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Australian & NZ Politics: Double Dipping in Luxonry

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Posts

  • FishmanFishman Put your goddamned hand in the goddamned Box of Pain. Registered User regular
    Dhalphir wrote: »
    Argument with a family member today who is bemoaning our ongoing border closure & says we should have just let it rip 6 months ago and it would all be over by now. Drilling down a bit, they genuinely thought COVID infection prevented future infections. The idea that a virus could more or less freely reinfect you whenever it wanted was mindblowing to them & they've completely changed their attitude. Props to them for changing an opinion in the face of information, but it makes me wonder how many "rip the bandaid off" folks have their opinions anchored in this false immunity belief.

    There's anecdotal evidence that subsequent infections increase severity or likelihood of long Covid, at least with the earlier strains. Basically, each infection does some amount of damage to things like lung tissue, and even if you're only minorly affected the first time round, that damage hasn't had a chance to fully heal by the time the next wave hits, leading to successive compounding damage worsening each time.

    Not sure where the broad science is on this, but at least one person I've seen reporting this is a reliable source for their experience, so it seems like at least some people who had a mild experience the first time round have it much worse the second or subsequent time.

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  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    Well, it didn’t take long. Rapid antigen tests are hitting ~$50 each as people selling them rip open multi-packs and sell the individual kits for more than the RRP of the multi kit. At pharmacies.

    So cheap.

    Very accessible.

    -Loki- on
  • plufimplufim Dr Registered User regular
    "I don't hold the price gun, mate"

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  • MorganVMorganV Registered User regular
    -Loki- wrote: »
    Well, it didn’t take long. Rapid antigen tests are hitting ~$50 each as people selling them rip open multi-packs and sell the individual kits for more than the RRP of the multi kit. At pharmacies.

    So cheap.

    Very accessible.

    But Scotty said that he didn't want to mess with the free market.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-03/morrison-resists-free-rapid-antigen-testing-for-covid/100735518
    "Scott Morrison says he won't 'undercut' businesses by funding free rapid antigen COVID-19 tests"

    Yeah, definitely working out better for the public to have it go this way.

    And for the record, it was ALWAYS going to go this way. Scarce and sought after resource being price gouged? Not like it's even the first time this pandemic (hand sanitizer and toilet paper were being profiteered).

  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    plufim wrote: »
    "I don't hold the price gun, mate"

    I can absolutely hear him saying this.

  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    Even lungs aside, I see people brush off loss of taste, smell, or brain fog as minor symptoms. Hello, where are those senses processed? Why are we acting so cavalier about largely unknown brain damage?

  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    The loss of smell is largely understood. The virus attacks the support cells around the neuronal cells in our nose that detect smells, with the resulting inflamation and damage often causing a problem connecting the brain to those smelling cells.

    The reason it comes back is the neuronal cells themselves are untouched by the virus (it's not capable of infecting them) so once you recover they regrow/repair the connection to the brain.

    I don't know about the other two, but that, at least, is not brain damage.

    Fortunately Omicron seems to be less likely to cause loss of taste or smell. (It's symptoms are very similar to the common cold.) Time will tell if long covid is still a thing with it, I don't think anybody knows yet, and that's what worries me the most.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • asurasur Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    Dhalphir wrote: »
    Even lungs aside, I see people brush off loss of taste, smell, or brain fog as minor symptoms. Hello, where are those senses processed? Why are we acting so cavalier about largely unknown brain damage?

    There doesn't appear to be scientific backing for brain damage caused by covid commonly occuring. Loss of smell is reasonably understood and occurs in the nose. Additionally, autopsies of covid patients show that brain damage is not common.

    Edit: maybe I'm an idiot and never actually posted a response last time. Changed post because of that.

    asur on
  • plufimplufim Dr Registered User regular
    Speaking of upcoming election, UAP is spending even MORE lately. Youtube serves me 2 in a row now, which... come on now YouTube, how is that OK.

    I am legit worried how much vote UAP gets. The hope is they're only taking votes from ON voters, but I could see them getting a fraction of voters from both major parties TBH, despite the grift being SO FUCKING OBVIOUS.

