PCFormat Forum Archive

Ron2K wrote:

1. Full national lockdown: shutdown freedom of movement within the country and close national (and even state) borders. Chosen by New Zealand, China, Hong Kong Taiwan, and now South Africa too.
2. Partial lockdown relying on social distancing and mass testing, isolation and contact tracing to prevent the rapid spread of COVID-19: the Singapore and South Korea model.
3. Let the virus rip and sacrifice the old and medically compromised. I guess that's the ultimate in "taking one for the team". The United States is the obvious example here.

Aus seems to be going with Option 2
My wife works at the local hospital and they have only had 3 cases there so far, but they are bracing for impact...

hamin_aus wrote: ↑30 Mar 2020, 20:20

Ron2K wrote:

1. Full national lockdown: shutdown freedom of movement within the country and close national (and even state) borders. Chosen by New Zealand, China, Hong Kong Taiwan, and now South Africa too.
2. Partial lockdown relying on social distancing and mass testing, isolation and contact tracing to prevent the rapid spread of COVID-19: the Singapore and South Korea model.
3. Let the virus rip and sacrifice the old and medically compromised. I guess that's the ultimate in "taking one for the team". The United States is the obvious example here.

Aus seems to be going with Option 2
My wife works at the local hospital and they have only had 3 cases there so far, but they are bracing for impact...

Pretty sure we'll head for 1 if things don't get under control. Fortunately each state can lock it's borders pretty well so I guess it will depend on the different territories.

Tribble wrote: ↑30 Mar 2020, 15:51 @RustyPup - piranha my dear man - piranha.

@Ryanrich yes and it sux - badly!!! Way to kick a country when it is down and other countries cannot even afford to invest. Ah wait - we will be owned by China soon....

@Prime - the more tests they run - the higher our numbers are going to climb. We know our labs are slower than most - mainly due to inferior or lack of equipment. I do not think it is a staffing issue. But should that lab techs get ill - our rate is going to drop while the death rate soars.

Yeah, it shouldn't take 4 days to get a result. That's disgraceful. Given that we have no shortage of pathology labs, I don't get the hold up.

And SA has biological research facilities capable of dealing with deadly pathogens. Mate of my sister's works in one of them. SA also has the facility to do gene sequencing.

It's just a lack of organisation.

Well Aus shut down travel between states already and have banned public gatherings of more than 2 people.
They are also attempting to set restrictions on how many people can be in a house - they have said its max occupants + 1 visitor (good luck enforcing that)
Movement limited to questing for essentials only (this includes trips to the goddam hairdresser??) and a $1000 spot fine if you are caught loitering or congregating unnecessarily.

Very Orwellian

Prime wrote: ↑31 Mar 2020, 01:48 it shouldn't take 4 days to get a result.

Swab tests take time and meticulous process. Get sample, extract RNA - which will be moderately contaminated because the swab sample will carry a whole slew of other bugs which are just a part of living on this planet - prep the RNA for PCR then actually run the PCR and verify whether the results closely match those expected for COVID-19, within acceptable limits, or whether they're possibly one of the 10 or so other coronavirus variants which we live with as a matter of course.

rustypup wrote: ↑31 Mar 2020, 09:12

Prime wrote: ↑31 Mar 2020, 01:48 it shouldn't take 4 days to get a result.

Swab tests take time and meticulous process. Get sample, extract RNA - which will be moderately contaminated because the swab sample will carry a whole slew of other bugs which are just a part of living on this planet - prep the RNA for PCR then actually run the PCR and verify whether the results closely match those expected for COVID-19, within acceptable limits, or whether they're possibly one of the 10 or so other coronavirus variants which we live with as a matter of course.

There is now a new test that takes less than 30 minutes I believe. Heard about it on TV last night.

This was an interesting read
https://www.vox.com/2020/3/30/21186822/ ... r-antibody

rustypup wrote: ↑31 Mar 2020, 09:12

Prime wrote: ↑31 Mar 2020, 01:48 it shouldn't take 4 days to get a result.

Swab tests take time and meticulous process. Get sample, extract RNA - which will be moderately contaminated because the swab sample will carry a whole slew of other bugs which are just a part of living on this planet - prep the RNA for PCR then actually run the PCR and verify whether the results closely match those expected for COVID-19, within acceptable limits, or whether they're possibly one of the 10 or so other coronavirus variants which we live with as a matter of course.

Have you seen how far that swab needs to be shoved down your nose ? it gives a new meaning to deep nose.....

hamin_aus wrote: ↑31 Mar 2020, 03:54 Well Aus shut down travel between states already and have banned public gatherings of more than 2 people.
They are also attempting to set restrictions on how many people can be in a house - they have said its max occupants + 1 visitor (good luck enforcing that)
Movement limited to questing for essentials only (this includes trips to the goddam hairdresser??) and a $1000 spot fine if you are caught loitering or congregating unnecessarily.

Very Orwellian

Every time I see or hear the word "loitering", I imagine Wanda Sykes on the street corner in Pootie Tang.

Yeah but it can be done in 4 flipping hours.

Hire the insurance companies to return the results. They have the call centre infrastructure.

@

https://mybroadband.co.za/forum/attachm ... ng.810869/

Mmmm cannot get this to display. What am I doing wrong ?

