covid-19 VIC support thread #3

DS’s negative result by 8am this morning, but, suspiciously, no text for DH. Weird. Hope they haven’t lost his test or something. He is housebound until that text, and he doesn’t do housebound well.

DS’s negative result by 8am this morning, but, suspiciously, no text for DH. Weird. Hope they haven’t lost his test or something. He is housebound until that text, and he doesn’t do housebound well.

We had both kids tested at the same time a couple of weeks ago, and my daughter's results came through about 10 hours earlier than my son's - hopefully you don't have to wait too long.

There must be something going around because both DP and DD were sick over the weekend with flu-like symptoms. Fever, stuffy noses and sore throats. They were tested Friday afternoon and we got the results about 11am Saturday. Both okay now so back to work and school today. I seem to have a better immune system (ironic, considering I have a chronic disease!) and have escaped their germs.

The boys are staying with their father for the next few weeks as he is on leave from work, so it's very quiet around here.

DH and DS just got a covid test, mainly because DS woke up quite sick with a fever and snotty nose and nausea. And they did the full brain scrape! Even on my 5 YO son (although, apparently not as deep, but DH said it was pretty deep though, worse than the kids have ever had before)

Thought they weren’t meant to do that anymore, they didn’t do it last time, especially not the kids. But, we weren’t at our usual testing site because we were on our way back from a weekend away. Crazy that it can still be so inconsistent.

On the plus side, no queue at all at the walk up clinic in Berwick, if you’re out that way.

 

My DH and DS were at the Berwick clinic just yesterday.

My son has brought home the lurgy, but we have confirmed it's not THE lurgy. Result took 13-14 hours.

My poor friend, a month ago was ill, tested but texted her 70 year old father saying she had a virus and was getting tested. He took it as she had Covid 19, told all the family she had visited and set off a huge chain of events of contact tracing in two states. My poor friend had phone calls from two sets of contact tracers. She didn't have Covid.

I really thought that 2021 would be different, that everything from last year could be left in the past. But Im really struggling, and beginning to feel like last year and the whole pandemic/lockdown has left big scars and taken something vital from me. I feel like an empty battery, but no idea what to do to feel recharged again. I cant put my finger on anything specific, but I just feel so tired, unwell all time, unable to tolerate anything or control my emotions, etc. Is anyone else feeling similarly?

I knew that New Years Eve wouldn't mean anything except being closer to a vaccine. Not much would change. I am still mildly scared. I check numbers everyday. I am even pretty down about the vaccine. Yes it will stop getting people gravely ill, but reading about people who have got it and were not ill enough for hospital, but still struggling with symptoms months later and the doctors have no idea what to do to help makes me sick scared to getting it, even vaccinated.

People are talking about going to protests and more, and I have no intention on going anywhere that crowded! Even school pickup makes me sweat, and I still wear my mask crushing through the gate.

My insomina has morphed into tiredness and now I find myself napping most days. There's little to look forward to at the moment as lockdown could happen anytime..

I've been fighting some sort of virus/cold for a week now, it started pretty mild with just an irritated throat and then in the last two days, I got the full runny nose and cough. Cannot get into any doctors at my usual clinic, they are booked out for the next week so I ended up getting the test done as a precaution. The throat swab was fine but they went so far up my nose and then jiggled it around while counting to 5, on each side, I just wanted the damn thing out lol.

I think having such a cool summer has been a bit disappointing. Didn’t really get in those lovely long summer evenings I do enjoy.

But I am EXCITED about the comedy festival soon, and there’s a big impressionists show at NGV booked for winter, and this weekend DH and I are going into the city and having a fancy dinner out courtesy of some thankfully unexpired vouchers, so Melbs is looking up from my perspective!

My DH is getting vaccinated on Monday (HCW)! It's so exciting, really makes me feel hopeful that soon all these lockdowns and border closures will be a distant memory.

“Hotel quarantine breaches” top of the news again. Journalists just have no imagination these days. I’m sick of it. I mean, it’s not an ideal situation that’s being reported, but I bet other states have the same staffing issues as we do, and I bet it doesn’t get plastered on the news every... single... day.

Maybe I’m just sick of the pandemic. But there is a lot more important news they could be reporting today.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/seriously-worried-whistleblower-reveals-hotel-quarantine-breaches-20210305-p57857.html

Wasn’t it reported months ago that GPs were flatly refusing to take the exclusive contracts? I dunno. I’m not sure what is meant to be possible around filling empty shifts.

Wasn’t it reported months ago that GPs were flatly refusing to take the exclusive contracts? I dunno. I’m not sure what is meant to be possible around filling empty shifts.

It’s all been reported before, they just have a new ex-employee with some emails willing to do the article with them.

I’m always a bit sceptical when ex employees do these sorts of articles. They have agendas that aren’t always clear. Asking people to do extra shifts isn’t proof of people working across sites. No doubt people do, when they can’t fill shifts, it’s either that or no staff by the sound of it, but that article is just going over old ground.

How come we've got a 'quarantine' case when we haven't been taking flights for a few weeks?

I just answered my own question, of course we've still got freight etc flights coming in, and some people from those will be quarantining if their return flights don't leave straight away.

Did you see the sky ‘news’ twit at the presser who kept trying to link the ‘nebuliser’ to the cock up in QLD aged care vaccination? Dan ate him for lunch. So he grabbed his mike and flounce off. Dan’s giggle was worth it!

Is there a date for this so I can see?

Wasn’t it reported months ago that GPs were flatly refusing to take the exclusive contracts? I dunno. I’m not sure what is meant to be possible around filling empty shifts.

 

It’s all been reported before, they just have a new ex-employee with some emails willing to do the article with them.

