Core business

 

Image: clipground
Our core business ought to be public health so that businesses can continue to flourish and we can thrive. Suppressing the  spread of  illness ought to be  a priority. I have said before we do not help ourselves when we bang on about losing our freedom and things like the inconvenience of mask wearing . Health professionals have talked to us about good practice until they are blue in the face and our hospitals and staff have become stressed and distressed.  Some people, no matter their age, are very keen to get the fourth booster. Currently it is restricted to over 65s and those with health conditions which warrant it. Doesn't everyone need it? I know health care people are fed up talking to us and trying to help us when so many would rather abandon something as simple as a mask rather than keep themselves and everyone healthy. I know there have been some irrational and unreasonable protests about health measures to keep the public safe. Keep your distance! How hard is it? Wear a mask! What an imposition. Santitise! I have worked out we have been so unhygienic and grubby. We did need to lift our hygiene practices, especially when it came to cleaning public spaces. Right now the messages don't seem to be supporting the welfare and wellbeing of people. I am concerned how easily covid is spreading, how much gastric illness there is and then how worried people are because it seems we are doomed to live with constantly being sick. 

We need some sort of concerted effort and messaging to get ourselves past this bit. Remember the Life Be In It campaign? Something a bit cheerful and positive to get the core business of public health on a surer footing. When the public knows better than qualified health professionals then I am sure we need to suffer the consequences of ill informed decision making. Trouble is, there are innocents going to the wall as that approach is adopted, and that is wrong. When you have to rely on others for your own wellbeing because that is the nature of infectious diseases, we need some collaboration and co operation. Maybe a bit of lively,  cheerful messaging might work? As it stands we are dragging this public health mess around and it is weighing on us all. 

What are we thinking?

 

Image: Wiki ClipArt
Bit hard to know what we are thinking. Here we have been shopping non stop since Covid hit. It has been relentless for supermarkets and other shops. We seem to need all this food. There has not been a quiet period since 2020 and maybe it will never happen. What is the matter with us? We are also quite divided as to our approaches to Covid. Some are happy to be maskless, have  no problem being sick or allowing others to be sick. The level of illness is a health crisis no one is taking seriously. Just in my own sphere there are gastric illnesses, heart ailments, strokes, respiratory illnesses, vertigo and dizziness, anemia, fatigue, flu, Covid. I have never seen or heard of so many people sick. We really need to sort this out. We are no longer sure if a fourth booster will help because there is information saying BA5 is not helped by our vaccine and that is on the way. We are being pulled down and messed around. Workplace absenteeism is normal. I should like to know how much absenteeism is affecting schools. Certainly affecting kindergartens. Whole families are sick. Social clubs are affected by illness and workplaces are under strain. Not wearing a mask is silly. It helps. Sanitising helps, social distancing helps. Shopping seems to soothe?! We need a plan to get out of this because we are only a month into winter. We need to stop concerning ourselves with pretending it is all underlying conditions and start things about what it actually is we need to do to improve our health and welfare. For us, a change of state and federal government has been beneficial. It takes some getting used to , though We have been emotionally bashed and brow beaten for nearly 10 years and so people are worn out. They will rally. Maybe it will be slow and sure. We need a plan!

Step Up. Stay Safe.

 

SA Health has created an informative little video which you can find on the SA Health site under the Stop the Spread in SA link. It is 30 seconds long and so a good video for short attention spans. People are busy and preoccupied at the moment and concentration levels seem to be less than optimum. People are confused about what is going on. Some are in denial but everyone knows we keep losing people to Covid. Ten in the last two days. We have such a high infection rate for a small state. People worry about the spread, some could not care less and it sets up a lack of ease and tension. Even if you are pretending, getting Covid is no fun. Giving it to someone is disturbing and seeing people you care about die, because this disease can kill , is making people worry considerably. Even if they are putting on a “normal” front, the truth is still there and cannot be avoided. Too many people are getting it and hating it. Some can shrug it off. Others are feeling really depleted  and depressed by it. Like the rest of the country our hospital numbers and infections are up. The death rate this year from Covid is horrible. I feel for those who are losing parents,  grandparents and family members. It is tragic, the moreso because we are faking coping.

