Déjà vu in Melbourne? Please let it not escalate.

[countessalmirena]

We don't know yet exactly what sort of lockdown it will be.

We don't know yet exactly how severe it will be, what things will be further restricted.

We don't know yet exactly how long the lockdown will be imposed.

But we know that there will be a lockdown.

I'm so disheartened by the fact that this was preventable. What possessed case number 5 (the case who contracted COVID-19 from the Wollert cluster (via a missing link, probably?) to ignore his symptoms for more than 4 days? What possessed him to go out and about while symptomatic? Was he wearing a mask? (I'll take a wild stab at it and say no, he probably wasn't.) Was he socially distancing? (Clearly not.)

Taken in conjunction with the general complacency and vaccine reluctance, the discarding of masks in public transport, the lack of enforcement (with police chiefs being - in my view - a bit ridiculous in scoffing at the task of enforcing health directives), the surging together of people  much closer than 1.5 metres when we know - surely we call know! - that this pandemic is far from over, and the number of people who are shaking hands and kissing and hugging... it's making my heart sink like a concrete boot.

I skipped wearing a mask twice recently, I admit. I had it with me, but I popped into the bank and thought it would be a good idea not to obscure my face for security reasons. I also went to a supermarket for one item, late at night just before it closed. It was not wise. Oh! And one more time... at the Melbourne Recital Centre while enjoying a fabulous concert. Every other time, yes, I've masked up. But now I feel foolish, and I won't be making any exceptions.

Stupid-decision-making people could be walking around in any part of Melbourne or indeed Victoria, refusing to be tested, brushing off their symptoms, scoffing at the notion of wearing a mask or sanitising their hands.

And more political point-scoring is being launched as well. I've no patience for it; we need to be working together to resolve these problems, and stamp out this outbreak. Ironically it is because we as a country have been doing so well that the complacent behaviour has crept back.

Fellow Melbournians and Victorians, we just have to be strong, and let's do our best to reiterate that the hygiene behaviours (    and unfortunately now (probably) as well) MUST be followed until Australia has achieved herd immunity - and even after that, we should at the very least maintain hand hygiene and cough etiquette.

Let's try to lead the world into effective long-term behaviour change.

And God help us all as we enter into whatever lockdown hell lies before us. *virtual hug* - because that's the only sort I can give you.

[countessalmirena]

I was surprised, in view of having no adverse effects with the first jab, apart (possibly) from fatigue for 2 days. The fatigue could very well have had another cause.

It is unusual to have worse side effects from the second dose.

Hopefully I will feel like swinging from chandeliers tomorrow.

Melbournians, we are the only ones to truly understand (from personal experience) the crushing emotional effect of an extended tough lockdown. I think it’s that memory which drives almost every Victorian (esp. those in Greater Melbourne) to comply with the health orders because we KNOW they work, we KNOW Delta is even more tenacious and able to infect, and we would do pretty well anything to avoid another long lockdown.

[springyzone]

You've got a kind heart, countess. Only stocks. I was out at lunch with some friends on Thursday and one suggested put up against a wall and shot!😄 Works for me. LOL

This week, there have been about 661 Covid cases reported in NSW. 22 of them were in overseas arrivals.

173 of them were from unknown sources. Those figures were from yesterday. Today there are 111 new local cases.

So let's see. That makes 774 current cases, but maybe only about 750 of them local.

Now let's compare to Vic last year. We were in lockdown. And probably a harsher lockdown than Sydney has had.

On 7 July, Vic had 645 active cases. By 9 July, we had 886 cases and by 14 July we had 1803 active cases. On 21 July, we had over 3000 cases.

That's how fast it can spread and we didn't have the delta variant. Things here escalated wildly right up to mid August but after that, they started to improve.

So by my calculations, I would be surprised if Sydney or NSW is totally on top of this for another month and the lockdown may in fact last longer. I get the impression some in NSW thought they were bullet proof & there was no need for harsh general lockdowns, but unfortunately sometimes there is.

Sydney is like Melb in many ways, quite densely populated, busy roads and public transport etc, so the potential is there for a more rapid spread.

I hope I am wrong and that things come under control faster. You never know, we may get lucky.

Countess, what are your symptoms? I have a friend who had the pfizer and spent 2 weeks in bed with all the symptoms of covid, could hardly breathe for 4 days and unable to get around and walk much for 14. She didn't report her symptoms because the website to do so said in small print they would not guarantee it was a safe site and that her phone system was not compromised.