I’m always a bit sceptical when ex employees do these sorts of articles. They have agendas that aren’t always clear. Asking people to do extra shifts isn’t proof of people working across sites. No doubt people do, when they can’t fill shifts, it’s either that or no staff by the sound of it, but that article is just going over old ground.

Without individuals willing to blow the whistle on bad practices, we would not be able to hold private companies accountable for breaching the contracts they have with our governments. We owe those people for being willing to risk their own status in order to inform the public that something is wrong, doubly so if they come forward before there has been a major incident. I don't really understand your issue with The Age article to be honest, I understand being sick of the same types of stories but the breaches reported clearly pose a threat to the community and are worthy of being reported.

Did you see the sky ‘news’ twit at the presser who kept trying to link the ‘nebuliser’ to the cock up in QLD aged care vaccination? Dan ate him for lunch. So he grabbed his mike and flounce off. Dan’s giggle was worth it!

Is there a date for this so I can see?

Check out post #92 on page 4 of this thread.

I don’t necessarily have an issue with the reporting [mention]PuddingPlease[/mention] but it did seem to be one of those articles which combined a few different things in ways that seemed more about creating “a vibe” than providing clarity. Like the constant switching between issues with doctors and with nurses.

Did you see the sky ‘news’ twit at the presser who kept trying to link the ‘nebuliser’ to the cock up in QLD aged care vaccination? Dan ate him for lunch. So he grabbed his mike and flounce off. Dan’s giggle was worth it!

Is there a date for this so I can see?

 

Check out post #92 on page 4 of this thread.

Awesome thank you

So the small country town I'm near at the moment is absolutely heaving today. Went to the supermarket and was very unimpressed by the number of people with no masks. I know some people have genuine exemptions, but when whole large family groups come in maskless they're just being dickheads.

Cashier I spoke to about it was ropable as well.

Grrr

So the small country town I'm near at the moment is absolutely heaving today. Went to the supermarket and was very unimpressed by the number of people with no masks. I know some people have genuine exemptions, but when whole large family groups come in maskless they're just being dickheads.

Cashier I spoke to about it was ropable as well.

Grrr

That sucks, it’s a pretty obvious rule too. Our small country town usually has someone stationed at the door, and several times I’ve seen them send people back to their cars to get a mask. Haven’t checked today though. Sucks that you have to do that check every person, but, I’m glad they were doing it. Every other shop in town didn’t care, which made it hard for the one supermarket to be strict.

So the small country town I'm near at the moment is absolutely heaving today. Went to the supermarket and was very unimpressed by the number of people with no masks. I know some people have genuine exemptions, but when whole large family groups come in maskless they're just being dickheads.

Cashier I spoke to about it was ropable as well.

Grrr

 

That sucks, it’s a pretty obvious rule too. Our small country town usually has someone stationed at the door, and several times I’ve seen them send people back to their cars to get a mask. Haven’t checked today though. Sucks that you have to do that check every person, but, I’m glad they were doing it. Every other shop in town didn’t care, which made it hard for the one supermarket to be strict.

Every other shop it’s not required

I went to our Pizza shop yesterday, it is in a country town about 20 minutes from us and I was the only one to wear a mask. None of the workers had them on their faces, one had one around her neck. The shop is tiny, there were no signs about social distancing or numbers allowed in the shop.

When I turned up to pick up a phone order there were 8 people inside a space the size of our bathroom so I stood outside and waited for someone to come out but realised that our pizza was getting cold on the rack so I went inside.

I think people are genuinely confused. One shop says yes, another shop says no, for anyone looking for an excuse to not wear a mask it will give them the feeling that they are redundant.

Apart from inside shopping centres and big shops like furniture stores, and supermarkets (basically inside places reliant on aircon), masks aren’t required anymore. I’m actually surprised at the numbers still wearing them by default!

We went to the city and Southbank last night and it was SO GREAT- people walking everywhere, buskers, lots of wine bars in “pop up” set ups, plenty of restaurants busy and using every inch of outdoor space.

I couldn’t stop grinning, it felt wonderful to see people again!

Apart from inside shopping centres and big shops like furniture stores, and supermarkets (basically inside places reliant on aircon), masks aren’t required anymore. I’m actually surprised at the numbers still wearing them by default!

We went to the city and Southbank last night and it was SO GREAT- people walking everywhere, buskers, lots of wine bars in “pop up” set ups, plenty of restaurants busy and using every inch of outdoor space.

I couldn’t stop grinning, it felt wonderful to see people again!

Exactly, if it's not a medical, a supermarket, or shopping CENTRE, then masks are not requried.

I think it can be confusing because the rules, understandably, have changed so many times, due to fluctuating conditions, that it's hard to keep up.

I do find social distancing behaviours pretty terrible. I feel that small shops like pizza places should ask people to wait outside for their name to be called - unless it's freezing or bucketing down, no harm done, and perhaps staff and shoppers both protected in the unlikely event of an outbreak affecting them. With people being infectious before symptoms appear, and a positive case in your store having SUCH an impact on a business, I find it puzzling.

So the small country town I'm near at the moment is absolutely heaving today. Went to the supermarket and was very unimpressed by the number of people with no masks. I know some people have genuine exemptions, but when whole large family groups come in maskless they're just being dickheads.

Cashier I spoke to about it was ropable as well.

Grrr

 

That sucks, it’s a pretty obvious rule too. Our small country town usually has someone stationed at the door, and several times I’ve seen them send people back to their cars to get a mask. Haven’t checked today though. Sucks that you have to do that check every person, but, I’m glad they were doing it. Every other shop in town didn’t care, which made it hard for the one supermarket to be strict.

 

Every other shop it’s not required

This was back when masks were required in all shops. But only the supermarket, and a few cafes and restaurants enforced it, everywhere else, if people weren’t wearing masks, no one cared or asked them to.