Australian (ASX) Stock Market Forum

Coronavirus (COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2) outbreak discussion

Will the "Corona Virus" turn into a worldwide epidemic or fizzle out?

  • Yes

    Votes: 37 49.3%

  • No

    Votes: 9 12.0%

  • Bigger than SARS, but not worldwide epidemic (Black Death/bubonic plague)

    Votes: 25 33.3%

  • Undecided

    Votes: 4 5.3%
  • Total voters
    75
Jump to new
My doctor tells me that unfortunately Covid-19 is a coronavirus and not a pox. It has few symptoms before it spreads and so on. There is I am told a more spreadable form in Queensland, now.

If it were a pox particularly a pox that affected the face, people would not congregate and spread it, because of the pocks or holes in their face with slime oozing out of their face.

slime.jpg


This is because people in spite of all the publicity are not very bright when it comes to illness unless they can see it or have symptoms from it or are affected by it.

And thus it spreads.

That's what my doctor says.

gg
 

Wuhan’s Covid Cases May Have Been 10 Times Higher, Study Shows​
​
  • Some 500,000 may have been infected in China’s virus epicenter
  • China has been criticized for allegedly undercounting its data
​
The scale of the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan early this year may have been nearly 10 times the recorded tally, a study conducted by China’s public health authorities indicates, leaving the city where the coronavirus first took hold still well short of the immunity required to protect against a potential resurgence.​
​
About 4.4% of those tested were found to have specific antibodies that can fight off the pathogen that causes Covid-19, indicating they were infected some time in the past, according to a serological survey of more than 34,000 people conducted in April by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The data was released late Monday.​
​
That ratio would suggest that with Wuhan home to about 11 million people, as many as 500,000 residents may have been infected, nearly 10 times more than the 50,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases reported by health authorities in mid-April, when the survey was conducted.​
​
China has been criticized internationally for its initial handling of the outbreak, which has spread around the world in a global pandemic in the year since the first cases emerged. The U.S. has raised questions about China’s accounting of the virus fallout in Wuhan, which was quickly eclipsed by larger outbreaks in Europe and North America. A number of revisions of the case and deaths data added to suspicions China was massaging the numbers.​



 
noirua said:
WHO says coronavirus pandemic is not necessarily 'the big one' | Daily Mail Online

The World Health Organization has warned that the coronavirus pandemic is 'not necessarily the big one' and that a more deadly virus could yet sweep the globe.
Click to expand...

It would be interesting to know the parameters of what would be defined as the big one.

Would it be 1% mortality rate across all age groups and countries? And even that would only be part of the picture.

1609327329854.png


Interesting figures, so if a virus wiped out approx 1% of the world population in a year, it would hardly make a dent on the growth of the bacteria/virus consuming the planet - humans. Approx 1 years growth.

The question is if a virus killed 1% of the world, what happens to the other 99%, what are the long term effects?

In order for the planet earth to keep housing us (virus) humans in a sustainable way, what can the earth support human population.

I also find it ironic, that countries spend $$$$$ to create weapons to kill humans and also spend $$$$$$ to save humans from weapons we cannot control, mother nature.
 
Looks like people in nsw are finally doing the right thing. Super quiet out there. Looks like everyone stayed at home. Its so quiet it looks like a Monday night.
 
Come on all you lazy "fat" bastards on the General Chat Thread and enter the stock picking competition.

And post in the thread of your pick. Let us get to 100 entries in the January 2021 Comp.

gg

external-content.duckduckgo.com.gif
 
I was going to post this in the economic implications of coronavirus thread, but thought it was more general in nature so posted it here, priceless IMO, when you consider how many we have unemployed.
www.abc.net.au

Some farmers thrive, others despair, as seasonal worker crisis rages on

Farmers abandon crops in increasing numbers as frustration builds and negotiations between governments hit an impasse on the labour shortage crisis.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
From the article:
Increasingly having to abandon unpicked crops, farmers in some states have entered the new year with little progress on securing additional workers from the Pacific Islands to help with their harvests.

Frustration is building in states where no progress has been made, with not all state, territory and federal governments agreeing on the path forward.

Growers traditionally use local labour, supplemented with backpackers or seasonal workers flown in from overseas.

But with a COVID-induced shortfall of 26,000 seasonal workers, produce in some areas is withering before it can be picked and crops are dying before they can be harvested, as debate over what to do about the labour crisis continues.


"We need thousands, tens of thousands, more workers and we needed them yesterday — already Queensland crops have been left in the field to die."
Click to expand...
There has been much criticism of the inaction of state governments in finalising quarantine arrangements for foreign workers.

However, Mr Cattle said the problem could be solved with the stroke of a pen if the Federal Government set up a travel bubble for Pacific Islanders.

