Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

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Extract from Vic DHHS Daily Media release
14 May 2021


Update: Wollert COVID-19 case

Public health teams are continuing their work identifying, testing, tracing and isolating people who have been in contact with the positive COVID-19 case in Victoria.

All three of the individual’s household Primary Close Contacts have been tested and returned negative results. As Primary Close Contacts, they remain in isolation.


In addition, as of midday today:

  • 41 patrons and staff who attended the Curry Vault CBD exposure site are currently identified as Primary Close Contacts. All have returned negative test results.
  • 17 people who attended the Pact Altona North exposure site are currently identified as Primary Close Contacts, and 14 negative test results have so far been returned.
  • 31 people who attended the Indiagate Epping exposure site are currently identified as Primary Close Contacts. All have returned negative test results.
  • 60 people who attended the Woolworths Epping exposure site are currently identified as Primary Close Contacts, and 49 negative test results have so far been returned.

Not really sure why all have not yet returned negative results as it would seem that there should have been ample time for identified contacts to have been tested. Unfortunately there is no commentary as to the why not.

However all of the primary contacts who have extended time contact with the returned traveller, and who thus were the most likely to have been infected, have now all returned negative results. ie The household contacts and those at the Curry Vault.


So far this continues the recent pattern of the HQ cases where the person who has been positive outside of HQ is not that infectious., and other people actually getting infected by them is rare and when it occurs it is mainly through quite extended contact.

This reminds of the comments of a number of CHO's and epidemiologists that most cases are caused by few people. That is that most people if infected are not highly contagious. But every now and again you get a super-spreader who can readily infect other people, and most likely due them exhaling large viral loads that are also aerosolised and are not just droplets.

It is my belief that you get the occasional super-spreader in HQ , and when that HQ has poor control over air movement that the aerosolised virus then infects the occasional nearby staff member or quarantining traveller. In Brisbane this infected many quarantining people.

Ina non-HQ setting we saw how a super spreading event infected 11 customers and 1 staff member at the Smile Buffalo, one of who may well have been the super- spreader. They having been infected via an unknown transmission chain rom someone linked to the Avalon Cluster. The Avalon cluster itself most likely having been fueled by an unknown super-spreader early in its genesis.

It really is just dumb luck as to whom is a super-spreader and who isn't.

However the good news now is that time for transmission chains unchecked to grow is very limited as the various measures deployed now mean that cases are jumped on early. But we still need people to get tested as the Melbourne Traveller did even if he did delay.

So even if the Melbourne Traveller had of been a super-spreader, which it looks like he is not, it would still have been quelled. It is just that it may have generated a dozen or thirty cases first.
 
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Extract from Vic DHHS Daily Media release
14 May 2021


Update: Wollert COVID-19 case

Public health teams are continuing their work identifying, testing, tracing and isolating people who have been in contact with the positive COVID-19 case in Victoria.

All three of the individual’s household Primary Close Contacts have been tested and returned negative results. As Primary Close Contacts, they remain in isolation.


In addition, as of midday today:

  • 41 patrons and staff who attended the Curry Vault CBD exposure site are currently identified as Primary Close Contacts. All have returned negative test results.
  • 17 people who attended the Pact Altona North exposure site are currently identified as Primary Close Contacts, and 14 negative test results have so far been returned.
  • 31 people who attended the Indiagate Epping exposure site are currently identified as Primary Close Contacts. All have returned negative test results.
  • 60 people who attended the Woolworths Epping exposure site are currently identified as Primary Close Contacts, and 49 negative test results have so far been returned.

Not really sure why all have not yet returned negative results as it would seem that there should have been ample time for identified contacts to have been tested. Unfortunately there is no commentary as to the why not.

However all of the primary contacts who have extended time contact with the returned traveller, and who thus were the most likely to have been infected, have now all returned negative results. ie The household contacts and those at the Curry Vault.


So far this continues the recent pattern of the HQ cases where the person who has been positive outside of HQ is not that infectious., and other people actually getting infected by them is rare and when it occurs it is mainly through quite extended contact.

