Showing posts with label social distancing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social distancing. Show all posts

Monday, 10 August 2020

97,000 kids test positive for COVID-19 in two weeks

Posted to Facecebook on 10/8/2020 at 10:38 AM
97,000 kids test positive for COVID-19 in two weeks

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/97000-kids-test-positive-for-covid-19-in-two-weeks-report-says/ar-BB17J8T7

At long last, the bad news is out and confirmed. WHO and news media did not give enough warning and air time to warn the public about the danger of children getting infected. They are just as vulnerable as the adults and may die like the aged.

Just ask yourself the simple question - children can easily contract whooping cough, cold and flu, measles, small pox, polio, why shouldn’t they get infected by the COVID-19 just as easily?

The third wave is inevitable and more dangerous than before, and is likely spread by the super spreaders - the children.

I kept blogging that we must use our commonsense instead of waiting for the painstaking statistics collection. We must take preemptive action to test the children, and no news is NOT necessary good news. It’s like the an ostrich burying it’s head in the sand not wanting to accept the realty of such simple logic. Despite every attempt conducted by the government to contact trace, and yet there still remains many unknown sources. The unknown source is just metres away - the children.

Adults have to observe social distancing, and yet children are exempted. The children need not wear mask too. Parents and adults carry children, hug them, and kiss them without thinking that the children can get infected unknowingly by the adults who may be asymptomatic, and conversely, the children may be a carrier and spread to the parents, their siblings and anyone in close proximity.

If you are a member or follower of my FB group, SFC Coronavirus News & Articles, you would have read about my strong words concerning the restriction ruling, and my opposition letting children to return to schools with face-to-face contact.

Plase do not take your young children for granted that they are safe and free from the virus. It is not going overboard by wearing a mask at home if you want to be close to young children.

Free free to share my post with friends who have young children or work with young children in childcare facilities. Thank you for reading.

 

Saturday, 20 June 2020

Monday’s easing of restrictions postponed after alarming virus spike

Posted to Facebook on 20/6/2020 at 9:30 PM
World Health Organisation reports largest single-day increase in cases
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/five-guests-in-your-home-victorian-restrictions-tightened-20200620-p554j5.html

I always suspect a second wave of Coronavirus attack would occur. My greatest fear of a big surge is when air travel resume ferrying inbound travellers from countries like US, UK, Sweden, Italy, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, etc. There are many infection hotspots around the world, but the number of travellers arriving from these places are not in large numbers.

So far the number of school children being infected is still very small, but that may not necessary mean that a surge may not take place. The recent cases that prompted the Premier to reimpose stricter rule dropping the number of visitors from 10 to 5 is a clear indication his and experts concern of a worse outbreak.

Most young people think that they are tough and invincible. They don’t believe they will die from the infection because statistics tells them so. However, they forget that if they become infected and display no symptom, does not mean that they can’t do a great deal of damage to the people they are in contact with, including their friends, spouses, parents, colleagues, and unknown people.

Please do take care and observe social distancing.

Thank you for reading.





Monday, 20 April 2020

Coronavirus numbers in Australia: how many new cases are there? Covid-19 map, stats and graph

Coronavirus numbers in Australia: how many new cases are there? Covid-19 map, stats and graph
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/datablog/ng-interactive/2020/apr/20/coronavirus-australia-numbers-how-many-new-cases-today-deaths-death-toll-covid-19-stats-graph-map-by-postcode

Physical distancing measures are working, and the increases in Victoria are small, and is encouraging.
Residents of the country’s most affluent suburbs are most afflicted with coronavirus. In Victoria, Stonnington Council is the most affected with 87 cases. Encompassing Toorak and South Yarra, it is one of the richest areas in Australia.

Banyule is second, with 82, City of Melbourne is next with 66, Greater Geelong with 62 cases, Boroondara – which includes Kew and Hawthorn – with 60, and Mornington Peninsula with 59 cases.

Several returned travellers from Aspen ski resort, including the a couple accused of flouting quarantine advice, became the the Aspen cluster that spread the coronavirus through the wealthy suburbs, by attending a series of parties and gatherings. Another couple who had been to Aspen attended a cocktail evening for Geelong Grammar School parents in Toorak, infected five guests at the function.

The City of Melbourne’s higher number of cases could also be partly due to the large number of students living within the area’s boundary.

Thank you for reading.






Friday, 17 April 2020

A lecture, a textbook, an illness like no other: Inside a Melbourne COVID cluster

A lecture, a textbook, an illness like no other: Inside a Melbourne COVID cluster
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/a-lecture-a-textbook-an-illness-like-no-other-inside-a-melbourne-covid-cluster-20200416-p54kgo.html

Do not take things for granted! This article serves as a reminder that it only takes one infected person to spread the virus to many others.

Am I being paranoid about the pandemic? Not at all. Prevention is always better than regrets for life. If possible, drive your own car instead of taking a taxi or Uber, change your clothing if you are in contact with strangers at shopping centres, wash your hands with soap, and wear a mask when out of the house.

While 1.5m is the recommended distance from another person, it is better to be further away. It has been demonstrated than droplets propelled from coughing can be four metres away.

Please take care, and stay safe.

Thank you from reading.




Friday, 10 April 2020

Coronavirus can hit kids too, and one mum wants parents to be more vigilant

Coronavirus can hit kids too, and one mum wants parents to be more vigilant
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-09/coronavirus-in-children-could-be-more-common-than-numbers-show/12137282

I have been blogging about my concern regarding children being infected by coronavirus. I also hypothesise why children do not get infected as easily as the adults.

