Sad but true. Only those who do not get vaccinated are really likely to end up in hospital, but that does not mean the even if you are fully vaccinated, you should not follow common sense rules. You can still be a carrier and infect others, especially those close to you and NOT vaccinated. Stay safe.
There is a major issue related to the rhetoric about being vaccinated. There are at least 61,637 people in Australia who have already been infected and recovered. Surely these 61,637 people already have the best vaccination, i.e. actually catching COVID. Nowhere, in the politically driven rhetoric currently flooding the media about limitations on people who have not had two shots and rolling out vaccination passports is there any mention about people who have been infected and recovered.
Another point, Johnson and Johnson produce a vaccine that is administered only once. It is commonly used in the US, so It is quite conceivable that people coming from the US may have been vaccinated with J&J. Will they be also not eligible.
Further, in the Netherlands, people who have been infected are considered FULLY vaccinated if they have one booster shot.
Just pointing out the ridiculous situation we have been in throughout the pandemic. Quick knee jerk reactions, two much bullshit spoken by politicians who are not qualified to give medical advice, and too little progress on fixing the real issues: proper quarantine facilities, proper health guidance, proper enforcement of key issues related to containing outbreaks.
For example, the crap that was espoused in the beginning stating the wearing a mask was not considered necessary. The reason for that message was the the government, once again asleep at the wheel, had not thought abought ordering sufficient supplies and was well and truely caught short. They didn't have enough masks for hospitals, aged-care etc so, instead of admitting they had stuffed up and explaining the truth and asking people to limit their purchases, they inented the health advice. The consequence was that many, many, vulnerable people in the community, including those in aged-care were not advised to wear masks. They then propageted a further lie concerning droplet and transmission via aerosols at a time when there was already significant evidence to support aerosol transmission. They further propagated untruths about the adequacy of ventilation systems in hotel quarantine when it was a well-established fact from the massive infection spread aboard the death ship, Ruby Diamond in Tokyo caused by forcing all passengers to stay on board a ship where the infection was spread from cabin to cabin via the ventilation system from infected passengers to healthy passengers. Cruise ships are undergoing major changes to improve their ventilation systems.
Airlines have, over the years, gone backwards. In older aircraft, one had an air nozzle above them that was a source of clean air that had gone through high temperature treatment over the engine exhausts, if I remember correctly. Newer aircraft have removed the nozzles and just have ducted air. The proble with this is that the clean air supply is not constant throughout the plane and there are pockets of air that is not circulated as well as other areas. There are videos around showing this effect inside restaurants etc.
The next frontier is adequate availability of clean air in buildings. We all know the furor that follows an outbreak of legionnaires in any large building if just one person is infected. Now, we have a much more infectious disease and it will not be long before there will have to be major rethinks about providing a safe breathing environment for customers, students, and workers. There are many reports out about this at the moment.
No doubt, the people with vested interests will already be getting prepared to push back any changes, to cast doubt on the reports. The consultants for the tobacco and fossil fuel industry will be out in full once again.
Look out for the subtle changes to legislation to treat clean breathable as an exemption from meeting existing obligations under OHS requirements.
The ludicrous situation will evolve where you can sue McDonalds for millions for serving coffee too hot, but they will be exempt from repercussions where customers catch Covid inside their restaurant and die due to poor air quality allowing Covid transmission via aerosols.
Oh what a stupid race we are.
take care
Mike