He suggested the New Zealand travel bubble system be adapted to include 22,000 pre-vetted islander workers.


Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud this week repeated calls for the states to take action and fix the situation.

He said the situation had been coming "at us like a freight train" since March.

"We continue to press them to say that we're ready to stamp the visas … but we still haven't seen them come up with any large-scale quarantine arrangements," Mr Littleproud said.


Some states have made progress.

About 160 seasonal workers flew into Perth from Vanuatu last week.

Another flight has been approved to bring a further 158 Pacific Islanders into Western Australia next week, with a third group expected to arrive in March.

What a hoot, then you read this article.
www.abc.net.au

Out-of-work Aussies are being offered up to $6,000 to relocate for harvest jobs, but only 148 have signed up

Attempts to encourage Australians who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic to take up farm work appear to be failing, despite large cash incentives.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
From the article:
Attempts to encourage Australians who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic to take up farm work appear to be failing, despite cash incentives to help cover accommodation and the cost of moving to rural areas.

According to figures from the Federal Department of Employment, a program that offers Australians who move to regional areas to take up harvest jobs has only attracted 148 workers in the month it has been operating.

The Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job program offers workers up to $6,000 to cover things like transport, accommodation, and uniform — provided the employee works a minimum of six weeks.

"The numbers really aren't surprising," said Tyson Cattle from horticulture lobby group AusVeg.

"We're supportive of those sorts of initiatives, and we'll always look to employ Australians first and foremost, but trying to engage with the domestic worker audience just hasn't worked."
Click to expand...


Australia you bloody beauty, you know you are standing in it.
Improve the NBN so we can get uber eats quicker and not interupt our bloody streaming, at least lock downs aren't a problem, sitting on our ar$e has become a national pastime lol . :xyxthumbs
I think 2021, is going to be exciting.
 
sptrawler said:
I was going to post this in the economic implications of coronavirus thread, but thought it was more general in nature so posted it here, priceless IMO, when you consider how many we have unemployed.
www.abc.net.au

Some farmers thrive, others despair, as seasonal worker crisis rages on

Farmers abandon crops in increasing numbers as frustration builds and negotiations between governments hit an impasse on the labour shortage crisis.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
From the article:
Increasingly having to abandon unpicked crops, farmers in some states have entered the new year with little progress on securing additional workers from the Pacific Islands to help with their harvests.

Frustration is building in states where no progress has been made, with not all state, territory and federal governments agreeing on the path forward.

Growers traditionally use local labour, supplemented with backpackers or seasonal workers flown in from overseas.

But with a COVID-induced shortfall of 26,000 seasonal workers, produce in some areas is withering before it can be picked and crops are dying before they can be harvested, as debate over what to do about the labour crisis continues.



There has been much criticism of the inaction of state governments in finalising quarantine arrangements for foreign workers.

However, Mr Cattle said the problem could be solved with the stroke of a pen if the Federal Government set up a travel bubble for Pacific Islanders.

He suggested the New Zealand travel bubble system be adapted to include 22,000 pre-vetted islander workers.


Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud this week repeated calls for the states to take action and fix the situation.

He said the situation had been coming "at us like a freight train" since March.

"We continue to press them to say that we're ready to stamp the visas … but we still haven't seen them come up with any large-scale quarantine arrangements," Mr Littleproud said.


Some states have made progress.

About 160 seasonal workers flew into Perth from Vanuatu last week.

Another flight has been approved to bring a further 158 Pacific Islanders into Western Australia next week, with a third group expected to arrive in March.

What a hoot, then you read this article.
www.abc.net.au

Out-of-work Aussies are being offered up to $6,000 to relocate for harvest jobs, but only 148 have signed up

Attempts to encourage Australians who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic to take up farm work appear to be failing, despite large cash incentives.
www.abc.net.au www.abc.net.au
From the article:
Attempts to encourage Australians who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic to take up farm work appear to be failing, despite cash incentives to help cover accommodation and the cost of moving to rural areas.

According to figures from the Federal Department of Employment, a program that offers Australians who move to regional areas to take up harvest jobs has only attracted 148 workers in the month it has been operating.

The Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job program offers workers up to $6,000 to cover things like transport, accommodation, and uniform — provided the employee works a minimum of six weeks.

"The numbers really aren't surprising," said Tyson Cattle from horticulture lobby group AusVeg.