I suspect it is a generic warning like those products that 'may have been manufactured on machines that also process nuts' etc but it was enough to stop her reporting it.

That's a shame as I think all adverse reactions should be recorded. Hopefully you will be a lot better soon.

[springyzone]

Update; Covid live website is showing slightly different stats. 1,039 active cases in NSW. We can probably expect to see about 20 more deaths then, unfortunately.

[eol-products]

Are you allowing for the number of over 70's that are vaccinated. I think I read it was around 75% which is something they did not have last year. 

[countessalmirena]

Springy, I have the following symptoms (which started on last Monday, late afternoon):

  • fatigue

  • aching joints / body aches

  • inability to concentrate / lightheadedness

  • irritated throat (increasingly uncomfortable)

  • cough

The body aches are a bit better; ditto with lightheadedness. Irritated throat significantly improved. Cough is occasional. Still in a cloud of fatigue.

[springyzone]

---

@eol-products wrote:

Are you allowing for the number of over 70's that are vaccinated. I think I read it was around 75% which is something they did not have last year. 

---

No, you're right, I had not allowed for that. That could be a big help and keep fatalities down. Let's hope so, anyway.

I was reading that over 60% of those with covid are under 40s I think it was. Figures, as they are probably on the move more, more likely to work etc

I was also reading that the delta variant is sometimes more serious when it hits young people, but I guess we will see. The whole thing with covid is I think we are still learning and just when we think we have a grip, it seems to change.

Countess, sorry to read of your symptoms.  Thanks for replying. Wish we could put a response along the lines of facebook choices, I would have done the caring heart one or at least the sad face. Thumbs up didn't seem appropriate.

PS Maybe get your blood pressure checked. A friend had light headedness after her vaccine and it turned out her BP went up to 220 for an hour, then back to normal.

[janeababe]

It is common for some side effects with first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine but not the second dose.

While  with the Pfizer,  it is the other way around. Little to no side effects with the first dose, but notable side effects with the second dose.

I’ve had both my doses now. AstraZeneca.  The first dose, I was heavily affected for about 4 weeks….. I actually slept almost 3 days straight from about 2hrs post injection…. Then sported a migraine that lasted approx 10 days with pain relief giving little effect. Body aches and pains and general malaise for about 4 weeks. Almost like a hangover. Not easy when you work shift work, all three shifts in the one roster. That didn’t help.

Then, at around week 6 post first vaccination, the hives started to appear. Two or three at a time, the itch driving me mad.  Still getting them. I reported my side affects to the TGA. Got an automated response back. *sigh*.

Had my second AZ jab on the 8th…. Absolutely no side effects what’s-so-ever. Not even pain at injection site (I get my shots in the thigh, always do) 

So, I’m happy with that at least, but the hives continue. GP gave me a script for prednisone, but that didn’t work. Nothing works, and I’ve tried just about everything plausible, for itch.

At least, though, I’m not ill and I don’t have delta-covid….. so I’m grateful for that. 

Hope  you feel better soon, Countess. 💋

[springyzone]

You poor thing, Jane. You really had a bad time of it by the sounds of things.

My daughter was just saying the removalists are Afghanis and are now claiming they didn't understand, it was all a lack of English.

I am not sure this should be accepted. We are 18 months into the pandemic, it is not as if people don't know about quarantine or the need to isolate if they have covid.

And if someone doesn't have English, there are enough translation services online to find out. If people are in a job that requires them to move interstate, it should be their job to find out.

I am getting very sick of people who pull the race or language card for a 'get home free' result.

[ambercat16]

And now South Australia is in lockdown!  Well, from 6:00pm tonight they will be:

South Australia moves to lockdown 

My sister in law and her husband were flying here from Adelaide this Saturday for a couple of weeks but that's now been cancelled😳☹️.  This delta strain is scarily contagious.  Hopefully they will be able to try again next month if it settles down a bit.

[springyzone]

Just a general reply.

The stats coming in from NSW at first glance don't look good.

164 new cases announced today.

If anyone is living in NSW, it might make them feel dejected or that they're losing the battle.

They are not.

The good news is the numbers haven't really escalated greatly. In Melbourne last year, they rose steadily to 400 a day and peaked at over 800 a day in August. Yet we still had it beaten by Nov.

So don't give up on lockdown, it won't work overnight but it will work (to paraphrase an old ad).