This little video is unassuming but makes the points clearly. There is something you can do. You can get tested and you can wear a mask. You can stay home if unwell. Our case numbers are up today because people have had the sense to get back out there and get tested. Hope they put their masks back on too. Double masks in public are so much more effective than if one person hasn’t worn one. It is easy. Testing takes far more effort , but thank goodness people have got back to that good practice! We will get there if we follow good practice and help each other. 

Coping with Covid

 

I am starting to get it, or, at least, I can see what they are trying to do. We are being taken out of a state of emergency and panic with coronavirus onto a terrain where we can manage it in a way which is a bit less invasive and more in keeping with other serious diseases like whooping cough, pneumonia, AIDS. We are being asked to take on the responsibility of following good health advice and managing Covid in a way we manage other serious medical illnesses. It is causing a significant number of deaths. It does spread ridiculously easily. It can cause real health problems in those who catch it. None of this can be ignored but we can manage it better if we follow salient health advice and ask for what we need. 

Professor Michael Kidd is well credentialled and , just as importantly, he has a well modulated voice and a good manner for delivering helpful and useful health information so we can do better at managing this vile virus. Every week he puts up a video on his YouTube channel which is featured on our Australian government health site to answer the top 3 questions  we have with regard to dealing sensibly  with this virus . This week it was about masks use, symptoms and when to act to get medical intervention. He explains it clearly, calmly and well. it is clear from the video we have ways of helping those who are vulnerable and that they can have access to anti viral medication via their GP if they need it. It explains clearly how to go about isolation and gives reference to another site where you can get better help for dealing with Covid at home. 

In South Australia you can get free Rapid Antigen Tests if you are a close contact from RAT collection points and you can find those on the link on the SA Health site. 

People need to know that consulting medical people is the way to go about dealing with Covid and that it is important to be following good health advice. By consulting the federal government and state government health sites you are off to a good start because they are now mustering resources for public awareness raising and education. It is not about what you want. We are dealing with a harmful virus which spreads easily. We need to tackle it in a methodical, adult fashion. 

Mask up!

 

No matter how you think or feel, the pandemic is not over. Coronavirus has not gone away. We have to fight and manage the spread as adults, not fanciful toddlers with the I want ,I want , I want. I don't want covid. I don't want others to get covid. It is horrible . According to our national statistics, 20s and 30s are getting the disease in huge numbers, but older people are dying from it. As politicians forgo mandates and restrictions they must have a knowledge that what they are doing with that is killing old people in significant numbers and subjecting younger people to repeated reinfections and the possibility of long covid. Avoiding hard and difficult conversations about the reality of this disease matters not one bit to the virus. It will infect any host it finds. 

Stephen Colbert addresses the situation in America where they changed mask mandates for flying and some people were caught up in that as they flew. The change was immediately effective. No consideration at all for the health and welfare of others. Flying in a closed box means you can quite easily catch what others have. Been there, done that  as many would have even before the pandemic. The bonus with this clip is you get a bit about the presidentials in France. Colbert is very good. 

Image : Integris
Politicians may be saying one thing but we have to continue to follow good health advice to put barriers between us and the transmission of this virus. More sick people will not make it possible to run businesses and organisations. You need happy, well people to do that. We need to look at how to manage the virus and keep people healthy. Uninfected. Masks help. They really help. Social disancing helps. We have to do the things which keep us effectively in control. Ramping up case numbers and deaths is not a good ploy . How is that helping? Why are we also risking illness to under 5s? Taking control does not equate to locking people up and down when we can achieve vaccination numbers, good air quality and we have RATs available so people can test themselves. For those who think RATs are unreliable , maybe we need to have a good look at that to see if they are or not and how to make them , and people using them, more effective. Dealing with the issues and roadblocks is better than open slather which will create more cases. That is what happens. 

We have increased our flu cases in South Australia. Nobody needs flu either. The advice is to wear masks and social distance and , at least, there is vaccine for under 5s. 

