News Worldwide impact of the novel coronavirus (covid-19)

[Sideways]

where they predicted we should be so it seems we have all caught up and are getting vaccinated.

If we were still dealing with the alpha variant, then I think our current situation would be very different. For example, year 12 students in Sydney wouldn't be worried that their final exams are on the line, because the younger population wasn't largely impacted by the earlier strains.

Delta had completely changed the game. I don't live in Sydney, so I don't know what the feeling is like on the ground. But the vaccines can only be rolled out so quickly.

The ideal is to have 50% of the Sydney population with their first shot by the end of August. But there seems to be agreement that kind of coverage, with only one shot, won't make a meaningful difference in the pressure delta will put on our health resources (they sound pretty weighed down in Sydney already) if Sydney were to open up with that kind of coverage.

Best case scenario in those "ideal" projections still means that 50% of Sydney's population won't be fully vaccinated to at least the end of September.

That's...depressing, confronting, too much to deal with...

The implications for Melbourne and Brisbane are huge. Because delta is getting through the "cracks", over and over. We are a single country, and some amount of movement around the country is essential (like those poor removalists who crossed the border and bam! Crisis!), especially up and down the east coast.

The next few months are going to be tough for millions of people.

 

[Skywatcher]

Our governor approved no masks for all people in schools, no contact tracing, no notification of positive covid cases in the classroom. Our cases are up to 13 percent and rising and our hospitals are short staffed. In the mean time, we were waiting until my youngest daughter got to college to get her vaccine since she had covid several months ago. The rest of us have the vaccine. And…. She and her friend just got fully exposed. Also, schools that started up for band and sports are already having multiple cases—and not shutting down. I don’t think that people understand that the reason our state did okay was because of the mask orders we had in place last year. This is insane.

 

[blackemerald1]

But the vaccines can only be rolled out so quickly.

^In Sydney right now, if you want to be vaccinated you can get the AZ.

The main problem is that the media whipped up a lot of misinformation and hysteria about the adverse immune response to AZ. The chances are now somewhere around 1 in one million of that happening to a person. However right now, the chance of getting Covid is around 1 in 50.

Even if a person in Sydney got the complication an easy blood test can determine if the vaccine is the cause and it can be treated well. Mortality increases significantly if they do not seek medical attention and that is essentially what happened in the fatal cases earlier.

The health authorities have literally millions of AZ supplies ready to go in Sydney. They have far, far less of Pf but that will increase in the next few months too. Yes, Delta has changed the game and we will have to pray they can rein this outbreak in.

People in NSW who had Pf have been told they may have an AZ or a wait a few weeks longer and have a Pf so they can get more single doses out to the general population. It is believed that whilst one dose isn't and never was sufficient to confer the best immune response, it is better than nothing.

Year 12 students are allowed to go to school in NSW or continue their studies at home if they prefer and btw are also allowed to get the vaccine if their parents approve it. The same problems they are now facing, many thousands faced last year. Source = family in Syd.

As the head of the Australian Medical Association commented a week ago, 'It is like being in an airplane that is about to crash and the passengers are arguing over what brand of life-jacket they want to wear'.

The 'feeling' in Sydney is split between those that are getting their vaccines and those that are not, just like it is everywhere else. There has been a huge upswing in young people asking for the AZ vaccine and getting it promptly so that is really positive.

The feeling in Sydney is also exactly the same feeling Melbourne had last year when they endured over 100 days of a hard lockdown - bad. But what is the alternative? Letting it rip would see thousands die and we are not the kind of country that would tolerate that when we can avoid it.

 

[Freida]

My 86 year old dad has covid, but it's a fairly mild case - thank god. I am so grateful he got vaccinated back in January, because I'm pretty sure a full blown case would have killed him. He's tired and grumpy and has lost his taste and smell, but we are hopeful that it's temporary. Of course now I've been exposed because we didn't realize that's what it was -- it came on like a mild cold. His doc says that's really common with the Delta variation - the symptoms start small.

I got my test today - hopefully I didn't bring it home to hubby and sis.

 

[intothelight]

I had my vaccines in April, but now finding out that with Delta, its as if I never had them. I started wearing masks (yes double) last month after starting chemo, in a state where the mask mandates ended and everything is wide open. For all the "freedom" rhetoric, there really is no freedom as people are so polarized. Stopped to get gas last week and I had this guy comment about a "sheeple" which is a derogatory term for people who choose to wear masks as if we don't have a brain and don't stand up for our rights to be maskless.

I know that I am stressed and sick of all of it because I am becoming confrontational and it took all I had not to just pop off and tell him off. Its going to get worse and it will be crazier as more and more division is created by the media. Vaccinnes are abundant here and people choose to receive them or not receive them. There is all this finger pointing, blaming, scapegoating and the most childish stupid crap I have ever seen. No, this new surge isn't caused by the unvacinnated and perhaps its time for everyone to just grow the f*ck up and explain why in strait forward language it is important to vaccinate if you can and to take precautions to protect those that can't.