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  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    35k cases in NSW. 1491 in hospital, 119 in ICU.

    Getting worse...

  • MorganVMorganV Registered User regular
    -Loki- wrote: »
    35k cases in NSW. 1491 in hospital, 119 in ICU.

    Getting worse...

    Who could have possibly predicted that pretending it was over could result in this?

    I mean, it's so mysterious.

  • plufimplufim Dr Registered User regular
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  • McFodderMcFodder Registered User regular
    Apparently there was a prices regulation act in place (in NSW at least) right up until it was repealed in 2018 that would've stopped the gouging.

    Who could have possibly seen such a situation occurring?

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  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    Aaand Scotty backflipped. All Australians can collect up to 10 free rapid antigen tests from pharmacies with an ID check.

  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    no prizes for doing what he should have done to begin with. dumb smirky idiot.

  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    Well that’s a misleading headline.

    It’s not all Australians - it’s pensioners, low income earners and concession card holders.

    Which is great, but they already said these groups would get them for free.

    So the big media push right now is misleading - this isn’t a backflip, it’s just the states finally agreed to do what they were already talking about doing.

    -Loki- on
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    Now you don't need a pcr test if a close contact has a positive RAT. These are not collected by the government as case data, so that's more case numbers removed from the inconvenient totals making them look bad.

    Morninglord on
    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • -SPI--SPI- Osaka, JapanRegistered User regular
    Complete surrender. Every pathway and avenue of fighting the spread or controlling the virus has been utterly abandoned and every way of measuring it has been intentionally dismantled and destroyed.

  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    You’ve now also got Perrottet saying that we will see a sharp decline after we hit the peak of this outbreak, because it happened in South Africa with their Omicron outbreak.

    No, we don’t know what the peak will be.
    No, we aren’t doing anything to reduce that peak.

    But it’ll happen. Just trust us. Maybe don’t die before then?

    -Loki- on
  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    That was unexpected - Rapid Antigen tests also now fall under the Biosecurity Act. In terms of pricing, they can’t be marked up more than 120%, or the seller faces jail time.

    There’s shop owners all over NSW right now in a panic redoing their pricing.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    The best bit, I thought, was where ScoMo said when schools went back he wanted to make sure they stayed back.
    Or maybe where he removed the OH&S requirement on businesses to provide a safe working environment from Covid, to conserve on rapid test use.

  • ButlerButler 89 episodes or bust Registered User regular
  • KelorKelor Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    Butler wrote: »

    ukapozjs80c7.png

    Sorry, original photo was from my phone.

    Kelor on
  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    We're descending into farce.
    After yesterday's capitulation to Covid, the PM is about to give another presser about the denial of a visa to Djokovic.
    Surely there's matters of more national importance to take charge on.

    ... he's talking about Japan.
    Maybe this is not about Djokovic but simply the next presser and opportunity to question him about the matter.

    discrider on
  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    The Djokovic shit certainly seems conveniently timed.

    Record cases, rising hospitalisations and ICU admissions, medical staff working while infected, shortages of PCR testing kits and rapid anti.... Hey, look at this tennis asshole?

    The only thing stopping me thinking it was actually planned is I doubt Dan Andrews would give Scotty the time of day, let alone plan this distraction. Just seems Tennis Australia did something stupid and Scotty is latching onto it because it's a great distraction for news outlets.

    -Loki- on
  • AntoshkaAntoshka Miauen Oil Change LazarusRegistered User regular
    I mean, in fairness, the fact that a rich tennis player being granted an exemption to play caused such a reaction also meant that attempting to get the Victorian government to sign off on it, then when they refused, make a show of refusing to allow that exemption is pretty good political theatre, as far as getting public plaudits while actually doing nothing at all.

    I mean, it also means nothing has really been done to address the current situation, but that also seems par for the course.

    n57PM0C.jpg
  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    Apparently he never even had a medical exemption. He just tried to bullshit his way into the country?

