wrong to call COVID vaccines untested. They've engineered the vaccines from previously engineered biochemical constructs hence why they've been able to get them out relatively quickly. Life is a series of calculated risks. I don't like lockdowns and after seeing what COVID did to a super fit and strong mate of mine (he thought he was going to die) I calculate a teeny shot of vaccine is the way forward.

Meanwhile I'll continue to be amused by my ex clubber social media friends banging on about anti vax while they continue to hoover rails at parties and inject their faces with botox and filler.

[stanard]

That falls under the "my body, my choice" and "personal freedoms" banners, so I can be onboard with that.

Though I would add a disclaimer: there shouldn't be any discrimination between vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups. No special rules for one group or the other. But you know what... there's a good chance 'special rules' will be implemented and used as leverage/coercion to 'encourage' more people vaccinated. Let's be clear here: coercion is not free choice.

Just curious, do you have an issue with aged care workers requiring the flu vaccine, or kids needing to be up to date with all their shots before being allowed into child care?

Or the numerous countries that already require upon entry vaccination certificates for yellow fever, polio or meningococcal?

[Reka]

I don't know enough about the implications in each of those scenarios to say whether those rules are warranted or not. If I was going to take a hard line on my principles then I'd say vaccines shouldn't be mandatory in those scenarios. But I get that it's probably not that black or white.

If you work on the assumption that vaccines prevent people from contracting these viruses then the mandate should probably be to give the vaccines to those who are vulnerable to prevent them from dying from these viruses. And if the vaccines don't prevent people from contracting these viruses then why should they be mandatory for anyone to take them?

[Ambrose Burnside]

Second astro zucchini shot for me tomorrow.

America still fucked

Shit, that's embarrassing.

Not as embarrassing as the differing reactions to golf tournament and Melbourne runner vs crazy American magnet lady here

[Twiztid Elf]

Melbourne runner?
Oh, not a real runner? The "couple" that fled Melbourne for the Sunshine Coast?

I thought you we're going to tell me a cool story about someone winning a marathon while inflicted with the debilitating plague.

[Madmya]

If we could eradicate the virus through vaccination I could accept mandatory vaccinations, but I don't think that's the case here.

[Reka]

At the risk of sounding over-the-top, I'll point out that you've just proposed the premise of the dystopian 2006 film "Children of Men".

[Vince]

Cause it was my birthday on the weekend I had my cousin call me. I then spoke to her dad (my uncle). Didn't realize how warped people could be until I spoke to him. Been a pretty rational guy his whole life but he has fallen down the conspiracy lane HARD with covid 19! Mind you, I haven't seen/spoken to him for over a year so I didn't realize he was so crazy, but he said he didn't even believe covid was real! He said it's all a government conspiracy and that whatever is out there is barely a cold! He said the tests are all fake and that he gets all his news from youtube videos cause the tv news lies (especially the ABC), and the only tv he watches is sky news in australia! Complete fucking loon!
Now, I do admit I am 1 of the people who thinks the state gov has gone too far with these lockdowns BUT, covid is real and it can kill. Not too sure how these people fall down this hole so far but my god, I didn't realize how bad they were until I spoke to him on Sunday. He is completely bonkers! Unfortunately as I'm not a confrontational person I just listened and pretended to agree with some of the things he said but I was just in shock that anyone could believe this nonsense!

[Ambrose Burnside]

I find it interesting that early on a fair few were promoting the idea of achieving herd immunity by just letting the virus run rampant before we even had a vaccine developed. I'm glad wiser heads prevailed (government actually listening to their chief health officers) and I don't think anyone seriously thinks that's a good idea any more. OK I know they still want that while our vaccination levels are criminally low, but let me believe in people damn it.

The safest, most effective way to achieve herd immunity and eliminate the need for lockdowns is through mass vaccination. That hasn't changed since Jenner was using cowpox to combat smallpox. Which is why I got the shot(s) as soon as I became eligible through my employer. Lockdowns can get fucked. Worst case scenario, yes you can still catch it, but with drastically reduced symptoms, contagiousness (if that's a word) and impact on the health system. As a reasonably healthy person in my 30s, the odds of me personally getting seriously sick from covid are pretty low, but I don't want to pass it on to someone vulnerable while I'm asymptomatic. For me, that's the biggest fear.

I find those railing against lockdowns but also railing against vaccination to be rather hypocritical.

Going forward, I absolutely believe there will be restrictions for the unvaccinated. You might technically be able to leave the country unvaccinated, but you're dreaming if you think the country you're travelling to will let you in. Or that Australia will let you back in. I have no doubt businesses will put in policies that require their staff to be vaccinated, just like schools require students to be up to date, or mine sites require submission to regular drug tests, or that sports clubs don't let you smoke the marijuanas. Will be interesting to see how many still take some sort of principled stand for their freedoms while queuing up at Centrelink. Damn governments.

That's me out. It takes a week for full efficacy to kick in, which is next Tuesday for me. Happy days. Then Perth Supanova on the Saturday after that where I will happily geek out in a crowded internal venue like it's 2019. Hoping to get Dave McCormack's autograph. BANDIT HEELER!!!