Wearing a mask is the least possible thing you can do besides nothing. Masks work!

Wear a mask

 

Image:  Integris Health

Wear a mask. They work. Our numbers are up again today and we need to keep them down. We don't need thousands of sick people. It is not normal to let a disease spread. Some think it's like measles and mumps and we should just get it over with. It isn't . We haven't looked very much at the implications of long covid and so many people always being sick. Pretending it's not there is not an effective deterrent. Believing safe and health preserving practices are restrictions means the communication isn't right. Not knowing covid symptoms by now means the listening is not right. Sensible health measures need to be adopted and believed. They are not restrictive. Being sick certainly hampers your lifestyle. We can do better. Wear a mask in public setting. They work!

Keep calm and cope

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 Living with covid is probably one of the most worrying experiences we have all had together. Add it to family issues, climate issues, acts of aggression and we are living in a high stress world. We are not the first to do this and we'd like to be the last but it won't happen. As far as coronavirus is concerned , we have to pool our knowledge and experience, deal with it in a calm and measured way and stop it from spreading. I heard today of people who had had their first vaccine but won't have a second. Why is that? The vaccine isn't perfect but it has been greatly helping. That information is everywhere and clear.  We need to establish why people don't get three vaccines and may not get the fourth. In South Australia we have been informed there are people who can access that fourth vaccine first once they are four months out from the third. Do people think vaccines don't help? We need to correct that view. Are they too lazy to get the next vaccine? Why? Did they suffer bad side effects which put them off? I had two Astra Zenica and one Moderna. With the Astra Zenica I spent the first month wondering if I would get blood clots because I come from a family with a history of blood clots. With the first dose I was really out of sorts for a week and then, after a month , I was fine. With the second one it was the same but milder. One of the bonuses for me was the Astra Zenica helped my osteo arthritis. It has been far less of a problem. With the Moderna I was off colour for a week , my arm really hurt but tea tree and honey manuka cream really helped that after the first day. I decided I preferred the Astra Zenica side effects. Moderna made me like a snail. Sooo slow. We need to sort out what puts people off vaccines by having decent conversations. One person I know who had had one vaccine dose got covid and then , as soon as he was recovered, he was in the line to get the rest of his vaccines. He had to get really sick to take action. 

We have voices of reason. SA Health is one of ours and today's presser was clear and helpful. We need to know what is being done and what we can do. Letting disease spread is stupid. Really stupid . It is not normal . We have to let the voices of reason hold the spotllight. Another one of our sane and comforting voices is Professor Esterman from the University of South Australia. His calm, measured voice has been with us throughout the pandemic. He neither gives us too much information nor panics. He gives us things to look at and do. His recent article about statisitics in the pandemic made sense and clarified the picture . He encourages us to look for the patterns. 

Professor Pagel in the UK looks at the myths we persist with during the pandemic so we do not help ourselves and get the case numbers down. If we keep letting people get sick it is not going to help at all. If we keep being sick and another variant comes along , we are in no position to defend and protect ourselves. She looks at it calmly. There are things we can do. Today's presser for South Australia was another example of giving us information but letting us know there are things being done and things we can do. 

Covid Bingo

 Image : Reddit

Doesn't seem to matter where you are in the world at the moment, we get up every morning and play Covid bingo and then it is a lottery as to whether you get it or not. The cognitive dissonance is strong. When have we ever let a lethal virus run riot? When have people just plain ignored health information because they want to be "normal". When was covid informed we have had enough and it's time just to get on with life?

Today, in South Australia, we hit over 30, 000 cases. When the borders opened November 23rd 2021 we had no cases and the odd breakout we controlled. If you look at the very extensive health information on our Australian government health site the 20s and 30s are driving the infections in Australia but the 60+ age group are sacrificing their lives. We are using young people to carry the virus to older people so they die. Nice. We are also using that age group to infect unvaccinated under 5s who are getting the virus. We keep schools open so the not properly vaccinated children can bring the virus home and so schools are like super spreader venues where teachers and families can get covid. Is that what we are doing?