Bottom line, there are still no vaccines for children under 12 so lets protect our children, breakthrough infections are impacting the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, so being kind is wearing one for those that can't protect themselves. Just repeat that message and stop looking for blame, one-upmanship or to make a mask a personal soap box for a political agenda.

 

[Freida]

so being kind is wearing one for those that can't protect themselves.

This is the part that has baffled me since the pandemic began. If I don't believe in vaccines or covid or the man in the moon it doesn't change my responsibility as a human to do something to protect those who need help - period.

Why people are content to let the elderly and sick die simply to prove a point is just beyond me

 

[DharmaGirl]

My 86 year old dad has covid

I'm sorry this happened and I'm hoping you don't have it.

make a mask a personal soap box for a political agenda.

Yes, I have to remind myself that caring for others is the point. It not because you'll get arrested if you don't wear one, it's that your putting others at risk. I mask up all the time now, and I'm working on accepting that others can't see that it's a kindness.

No, this new surge isn't caused by the unvacinnated

However it is being driven by it. Experts say soaring COVID-19 cases are driven by delta variant among the unvaccinated

I wouldn't place blame on those people. I've read that unvaccinated people are more afraid of the vaccine than the virus, which many believe is being overplayed by the media. The areas of low vaccinations are higher in the delta variant than vaccinated areas. Sadly, many people here believe that because they didn't get it last time, they have some kind of lucky immunity and won't get the Delta variant, thus leaving themselves open to it and exposing others. This is what frightens me. Knowing that 60% of the population here aren't vaccinated and I could get a breakthrough case. I know the symptoms are mild, but I got a breakthrough case of H1N1, having had the flu shot, and had a fever of 104.2. Not interested in doing that again! My county has gone from <2 cases a day to 8 cases a day in a week. That in a county of 22,000 people in 1,905 square miles, and a city of 3,405. I know I need to take a deep breath and protect myself and others as best I can. It seems that the US didn't learn from last years variant, so this year we will repeat the same mistakes.

 

[joeylittle]

However it is being driven by it. Experts say soaring COVID-19 cases are driven by delta variant among the unvaccinated

Eh, to say "driven" is misleading and incomplete.

It makes it sound causal. And that's not necessarily true - it's certainly not proven, and it ignores other contributing factors.

What is true is - people with the vaccine are less likely to become ill. They may be less likely to spread the disease, but so far, that's inconclusive.

People without the vaccine are much more likely to become ill. They may be more likely to spread the disease, but that's not yet known.
They are definitely as likely to spread it, and much much more likely to get very sick.

What's driving the surge is largely the delta variant - that seems to be true.

The reduction in masking protocols is also very likely contributing to the surge, according to data from one study that was conducted. (Based on the way virus could be identified in the noses of unmasked vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, in the one - and only - look at a group of humans who were mostly unmasked and only partly vaccinated commingling and contracting covid).

Also interesting to note - the large majority of vaccinated individuals carrying the virus did not become ill (so far) or need to be hospitalized. But the majority of unvaccinated people, did and were.

Knowing that 60% of the population here aren't vaccinated and I could get a breakthrough case. I know the symptoms are mild, but I got a breakthrough case of H1N1, having had the flu shot, and had a fever of 104.2. Not interested in doing that again! My county has gone from <2 cases a day to 8 cases a day in a week. That in a county of 22,000 people in 1,905 square miles, and a city of 3,405.

I'm sorry to hear it, and can imagine how stressful it is. Very smart to be protecting yourself.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

2 people got Covid and were in the call center back in late July. A little worrisome.

My dad isn't wearing a mask anymore because he was vaccinated. I was too but am not wanting to ditch the mask quite yet. But so far, every place I've been don't require masks anymore except my pain dr. Including work.

 

[blackemerald1]

Unvaccinated people are more likely to become infected than those who are vaccinated. As the virus replicates itself billions of times during the course of each infection and despite the corona virus being a relatively stable virus, the potential and opportunity for a variant to emerge and become a new and substantial strain is high. This is how Delta emerged as the dominant strain and likely, if we do not vaccinate enough of the worlds population more will emerge.

 

[DharmaGirl]

This is how Delta emerged as the dominant strain

That is exactly what Dr. Fauci said! I just read it. I love Dr. Fauci.

 

[Freida]

the stupidity of people just amazes me

nurses who refuse to wear masks or get shot

This ....person. is a nurse! And yet she says "I'm willing to take the risk (not to get the shot) and die."

Good for you beotch - now if only you would offer that same choice to your patients because I don't want you anywhere near my dad if he has to come in! She could care less if she is contagious and may pass it on to others.

The reason they are making vaccinations mandatory is because they had an outbreak in the hospital between unvaccinated patients and unvaccinated nurses. And she doesn't HAVE to take the vaccine - she just has to do weekly tests and wear masks if she chooses not to. Same with the breast feeding mom. Don't take the vaccine, get tested weekly, wear a mask. Exactly how is that asking to much of you??

I can't tell you how furious this makes me because this is the hospital my dad would have to go to and I want to know he is being cared for by people who actually give a crap about their patients.
Don't want the shot? Fine. Then wear a f*cking mask or don't touch my dad.