Coronavirus thread

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

US to require travelers from China to show negative Covid-19 test result before flight

As only few countries impose limited regulations, they won't be effective much. All the developed nations must implement similar/tighter regulations on travelers from China.

[Que]

A range of countries have introduced the testing requirement for arrivals from China. Another story said Italy has imposed the requirement because half of passengers were testing positive. Half!

As only few countries impose limited regulations, they won't be effective much. All the developed nations must implement similar/tighter regulations on travelers from China.

Wouldn't it probably be too late now for tighter restrictions?

[Madiel]

Wouldn't it probably be too late now for tighter restrictions?

Well, that's a good question. I suppose the issue is what happens if you get a lot of unvaccinated or poorly vaccinated people coming into a population. I'm really not sure. We know that vaccinated people tend to have better outcomes, but I'm less clear on how much impact increased population exposure to the virus would have. Vaccination is really designed to work at a population level not individually (I wish more people understood this) so presumably there would be some impact.

Apparently some of the concern has to do with the risk of new strains developing in China as cases go up. So there's that. A new strain could blunt the impact of our current vaccines.

It's hard to know how much is politics rather than science. Australia is not yet making any change and our PM says we'll be guided by health/science advice. But we also have political reasons at the moment to avoid upsetting China.

[Que]

The news from China is grim. According to a source within China as many as 37 million people were infected in a single day. The problem has three aspects. The Chinese vaccine is ineffective against the most common variants in the country, natural immunity to Covid is not common, and given these factors the only solution is to vaccinate everyone with effective vaccines like the ones that have allowed normalcy to return in the rest of the world.

The Chinese have refused offers of an effective vaccine. Millions will die.

Apparently some of the concern has to do with the risk of new strains developing in China as cases go up. So there's that. A new strain could blunt the impact of our current vaccines.

Disturbing developments. I definitely do not hope we are going to revisit the earlier days of the pandemic... Again, and during a global economic recession and a war. Argghhh...

[Madiel]

Australia will require a negative result when travelling from China, starting January 5.

[Madiel]

It has emerged our chief medical officer advised against imposing the testing requirement for arrivals from China.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-03/chief-medical-officer-opposed-mandatory-covid-test-china-travel/101822918

[Florestan]

It has emerged our chief medical officer advised against imposing the testing requirement for arrivals from China.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-03/chief-medical-officer-opposed-mandatory-covid-test-china-travel/101822918

You gotta love the very first paragraph:

Australia's chief medical officer explicitly advised the Albanese government not to introduce mandatory COVID-19 testing on travellers from China a day before the measure was announced.

[Que]

You gotta love the very first paragraph:

Australia's chief medical officer explicitly advised the Albanese government not to introduce mandatory COVID-19 testing on travellers from China a day before the measure was announced.

In the article waste water testing is mentioned. This method of monitoring the proliferation of the virus amongst the general population was first introduced in the Netherlands. Recent data shows a significant increase - a new wave is in progress.

[Madiel]

You gotta love the very first paragraph:

Australia's chief medical officer explicitly advised the Albanese government not to introduce mandatory COVID-19 testing on travellers from China a day before the measure was announced.

The Prime Minister's name is Albanese.

[Florestan]

The Prime Minister's name is Albanese.

Ooops, didn't know that. My bad then. 

[Que]

Germany's health minister has expressed concern over a new COVID-19 subvariant linked to growing hospitalizations in the northeastern United States, adding that Berlin was watching the situation closely.

As much of the world looks to rising COVID-19 cases in China, infectious disease experts have also been increasingly worried about the highly contagious omicron XBB.1.5, which made up more than 40 percent of US cases, official data showed last week.

"Hopefully we get through the winter before such a variant can spread among us," the minister, Karl Lauterbach, wrote on Twitter late on Wednesday.

"We are monitoring whether, and to what extent, XBB.1.5 occurs in Germany."

Seven of the 10 US states to see rising infections and hospitalizations are in the Northeast, in line with higher XBB cases, Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, told Reuters in a recent interview.

[Que]

China Covid: wave of celebrity deaths sparks doubt over actual toll

[Todd]

Why COVID's XBB.1.5 'Kraken' Variant Is So Contagious

So "scientists" have become cheeky in naming variants and the press runs with it.  I'll take that as a good sign. 

[Karl Henning]

Covid, flu, RSV declining in hospitals as 'tripledemic' threat fades

[Karl Henning]

I seem to have the mother of all colds. No temp, low energy, lots of congestion. Posting here to say that, with all the junk going around, I decided to go get tested in Urgent Care, to rule out anything nasty and to confirm that I can just take care of myself at home and ride it out. Tested negative for the real baddies.

[Spotted Horses]

I seem to have the mother of all colds. No temp, low energy, lots of congestion. Posting here to say that, with all the junk going around, I decided to go get tested in Urgent Care, to rule out anything nasty and to confirm that I can just take care of myself at home and ride it out. Tested negative for the real baddies.

I hope to hear soon that you're feeling better.

[Karl Henning]

I hope to hear soon that you're feeling better.

Thanks!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I seem to have the mother of all colds. No temp, low energy, lots of congestion. Posting here to say that, with all the junk going around, I decided to go get tested in Urgent Care, to rule out anything nasty and to confirm that I can just take care of myself at home and ride it out. Tested negative for the real baddies.

Sorry to hear that Karl.  Hope that you feel better soon!

PD

[Karl Henning]

Sorry to hear that Karl.  Hope that you feel better soon!

PD

Thanks! Mending slowly.

[Florestan]

I wish yo a speedy recovery, Karl!