Just because most children do not display much symptoms, or asymptomatic, that does not mean they are not carriers, and may not be super spreaders or transmitters.

I watched the interview on ABC (Aust) about a mother from Bavaria whose two children were tested positive to the coronavirus. She had no idea whether they were infected when they were out shopping or attending the kindergarten before they were closed.

While a lot of adults have undergone testing, I doubt the number of children are tested in the same proportion. The argument is based on data from China or overseas show that infection rate for children is low.

What really puzzles me is that why children are prone to many life threatening diseases, but apparently not affected by this highly infectious and deadly virus.

Is there a substance not necessarily an anti-body in a child‘s body that inhibits or suppresses the symptoms? If this virus is not destroyed by the child's defence system, will the virus mutate into more deadly, not only killing the child who is the host eventually, but also leads to more community infections and fatality?

Now that Australia has apparently "flattened the curve", unless irresponsible people flout the laws against social distancing, I believe the government should turn their attention to test more children, especially students attended schools before the locked down. Testing temperature is not a sure way to detect presence of virus in their system.

Thank you for reading.




Tuesday, 7 April 2020

Impact of Social Distancing

Impact of Social Distancing

I don't understand why the government and modelling experts take so long to release simulation on "flattening the curve".

The attached .pdf files show three scenarios of the Impact of Social Distancing on the coronavirus infection. The first two scenarios are based on an infected person may infect 2.6 persons or 3 persons respectively. For the third case, social distancing kicks in from 11th day onwards.

I spent about three hours to work on the spreadsheets, and I shall do more simulation to fine tune the data.

Thank you for reading.



Saturday, 21 March 2020

Bondi Beach beachgoers removed by police as restrictions enforced amid coronavirus crisis

Bondi Beach beachgoers removed by police as restrictions enforced amid coronavirus crisis
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/unacceptable-health-minister-blasts-beachgoers-amid-coronavirus-crisis-20200321-p54chw.html

This is another example of idiotic people not taking heed of the dangerous situation they are in. If they die of infection, it’s perfectly fine with me, but unfortunately they are potential human coronavirus terrorists, attempted to spread the deadly diseases to the community, to cause maximum damage and fatality.

What has the City Council and the State Government do? Nothing. Their indifference is so deafening, and I would like to see the citizens of the state take up class action against these hopeless bodies, should the number of infections increases due to the defiance of the beach goers.

It is proven time and time again social distancing is the cheapest and best way to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In short, the council and the government ignore the duty of care and therefore liable for civil actions.

Is this a proof that Australia has literacy problem?

Thank you for reading.




Wednesday, 18 March 2020

Australia needs to go hard and fast to tackle coronavirus

Australia needs to go hard and fast to tackle coronavirus
https://www.theage.com.au/national/australia-needs-to-go-hard-and-fast-to-tackle-coronavirus-20200317-p54b2k.html

This article resonates what I have been critising the governments and medical officers for their indecisiveness and unclear advice that confuse the public.

If social distancing is to be enforced, where are there queues at supermarket check outs, ticketing machines, bus/tram stops and train stations, canteens?

Further to that argument, why are schools remained open? Students are in enclosed areas for hours. How can a teacher show a student how to fix a problem if the teacher is 1.5m away instead of sitting next the student? Are there any group assignments and discussions?

I wonder how a traveller cope upon arrival in Australia and goes straight into self-isolation. That was my reason for abandoning my overseas holiday plan, because I have no idea to fill my stomach during my quarantine period.

Thank you for reading.



Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to "flatten the curve"

Why outbreaks like coronavirus spread exponentially, and how to "flatten the curve"
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/

This is a very interesting article illustrating the effectiveness of social distancing. The article shows 4 stimulations and the results of using a random sample of population.

1. A sample of a population without social distancing
2. Same sample of a population with social distancing
3. Using only one quarter of the sample of the population without social distancing
4. Using only one quarter of the sample of the population with social distancing

IranIans ignore order of social distancing, continue touching kissing the holy shrine at Qom. The number of infected and deaths continue to rise at high rate (see a separate blog).

Please take care and avoid crowd.

Thank you.




Tuesday, 17 March 2020

'Mass confusion': Classrooms thin out as parents pull kids from school

'Mass confusion': Classrooms thin out as parents pull kids from school
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/mass-confusion-classrooms-thin-out-as-parents-pull-kids-from-school-20200316-p54aly.html

This is why I am so dissatisfied with the state Government and Chief Medical Officer of their wish-washy instructions and indecision in closing the schools.

The number of deaths caused by the COVID-19 has been estimated by some experts to be between 50,000 and 150,000. Why don’t theses procrastinating pendulums just call the shot to close down the schools now, just like the Grand Prix?

Is it possible to have social distancing between teachers and students? Have they seen how Prep or lower primary school children behave in the classrooms, and in the school yard? Do teachers just let the little angels walk by themselves, or stay 4 feet away?

The news article in the following Comment presents a totally different view by the author why keeping the schools open for the sake of the kids.

I believe this is the opportune time for the Education Department or educators to develop and implement online remote teaching classes, like using Google Education / Classroom, a concept that has been in my mind for a long time.

In fact some less sophisticated form of webinar or podcast have been around, and even church services are recorded for the absent congrgation.

There are many factors that hinder the use of such method, particularly the cost factor whether to be borne by the parents, and how well the students can operate the computer or similar devices.

Thank you for reading.