How will international travel work with no COVID 19 vaccine

[PineappleSkip]

Would love if anyone can answer about travel insurance. I have a grandchild due in the US in September. Is there anyone who will give cover?

+1 welcome, Ann.

I don’t think travel insurance will be your main problem for travel to the US in September.

Aus Govt has been consistent that the borders won’t open for a long time yet, and it’s last on the list of restriction easings. They haven’t committed to a date for the proposed NZ bubble, and Qld has just raised the possibility they won’t open their borders to NSW and Vic until Sept.

I have been following threads on exiting the country and indications are you are most unlikely to get a compassionate exemption to the travel ban (unless you are not a permanent resident/citizen of Australia).

Sorry about that. All the best for the birth. We were hoping to visit rellies in Ohio later this year, but don’t expect to do that for a very long time now. Not sure who will give COVID cover next year and how much it will cost if available,

cheers skip

 

[OATEK]

Aegean Airlines have announced their initial measures for recommencing travel, which includes:

The use of a face mask has become obligatory for both our passengers and our crews, and from now on, only one personal item will be allowed in the cabin. Furthermore, the last 3 rows of seats will be kept vacant in case we should need to isolate a passenger with potential symptoms.

Also only one item can be carried onboard. They are recommencing flights internally, and have at least some flights to Brussels that have continued throughout, presumably for EU business.

 

[p--and--t]

Here's what DOH are planning

Hamad International Airport (Doha) Enhanced Screening & Cleanliness Initiatives

Hamad International Airport today released information how it will handle the new enhanced screening and cleanliness requirements.

loyaltylobby.com

 

[p--and--t]

The UK have now developed a new rapid test that only takes minutes or less.

Though please remember that these antibody tests only show that you have had it already, and not if you are newly infected. So antibody tests cannot be used to replace quaratine.

South Australia is doing a rapid test shortly to be used if someone arrives to hospital in respiratory distress.

Post automatically merged: Apr 18, 2020

I’m hoping my completely over reactive immune system and unknown exposure to Covid might work for me. I can dream.

Well the UAE have determined the 10 min tests are useless. (here) So plan B?

"The express COVID-19 spot tests at the airport will be discontinued due to inaccuracy (~30%) "

 

[Pushka]

Well the UAE have determined the 10 min tests are useless. (here) So plan B?

"The express COVID-19 spot tests at the airport will be discontinued due to inaccuracy (~30%) "

I thought that was just the temp test. Bloody virus.

 

[dajop]

Here's what DOH are planning

It's really quite a sign of the times, that when I first read this comment I took DOH as "Department of Health", and not Doha as I normally would

 

[Walloper]

... a vaccine or herd immunity ...

Surely herd immunity can not be achieved without a viable vaccine.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Well the UAE have determined the 10 min tests are useless. (here) So plan B?

"The express COVID-19 spot tests at the airport will be discontinued due to inaccuracy (~30%) "

Yes and as I have more recently reported the Federal has sent the one million tests of this type off to storage as for those reasons as well as for example that it can take an extended period before an infected person will post recovery have generated enough antibodies to gain a positive result.

So right here and now these tests are not that useful.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Surely herd immunity can not be achieved without a viable vaccine.

No one yet knows.

But if it can be achieved without a vaccine, it will only be achieved at the price of many deaths and many ongoing health issues for others.

 

[moa999]

Surely herd immunity can not be achieved without a viable vaccine.

Well that's the Swedish experiment. (To the extent they have a far less strict lockdown than most)
But there's still no firm evidence that having the virus gives you long term immunity (same issue with many vaccines)

Opinion | Coronavirus and the Sweden Myth (Published 2020)

The country’s approach to the pandemic sets a seductive example. But the United States shouldn’t copy it.

www.nytimes.com

 

[jakeseven7]

Well that's the Swedish experiment. (To the extent they have a far less strict lockdown than most)
But there's still no firm evidence that having the virus gives you long term immunity (same issue with many vaccines)

Opinion | Coronavirus and the Sweden Myth (Published 2020)

The country’s approach to the pandemic sets a seductive example. But the United States shouldn’t copy it.

www.nytimes.com

They are also no where NEAR any kind of level of herd immunity and will probably never get there either, but the bodies will pile up.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Well that's the Swedish experiment. (To the extent they have a far less strict lockdown than most)

Sweden's main goal was to not overwhelm their health system. They are achieving this.

Their secondary goal was to perhaps gain herd immunity as a bonus, but moreso in that they hope that more people will become immune so that effects of secondary waves would be less. This is as yet unknown.

Sweden’s foreign minister has said it is way too early to judge her country’s light-touch approach to Covid-19, but warned that the government would take tougher action if needed after five Stockholm pubs were shut for not observing physical distancing.

“There’s been a lot of misunderstanding,” Ann Linde said. “We have pretty much the same goals as every other government … And as we have always said, we are perfectly ready to go with more binding regulations if the population does not follow.”

Sweden has closed senior schools and banned gatherings of more than 50, but asked – rather than ordered – people to avoid non-essential travel, work from home and stay at home if they are elderly or ill. Relying on citizens to act responsibly, it has left shops and restaurants and gyms open, but expects those visiting them to obey distancing norms.

...


Linde told the Guardian in an interview that Sweden’s aims were to “save lives, stop the virus from spreading, ensure the healthcare system can cope and mitigate the consequences for business and jobs”. It must also be sustainable for the long term, she said: “This is a marathon, not a sprint.”