KALSTER wrote: ↑02 Apr 2020, 13:41

Yes that is what I tried to show without hosting it

Had to upload it to imgur and then copy the image link.

https://respectfulinsolence.com/2020/04 ... DJAO9bL3DY

The day the first claims cane out, they sounded very suspect. We've had this drug for decades and it's never ever done anything antiviral before...in fact, we stopped using it because Fulsiparum was resistant to it (another thing I have to keep telling at people who were promoting the crap that it was a miracle cure and simultaneously saying we were using it to treat malaria. Which is also parasite, not a **** virus!).

Prime wrote: ↑02 Apr 2020, 13:51 https://respectfulinsolence.com/2020/04 ... DJAO9bL3DY

The day the first claims cane out, they sounded very suspect. We've had this drug for decades and it's never ever done anything antiviral before...in fact, we stopped using it because Fulsiparum was resistant to it (another thing I have to keep telling at people who were promoting the crap that it was a miracle cure and simultaneously saying we were using it to treat malaria. Which is also parasite, not a **** virus!).

But Trump said it, so it must be true.

wizardofid wrote: ↑30 Mar 2020, 11:12

ryanrich wrote: ↑30 Mar 2020, 11:09 COVID-19 plus Junk Status has hit South Africa at literally the worst time, Rand is taking a hammering.

It is pretty stable. It has improve 20 odd cents already, from the R18.00+ it was this morning.Even if it increases, as long as it remains stable, we should be fine.

R18,74 at the moment.

I’m just glad I transferred all my money out of SA just in time at R9,73, I would’ve lost a good few hundred thousand at the current rate of R11,34 to the AUD.

We have spoken to our suppliers and have asked if we can defer billing our clients until after the lockdown. They have graciously agreed. Most of our clients are community stations and would not be able to afford the dollar at this time. Really hoping that things return to close to normal when this settles down (unlikely that it will be over for a very long time). Times are going to be tough.

@ryanrich I hope everyone who has left did that. Things are going to be bad everywhere for a while.

My measly pension is still in SA. I was planning on moving it in March when I visited.

At least I have a Super here.

Tribble wrote: ↑03 Apr 2020, 10:39 @ryanrich I hope everyone who has left did that. Things are going to be bad everywhere for a while.

Yup, over R19 to the USD now, my Dad is even starting to move money from his company to offshore. Going to get way worse before it gets better, but I think SA might be in big trouble at the moment with the economy looking to shrink by 23%.

https://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/379 ... a-forecast

ryanrich wrote: ↑04 Apr 2020, 06:21

Tribble wrote: ↑03 Apr 2020, 10:39 @ryanrich I hope everyone who has left did that. Things are going to be bad everywhere for a while.

Yup, over R19 to the USD now, my Dad is even starting to move money from his company to offshore. Going to get way worse before it gets better, but I think SA might be in big trouble at the moment with the economy looking to shrink by 23%.

https://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/379 ... a-forecast

I know. Luckily our portfolios are split across - but yes - losing a lot already. And they say the exchange could go as high as 23
Just really having faith that it will normalise to something a lot lower. People pulling money out of SA is only going to do more damage - but it is understandable.

Found this but my brain doesn't want to read - but it looks interesting

https://www.news24.com/Analysis/analysi ... r-20200402

Downloading COD Warzone - so will read this later

Tribble wrote: ↑04 Apr 2020, 09:10 Found this but my brain doesn't want to read - but it looks interesting

https://www.news24.com/Analysis/analysi ... r-20200402

Downloading COD Warzone - so will read this later

Yeah, I've been looking at the way South Africans (Most anyway) responded to this, as well as the stark difference in leadership under Cyril during a crisis (vs the first world) and I'm slightly jealous (I'm still not leaving Australia since SA has an entire ocean to cross to justify me going back )

South Africa will have a hard time for several years, but I feel like they also have an opportunity to seize and if Cyril keeps leading like this (And the opposition grows a pair of brain cells and work with the ruling party - I hold out hope for Steenhuizen, not so much for Juju), there is a good chance SA could turn this into an opportunity. If South Africa can stay ahead of the curve, they have an opportunity to attract investment into medical research and manufacturing to be able offer support globally.

The US healthcare system is going to crash and burn, much like many of the European ones. (The Swedish public healthcare system is awful by the way. We have a swedish work colleague here and he's stayed in Australia because he'll get free public health care if he gets Covid-19 in Australia, he won't get the same quality of health care in Sweden until he's actually dying) .

There are already people dying in the US because they don't have health insurance. Here people will die, because our free state hospitals are terrible.

KALSTER wrote: ↑04 Apr 2020, 16:36 There are already people dying in the US because they don't have health insurance. Here people will die, because our free state hospitals are terrible.

Well it can cost you 30k in USD if you get admitted for COVID 19.

Oh, and you'll loose your job because why have sick leave

Prime wrote:Yeah, I've been looking at the way South Africans (Most anyway) responded to this, as well as the stark difference in leadership under Cyril during a crisis (vs the first world) and I'm slightly jealous

A broken clock is right twice a day.
Just because South Africa had the correct response to this doesn't mean they are in a better position to deal with it - medically or economically
While I strongly dislike ScoMo, he hasn't responded badly to this. He's obviously learned some lessons from his bushfire fiasco...
Also all states except NSW have been dealing with this situation competently. They may not have Ramaposa's flair, but what they do have are the resources to mitigate all the ***** thats coming during and especially after this pandemic - which is more valuable.
I'm not jealous at all and feel fortunate to be where I am right now.