  • GvzbgulGvzbgul Registered User regular
    Butler wrote: »
    I know it's not ideal, but maybe unvaccinated negative nurses would be useful? Stricter rules would keep a ose eye on them, enabling there to be more nurses available?

  • Mr RayMr Ray Sarcasm sphereRegistered User regular
    I'm in the U.K right now. Wouldn't be here by choice, but I have a terminally ill family member who I wanted to see one last time before their slow inevitable descent into a vegatative state so... yeah.

    For everything that Australia has fucked up, the U.K is saying "Hold my beer" and fucking it up 10,000 times harder. The strategy here seems to be to just sort of ignore it and hope it goes away; high level government officials are still talking about "herd immunity", ignoring (or more terrifyingly, perhaps not ignoring) that achieving "herd immunity" still means thousands more people will die. Pretty much everything is still open; England just recently voted not to close the nightclubs; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have at least closed theirs. There is an app for checking into places like ours but almost nowhere uses it since contact tracing is pretty much pointless given the number of cases in the wild.

    I had to get a PCR test today since they want proof of a negative test before they'll let me on the plane, and Australia's requirements are more strict than other country's; some will accept a LFT or a self-administered home PCR, Australia will only accept a supervised PCR. The usual procedure here seems to be that you do the test yourself so I had to stick the swab up my own nose, just under the supervision of a pharmacist who signed a thing to confirm that I didn't swap my sample out with somebody else's or something.

    I had to get a bus to the testing centre and half of the passengers weren't wearning masks, and an old lady who got on sat directly in front of me rather than in literally any of the other seats on the mostly-empty bus. Yay. So I decided to get an Uber back since I figured that would be less risky... and the driver wasn't wearing a mask and had a big sign on his dashboard that said "I AM EXEMPT FROM WEARING A MASK". Yeah, sure you are. No tip for you, dipshit.

    The one thing they do seem to be doing better here is that lateral flow tests are freely available to everyone at pharmacies (yay NHS). Supplies are apparently stretched but I've personally had no problem securing enough for myself, just had to check a couple of different pharmacies before I found somewhere that still had stock. So the tools to keep yourself safe are there for those who are still actually trying to do that, but it feels like a large percentage of the population has given up on taking even the most basic precautions.

    So yeah. Travel to other countries is now at least possible, but I really wouldn't recommend it unless you also have a dying relative that you urgently need to see; its a bit of an ordeal right now. Cannot get back home soon enough; it feels like getting Omicron is really just a matter of time here.

  • lonelyahavalonelyahava Call me Ahava ~~She/Her~~ Move to New ZealandRegistered User regular
    I do have a dying relative.

    And I'm still not going to take the risk.

    There no guarantee that I can get back to NZ in any decent time. And mom doesn't want me rushing to her bedside to wait for her to die.

    I'm sorry you're going through this as well, Ray.

    Be safe on your way back home.

  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    I'm sorry to hear that ray.

    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • MorninglordMorninglord I'm tired of being Batman, so today I'll be Owl.Registered User regular
    Butler wrote: »

    Don't worry they gaslighted this the next day it isn't really happening the evidence says so everything is fine please go away.

    (PSN: Morninglord) (Steam: Morninglord) (WiiU: Morninglord22) I like to record and toss up a lot of random gaming videos here.
  • ArchangleArchangle Registered User regular
    Mr Ray wrote: »
    I'm in the U.K right now. Wouldn't be here by choice, but I have a terminally ill family member who I wanted to see one last time before their slow inevitable descent into a vegatative state so... yeah.

    For everything that Australia has fucked up, the U.K is saying "Hold my beer" and fucking it up 10,000 times harder. The strategy here seems to be to just sort of ignore it and hope it goes away; high level government officials are still talking about "herd immunity", ignoring (or more terrifyingly, perhaps not ignoring) that achieving "herd immunity" still means thousands more people will die. Pretty much everything is still open; England just recently voted not to close the nightclubs; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have at least closed theirs. There is an app for checking into places like ours but almost nowhere uses it since contact tracing is pretty much pointless given the number of cases in the wild.