....

Linde insisted it was too early to judge the success or otherwise of her government’s decisions relative to those of others, or even to tell what the criteria for success might eventually be. “I won’t evaluate or judge the strategy in Sweden or anywhere else,” she said. “It will take rather a long time before anyone can do that.”

Different countries have different methods of counting Covid-19 deaths, she pointed out. And the longer-term consequences – for example, the impact on public health of lengthy enforced lockdowns, or of widespread job losses – would take years to assess. “We have simply tried to do what we believe to be right,” she said.

Don’t judge Sweden’s light touch on Covid-19 yet, says minister

But Ann Linde warns of tougher action after Stockholm pubs are shut for breaking rules

www.theguardian.com

Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found here.
Architect of Sweden’s no-lockdown strategy insists it will pay off

Architect of Sweden’s no-lockdown strategy insists it will pay off

Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell says other countries could face big ‘second wave’

www.ft.com

But Mr Tegnell said uncertainty about how long virus immunity would last meant it was unlikely Sweden would reach “herd immunity”, a level of the disease where so many people are infected — usually about 80 per cent — that it stops spreading. “I don’t think we or any country in the world will reach herd immunity in the sense that the disease goes away because I don’t think this is a disease that goes away,” he added.

They are hoping to have enough herd immunity effect kicking in to slow down the rate of future new infections.

 

[moa999]

Sweden's main goal was to not overwhelm their health system. They are achieving this.

Depends on your definition.

Is it is bad as italy? No. But that's because Sweden has locked down some areas (including aged care and schools) and people are voluntary distancing having seen what's happened elsewhere

But their health system is above capacity.
They had 500-odd ICU beds, and have had over 1000 Covid patients in full-time and temporary ICUs for the last few weeks.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Depends on your definition.

Is it is bad as italy? No. But that's because Sweden has locked down some areas (including aged care and schools) and people are voluntary distancing having seen what's happened elsewhere

But their health system is above capacity.
They had 500-odd ICU beds, and have had over 1000 Covid patients in full-time and temporary ICUs for the last few weeks.

.Where are you stats from?

This shows a lot less. Currently 364 in ICU.

SIR | SIRI-portalen

portal.icuregswe.org

In addition this site shows;

Sweden: coronavirus patients in intensive care 2021 | Statista

As of January 6, 2021, a total of 4,275 coronavirus (COVID-19) patients have been hospitalized in intensive care in Sweden.

www.statista.com

A total of 1,873 coronavirus (COVID-19) patients had been hospitalized in intensive care in Sweden as of May 19, 2020. The number of male patients was 1,385, while the number of female patients in intensive care due to the virus was 488.

Obviously they have had deaths in aged care facilities beyond what they planned for and they recognise that they made a mistake by not protecting these people better.

 

[JohnM]

Well, of 114 'candidate vaccines' listed by WHO, as far as I can see there are two Australian outfits listed - and both in the secondary 'preclinical evaluation' list.

Rather makes a mockery of the numerous 'world-first' 'breakthroughs' claimed by a slew of Australian research outfits, does it not?

COVID-19 vaccine tracker and landscape

These landscape documents have been prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) for information purposes only concerning the 2019-2020 global of the novel coronavirus.

www.who.int

Time to end the hubris and self-congratulatory parochial exceptionalism, methinks. (Although, thankfully, it does seem to have subsided recently.)

 

[p--and--t]

Well, of 114 'candidate vaccines' listed by WHO, as far as I can see there are two Australian outfits listed - and both in the secondary 'preclinical evaluation' list.

Rather makes a mockery of the numerous 'world-first' 'breakthroughs' claimed by a slew of Australian research outfits, does it not?

COVID-19 vaccine tracker and landscape

These landscape documents have been prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO) for information purposes only concerning the 2019-2020 global of the novel coronavirus.

www.who.int

Time to end the hubris and self-congratulatory parochial exceptionalism, methinks. (Although, thankfully, it does seem to have subsided recently.)

Interestingly Media Watch tonight had a segment on the hyperbole around vaccines and treatments.

 

[moa999]

Particular hyperbole (and govt $s) around Australia being involved in community trials.

We thankfully simply don't have enough cases of community transmission

 

[OATEK]

Particular hyperbole (and govt $s) around Australia being involved in community trials.

We thankfully simply don't have enough cases of community transmission

Presumably that is why they seem to be concentrating on testing in/around hospitals, where active cases remain.

 

[p--and--t]

How will international travel work for the next year or two? Not the way some F & J passengers would like...

No lounges

Star Alliance launches its own loyalty program

Here’s what we know about the all-new Star Alliance Rewards program.

www.executivetraveller.com

No showers, less service

Here's how the coronavirus will change Emirates first, business class

Covid-19 takes a little lustre off flying in Emirates' first class and business class.

www.executivetraveller.com

 

[jakeseven7]

How will international travel work for the next year or two? Not the way some F & J passengers would like...

No lounges

Star Alliance launches its own loyalty program

Here’s what we know about the all-new Star Alliance Rewards program.

www.executivetraveller.com

No showers, less service

Here's how the coronavirus will change Emirates first, business class

Covid-19 takes a little lustre off flying in Emirates' first class and business class.

www.executivetraveller.com

I value my Emirates shower at $500 so will expect a commiserate reduction in their airfare