Harsh. Yes. Very harsh. it is a really unpleasant, unbelievable set of circumstances. Every morning we get up and struggle with it. Where is the sense? The logic?  I understand we had all those freedom fighters protesting their rights and people were banging on about opening the borders and  having one Australia. I understand politicians were receiving vile threats to themselves and their families. I understand politicians  said one thing and people wanted another then they got the other and still the politicians were wrong. Open the borders, shut the borders, turn the borders over. Wear the masks , don't wear the masks. Stay at home, don't stay at home. Always you have to come back to what works : masking, ventilation, social distancing, sanitising and washing hands. SA Health puts good information up on Facebook and in Facebook stories every day. Instagram puts up Covid safe information all the time. 30, 000 plus cases tells me we are not listening. Supermarket shopping, yes. The shops are always busy.  Listening , no. We have a population of 1.7 million . Victoria has a population of around 6 million and has 56, 000 plus cases. We are getting it wrong. 

Some think it is all over because they can't do this bingo everyday. Have the kids got it? Do they go to school or not? Have I got it? Can I go to work? Is the RAT showing negative right or wrong? I don't want it, do I have to stay home again. What? They were vaccinated and are in ICU? The confusion and complexity is rife. People can't necessarily get in to see a doctor. They can't necessarily get an ambulance. The world is unsafe and we are on our own. The information is there but not percolating through the population and then there are those who are just plain making it worse. 

It is currently a bit of a free for all and the only way through is to keep a level head and consult solid information. You then end up hoping the health resources will be there. Are they? This is not managing a pandemic. Living with covid is horrible. 

Missed opportunities

 

Image: Pixabay
We have been missing opportunities through this pandemic because we keep wanting to be "normal". We keep saying we want things to go back to normal. Not going to happen. This is normal. We have a disgustingly transmissible virus which keeps spreading because we keep aiming for the wrong goals. It was claimed that introverts coped with lockdowns and isolation and managed to live a positive life free of anxiety for a while. Some deal better than others with social isolation. Others need a lot of human contact to vindicate themselves. There were claims some students did far better with online learning and some people were happier working from home. There are claims and then there are facts. There are claims and then there is media manipulation. Facing the truth can be hard in muddied waters where vested interest can come up with news and views to persuade people to hold a certain mindset. 

It means we keep aiming for what was the status quo and what suits profiteers rather than genuinely looking at changes which would help everyone to adapt to challenging times. This virus can't be told. We have to live with the fact it moves when we move. It infects and it debilitates. Aren't we the options people?

Some businesses and organisations adapted to online delivery of their services really well. Telehealth didn't suit everyone but it suited a lot of people and was helpful to those who weren't so mobile or not wishing to be mobile. Online learning didn't suit all but it suited a lot of students, teachers and families. Zoom concerts, conferences and events were popular and just as moving and thought provoking as much as they would have been in real life. 

We have technology. We are connected. We can develop and collaborate online. Why is this not more prevalent? Not all things can be done online but a lot can be. So manyof people didn't know how to online shop. It helps. It can cost extra but it can really take the pressure off. It is an option. 

One of my great finds in isolation was ebay. I hadn't really considered it . I had to isolate because I hadn't had my booster and opening the borders in November meant I had to keep a low profile until February to keep myself safe. With ebay I could still shop, I could support local and last year I supported the places which were in lockdown. That was my way of helping. I also have online social groups of various natures so that I can stay connected with people if I can't see too many people. 

What else did we do which has been ignored and abandoned which would help us now with rising case numbers? We missed that chance to build some solid platforms and alternate ways of connecting . Things which would be options now. We need to be hybrid in our approach. There are people at risk. There are people isolating and in quarantine who can still connect strongly and positively if we give them opportunities. 