    I had to get a PCR test today since they want proof of a negative test before they'll let me on the plane, and Australia's requirements are more strict than other country's; some will accept a LFT or a self-administered home PCR, Australia will only accept a supervised PCR. The usual procedure here seems to be that you do the test yourself so I had to stick the swab up my own nose, just under the supervision of a pharmacist who signed a thing to confirm that I didn't swap my sample out with somebody else's or something.

    I had to get a bus to the testing centre and half of the passengers weren't wearning masks, and an old lady who got on sat directly in front of me rather than in literally any of the other seats on the mostly-empty bus. Yay. So I decided to get an Uber back since I figured that would be less risky... and the driver wasn't wearing a mask and had a big sign on his dashboard that said "I AM EXEMPT FROM WEARING A MASK". Yeah, sure you are. No tip for you, dipshit.

    The one thing they do seem to be doing better here is that lateral flow tests are freely available to everyone at pharmacies (yay NHS). Supplies are apparently stretched but I've personally had no problem securing enough for myself, just had to check a couple of different pharmacies before I found somewhere that still had stock. So the tools to keep yourself safe are there for those who are still actually trying to do that, but it feels like a large percentage of the population has given up on taking even the most basic precautions.

    So yeah. Travel to other countries is now at least possible, but I really wouldn't recommend it unless you also have a dying relative that you urgently need to see; its a bit of an ordeal right now. Cannot get back home soon enough; it feels like getting Omicron is really just a matter of time here.
    My impression talking with my UK friends and family, underlying thinking seems to be "Things are less bad, so it must be... good?"

    They don't say this out loud, but phrases like "We've broken the case-fatality link" and "The numbers are pretty good" are relatively common, and when I point out that the UK is still experiencing well over 100 deaths per day (in the last week they had a day with 332 reported deaths) there's usually a pause, something to the effect of "I don't think it's THAT high..." usually followed by "Well, it's still not as bad as January 2021 when we saw over 1000 deaths per day".

    The UK screwed up incredibly badly, but the result is a public (including my friends, who I consider pretty liberal and scientifically literate) that has just been beaten into numbness, willing to accept anything that isn't what they went through 12 months ago.

    And it looks like NSW and the Aus Federal govt have looked at those overseas examples and decided that's the model they want to follow.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    Want Covid?
    Come to Canberra for SUMMERNATS
    We closed our major Covid testing centre for this
    THIS WEEKEND

    Also Coronacast podcast is back early on the ABC Listen app (only weekly at the moment for a 'holiday')
    General Practitioner info-ad guy, Norman Swan, describing our current strategy as a hope and a prayer.
    Also, to plan on getting infected and prepare food etc accordingly.

    Current Norman Swan Omicronometer panic rating(s):
    On Hospitalisations: Brown Trousers and Bicycle clips
    On policy for next outbreaks: Brown Trousers and Bicycle clips
    This Pandemic: Just Brown Trousers

    discrider on
  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    summernats is still on?
    christ.

  • TastyfishTastyfish Registered User regular
    edited January 2022
    In our defence, no one expects you to tip bus drivers. Also, um...ah yeah. No, fair enough.

    Tastyfish on
  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    Our hard right religious premier just banned singing and dancing in hospitality venues.

    It seems irony is still dead.

  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    oh my god, after the mockery McGowan got when he did the same for WA over xmas, I actually can't hold all this schadenfreude

  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    also, finally some messaging is starting to walk back the very irresponsible early usage of the word "mild"

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-07/who-says-delta-is-still-dominant-globally-and-omicron-isnt-mild/100743788

  • -Loki--Loki- Don't pee in my mouth and tell me it's raining. Registered User regular
    Dhalphir wrote: »
    oh my god, after the mockery McGowan got when he did the same for WA over xmas, I actually can't hold all this schadenfreude

    I was making a joke about the Reverend in Footloose. I did not realize he also gave McGowan shit for doing this.

    This timeline sucks.

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