Australia you bloody beauty, you know you are standing in it.
Improve the NBN so we can get uber eats quicker and not interupt our bloody streaming, at least lock downs aren't a problem, sitting on our ar$e has become a national pastime lol . :xyxthumbs
I think 2021, is going to be exciting.
Click to expand...
Its hard bloody work. Not surprised no one wants to do it. Farmers can be exploitive prcks too. I worked through a few rural towns when I was younger.
A mate of mine got stuck building fences in the middle of nowhere. They charged him $10 a bottle of water and $50 a meal (can food). He started drinking from a creek (40 degree days) getting sick and hallucinating. I ended up flying him out of there as he was lucky to get $40 for 12 hour days.

There's also the ones that use to rape backpackers. Others were complete racist/social retards. Or would work you over what you should have been doing.

So I'm not that surprised no one is jumping at it.
 
moXJO said:
Its hard bloody work. Not surprised no one wants to do it. Farmers can be exploitive prcks too. I worked through a few rural towns when I was younger.
A mate of mine got stuck building fences in the middle of nowhere. They charged him $10 a bottle of water and $50 a meal (can food). He started drinking from a creek (40 degree days) getting sick and hallucinating. I ended up flying him out of there as he was lucky to get $40 for 12 hour days.

There's also the ones that use to rape backpackers. Others were complete racist/social retards. Or would work you over what you should have been doing.

So I'm not that surprised no one is jumping at it.
Click to expand...
Sounds like all farmers should be put in jail. :oops:
I can see why we are importing people to do the work. WOW
Maybe a Royal Commission in the making, we have had them for a lot less serious issues.
 
sptrawler said:
Sounds like all farmers should be put in jail. :oops:
I can see why we are importing people to do the work. WOW
Maybe a Royal Commission in the making, we have had them for a lot less serious issues.
Click to expand...

The main problem is the rate of pay and the costs involved to earn it.

Travel, accomm, food and then low wages are not going to appeal to someone getting "enough" on the dole

I read one article where the farmer was complaining that he could not get a supervisor to help with the crop. He said "I even offered $30 per hour and not one enquiry"

Someone serving coffee in an air conditioned cafe gets that much if we count the tips.

A married couple with a couple of kids are doing OK on the dole if they live in a country town paying $350 a week rent. If they get a few weeks work it only mucks up the routine of getting their payment.

If they said "we have an emergency, you can go picking for 4 weeks and then go straight back on the dole with no waiting period" they would get a lot more.

Otherwise just tell the dolies, pick fruit, pay tax, still get dole and they will soon have their pickers
 
moXJO said:
Its hard bloody work. Not surprised no one wants to do it. Farmers can be exploitive prcks too. I worked through a few rural towns when I was younger.
A mate of mine got stuck building fences in the middle of nowhere. They charged him $10 a bottle of water and $50 a meal (can food). He started drinking from a creek (40 degree days) getting sick and hallucinating. I ended up flying him out of there as he was lucky to get $40 for 12 hour days.

There's also the ones that use to rape backpackers. Others were complete racist/social retards. Or would work you over what you should have been doing.

So I'm not that surprised no one is jumping at it.
Click to expand...


The contractor scams are unbelievable as well shaking down workers for "fees"
 
Out and about today (nsw).
At least 90% of people had masks. And I'd say 90% of those people don't know the rules around masks.

They are not a magic shield. They offer limited protection without the full ppe. They are to stop you spreading it when you breathe out or cough.

Keep your distance from others even while wearing one. It vastly increases your safety.

If your mask or anyone around you has a valve, if you cough it can actually shoot the virus a further distance from you onto others.

If its wet its no good.

Keeping the same mask after being in a crowd is risky. Treat the front of the masks like they are covered in sht. Don't rub it round your car or touch it with your hands. Touch loops only.

Sanitise your hands before putting it on and after taking it off.

Wearing a mask outside with limited people is bloody pointless. Just keep your distance.

Throw it away. Or bag it and wash it.

Wear a mask in a crowd. If you have covid then you are the risk. It can still enter sides of masks, eyes if you cough on someone. You are the risk and it puts all the other people wearing one at risk.

I'm not sold on wearing masks outdoors and think they have little protection value. However as a containment precaution they do stop the distance it can travel out of you.

But the majority of people don't know what to do with the bloody things or how they work and think they have a COVID shield on. Thats why WHO was reluctant to recommend them.
 
Came across this story from doctors in South Korea. Seems that COVID can be spread far more easily than suspected.
This is probably not the case with all situations but the example outlined in the story is very concerning.
The story also highlights the stringent COVID public protection measures undertaken in Sth Korea.

www.seattletimes.com

Infected after 5 minutes, from 20 feet away: South Korea study shows coronavirus’s spread indoors

“Eating indoors at a restaurant is one of the riskiest things you can do in a pandemic,” says a civil and environmental engineering professor. “Even if there is distancing, as this shows and other studies show, the distancing is not...
www.seattletimes.com www.seattletimes.com
 
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