[Froggy]

Good luck with that unvaccinated stuff. They'll get away with not getting it because it's mutating weaker and weaker, once the majority of the world have a vaccination or populations do it'll be even weaker so even if they do get it then it will be just like a cold to them. It's just not going to work in the long run, it's like not letting people into your country during a mega flu season with some crazy variant because they aren't vaccinated, some of those people will catch it and need to use your health system but it's not feasible or going to hold up against legal challenges anywhere western to ban them. Essentially with Qantas's stand and virgin on the brink it's gonna be basically impossible for an Australian to go overseas anyway without a jab so we should be let in everywhere by default. I for one cannot wait to go on a holiday but no chance of a vaccine yet until end of year by the looks of it, that should line up with borders though to places I want to go. In fact, you'd have to be nuts to travel without one as you'd get no insurance (pandemic regardless) but I have no doubt you'd be treated even worse.

Right now it's a hard sell in Australia to a large segment. More people have died from the vaccine and been seriously ill from it this year than Covid. It's a tough message to come get the cure but the cure has more chance of killing you right now and people don't buy the each new strain is mega more deadly than the previous, it just doesn't stand up to scrutiny.

[Twiztid Elf]

AB, I don't understand.
Why do you hate freedom and liberty? Autonomy, independence, responsibility and ownership?
Maybe you don't, but it sure seems it.

You post with unwarranted glee and accomplishment at our own enslavement.
Unquestioning, enabling and compliant. Blind faith and trust in the establishment.
Cheering what is by far, the deadliest experimental vaccine in human history.

Next is either climate lockdowns, or more likely "cyber attacks", which unfortunately I won't get to say "I told you so". But at least you'll remember me telling you this in June 21.

When the internet returns, you'll need a cyber biometric passport to access it.
This passport will be tied into your health, finance and credit score, family, lifestyle, social circles (you're already screwed interacting with me - lol), criminal and ALLEGED criminal behavior.
Conspiracy theory? Slippery slope? WE'RE ALREADY HERE.

Good luck with your government that cares about your interests and well being.
By God I hope I'm wrong. Dead wrong. And I hope I'm arguing with you in 2025.

[Hercy]

I hope that you Sydney siders have already stocked up on toilet paper. I assume the shelves have been picked clean by now.

[stanard]

We don't lock down though remember!

[t0mby]

Cause it was my birthday on the weekend I had my cousin call me. I then spoke to her dad (my uncle). Didn't realize how warped people could be until I spoke to him. Been a pretty rational guy his whole life but he has fallen down the conspiracy lane HARD with covid 19! Mind you, I haven't seen/spoken to him for over a year so I didn't realize he was so crazy, but he said he didn't even believe covid was real! He said it's all a government conspiracy and that whatever is out there is barely a cold! He said the tests are all fake and that he gets all his news from youtube videos cause the tv news lies (especially the ABC), and the only tv he watches is sky news in australia! Complete fucking loon!
Now, I do admit I am 1 of the people who thinks the state gov has gone too far with these lockdowns BUT, covid is real and it can kill. Not too sure how these people fall down this hole so far but my god, I didn't realize how bad they were until I spoke to him on Sunday. He is completely bonkers! Unfortunately as I'm not a confrontational person I just listened and pretended to agree with some of the things he said but I was just in shock that anyone could believe this nonsense!

It's an easy trap to fall into. I don't disagree that it's real, but I was one of those people that believed it came from the Wuhan lab. Then it was revealed that the lab in question was getting huge backing from the US and there's all this backpedaling, (questionable since governments back foreign labs anyway) and a few days ago I saw on the news (I believe it was on 7 News 6pm on Mon or Tues) about a scientist from that same lab defecting to the US and was covered up (but leaked, how convenient).

Anyway, one thing to thank having this Covid around. Because of masks and improved hygiene, I don't know one person that has had the flu in the last 15 months and no one had died from the flu. Even Flu shots are down.

[Ambrose Burnside]

Damn, Sydney in lockdown for a week

I hope Madmya can find new material for his spank bank now that Gladys has joined the likes of Dictator Dan and King Mark and whoever Queensland's premier is in not trusting people to do the right thing

[stanard]

Only 4 LGAs mind you...for now. Contact sites list keeps getting longer by the day, and further and further spread out.

[stanard]

Aaaaand two week lockdown now for greater Sydney and Blue Mountains, Central Coast and the Gong

[Ambrose Burnside]

Now we're all on the edges of our seats waiting to see if it's spread via FIFO workers at an NT gold mine right across the country

[Ambrose Burnside]

And now Perth's locked down for at least three days. Not because of FIFO but because Gladys dragged her heels.

FFS

If only covid was koalas.

[t0mby]

The no isolation travel bubble to NZ is closed too, looks like I made it back in time. Even when I was going through the arrival area in Aux on Wed I noticed all flights from Sydney were cancelled. Heaps of kiwis spewing now at paying for extra unplanned accomodation, bit that's their fault, they needed to plan for these things financially just on case and now look.....

[Froggy]

Astrazenneca only safe for over 40s, now over 50s, now over 60s

BUT WAIT

Everyone can get Astra now from your GP if you want it and if you have side effects don't worry, the GP is now indemnified.

The take up is going to be through the roof for sure!

[F for Fake]

How many damn times is it going to leak due to hotel quarantine before they make changes? The guy who caused the NT outbreak didn't even have it until they forced him into hotel quarantine in QLD and he caught it from someone in there in 1 day.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, given the outbreak in NSW is because they didn't even require private drivers to wear PPE, only public. (They've since update the rule).

[stanard]

Astrazenneca only safe for over 40s, now over 50s, now over 60s

BUT WAIT

Everyone can get Astra now from your GP if you want it and if you have side effects don't worry, the GP is now indemnified.

The take up is going to be through the roof for sure!

Putting the burden on young people again. Scomo had no problem with the oldies waiting and waiting for Pfizer to be available to them, but now they'll no doubt put the pressure on under 40s to go and get the AZ.