Stop the spread

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 Our case numbers continue to increase. Why wouldn't they ? We have taken away some helpful restrictions and seem to be following so many places in the world and allowing coronavirus to spread unchecked. What is the matter with us? There are things we know work - sanitising, handwashing, clean air, masks, social distancing, vaccines. Why are we not using common sense? It is becoming muddled now. Schools are down on teachers and students and some are closing and going online again. People are getting sicker and so workplaces everywhere are down on staff. The reinfection rate can be as little as two months. Why would we not try and create an environment where we can live and thrive? Today's awful news was a healthy two month old died in NSW. Children get deadly childhood diseases. I donated significantly to the Childhood Leukemia Research Foundation so they could build a new facility . No child should die of leukemia. No child should die of a preventable disease either. The little ones have no vaccine as yet. Researchers are doing their best to get us one but these things take time. Meanwhile we have things we can do. 

We can all get vaccinated . Some don't want to and some don't want mandates and NZ can no longer mandate vaccines because of a successful court case. Our SA police don't have mandated vaccines either. We are talking about coronavirus and a way of protecting ourselves and others. Vaccines do make a difference. Omicron can remain lethal in the older and unvaccinated people. Unvaccinated people are a greater risk to themselves and others. The risk factors are spelled out clearly and well on our government health site. As a country, we haven't done badly with vaccinations but we need to do better. We need to keep up the momentum so that there are fewer and fewer unvaccinated people and we are protecting ourselves and the vulnerable. You do not stay infectious as long if you are vaccinated. That is a bonus. Governments and medical people are giving us information. We need to listen and act. The bit which is currently missing is no one is pushing us along very much. We were guided and helped initially. We now need to lift our game and take action on behalf of ourselves and others. We won't get successful outcomes from negative behaviours, so paying attention and doing what works is the key. 

Stop the spread

 Image : Harvard Health 
It is not encouraging news to hear modelling suggests we shall have 8000 cases a day in South Australia by April. That is a lot for our state. We are not built up and big. We have space. We can distance. What is the matter with us? Do we think pretending there is no virus we can be "normal"? Do we think it is so mild it is no big deal? Have we got corona fatigue and have decided it is over? Life may not be as we wish but we have to deal with it in a common sense way. We have known forever how to mitigate coronavirus and stop the spread. Why wouldn't we? Not everyone can be vaccinated . Putting little children and the vulnerable at risk is a horrible thing to do so we can be "normal". Ignoring we can be reinfected and suffer long covid is not a good option for a healthy, functioning society. Sick and dead people can't keep us going and making all this profit some are keen on. We need happy, healthy people and we need to work together. Masking up, washing hands, keeping air fresh, sanitising and social distancing are all easy and help. Getting triple vaccinated really helps. We need people to be vaccinated. We are the country that virtually stamped out smoking by using social control. Why don' t we do it with coronavirus? 

Harvard Health Edu has some good, solid information as to how we can stop the spread. We now have a Premier who is prepared to sort the garbled messaging out and get us on a better footing with clarity surrounding our health measures.  We have a responsibility too to take this seriously , whether we want to or not, to ensure we can all stay healthy. I don't want coronavirus cases to escalate. I don't want it and I don't want others to get it. I am doing what works and have stocked up on RATs so I don't unknowingly pass it on. We are going to have to adult this because we don't know who will suffer badly from coronavirus. It is a rotten virus like that. 

I don't blame them for trying out how far vaccines could free us up , so to speak. I don't blame them for trying things and trying to get information as to what works and what can be improved. We have to be included in those conversations and decisions. We have to have clear and direct information. Baffling us, confusing us and leaving us to our own devices is increasing case numbers. We are not epidemiologists or public health personnel. We need direction. Those who ignore it will be fewer if the bulk of people are clear. 

Blog is moving back!!

I shifted this blog over to WordPress because I thought it would be easier. Not so. I lost the traffic, didn’t make it up and then life took a massive turn and here I am. I have been brought back to Blogger by a series of interesting turns and am now speaking to an empty room. I plan to change that obviously . It will be a learning curve. Life has changed and even though some think we can be normal, as we were pre covid, we can’t be. We have had the coronavirus demands and challenges plus whatever else our life had brought us. Life has to be lived on life’s terms. I shan’t be who I was when I started this blog but am looking forward to developing it. First, I shall be shifting the posts I did put up on WordPress but, at the same time, there has to be current content because there is plenty to talk about right now  in Adelaide .