This reminds of the comments of a number of CHO's and epidemiologists that most cases are caused by few people. That is that most people if infected are not highly contagious. But every now and again you get a super-spreader who can readily infect other people, and most likely due them exhaling large viral loads that are also aerosolised and are not just droplets.

It is my belief that you get the occasional super-spreader in HQ , and when that HQ has poor control over air movement that the aerosolised virus then infects the occasional nearby staff member or quarantining traveller. In Brisbane this infected many quarantining people.

Ina non-HQ setting we saw how a super spreading event infected 11 customers and 1 staff member at the Smile Buffalo, one of who may well have been the super- spreader. They having been infected via an unknown transmission chain rom someone linked to the Avalon Cluster. The Avalon cluster itself most likely having been fueled by an unknown super-spreader early in its genesis.

It really is just dumb luck as to whom is a super-spreader and who isn't.

However the good news now is that time for transmission chains unchecked to grow is very limited as the various measures deployed now mean that cases are jumped on early. But we still need people to get tested as the Melbourne Traveller did even if he did delay.

So even if the Melbourne Traveller had of been a super-spreader, which it looks like he is not, it would still have been quelled. It is just that it may have generated a dozen or thirty cases first.
You are forgetting typical human behaviour. Some people adjusted their hygiene standards but many haven't. Many people still don't wash their hands after using restrooms so you can imagine what the rest of their hygiene practices are like.
 
Perhaps 1 in 10 use the hand sanitisers at Bunnings entry, similar number elsewhere.
Folks are just complacent, nothing much to worry about so back to basic habits.
App registration universally ignored unless enforced and there needs to be more invasive auto locate monitoring.
Next Au Covid spike (seems inevitable there will be more) will at least face a population educated enough to upgrade their behaviour quickly.
 
You are forgetting typical human behaviour. Some people adjusted their hygiene standards but many haven't. Many people still don't wash their hands after using restrooms so you can imagine what the rest of their hygiene practices are like.


While I do not disagree with your point on human behavior varying (handwashing, mask wearing, social distancing, actually checking in etc) the dominant transmission mode at present really does seem to be airborne. Fomite transmission seems to be very rare (ie possibly the NZ Airport cleaner being an example, possibly the Qld HQ cleaner another).

One change in behavior in Melbourne that is thought to have led to a recent gastro spike is people hand sanitising rather than handwashing.


In March, Victorian health authorities warned gastroenteritis cases were up four-fold from the five-year average. On Monday, the Department of Health said viral gastroenteritis was continuing to spread, with 389 outbreaks in childcare and early education centres so far in 2021 – an increase of 140 on the previous month.
Victoria’s executive director for communicable disease, Dr Bruce Bolam, said handwashing with soap and water is still the best personal hygiene method to minimise the chance of spreading the virus.
“A good old-fashioned scrub with soap and warm water is the best way to remove the gastro virus from our hands and prevent passing it on to infect others,” Bolam said. While alcohol-based sanitiser is helpful in tackling coronavirus, it is much less effective against bugs such as norovirus, which is the predominant cause of the current childcare gastroenteritis outbreaks, he said.
 
It’s been proven over and over that contact transmission from surfaces is a microscopic chance of contracting covid.

It’s airborne. Some doctors are saying all this obsession with sanitising actually might be doing more harm than good! I’ll dig up that article I read about it, was interesting...
 
While I do not disagree with your point on human behavior varying (handwashing, mask wearing, social distancing, actually checking in etc) the dominant transmission mode at present really does seem to be airborne. Fomite transmission seems to be very rare (ie possibly the NZ Airport cleaner being an example, possibly the Qld HQ cleaner another).

One change in behavior in Melbourne that is thought to have led to a recent gastro spike is people hand sanitising rather than handwashing.


In March, Victorian health authorities warned gastroenteritis cases were up four-fold from the five-year average. On Monday, the Department of Health said viral gastroenteritis was continuing to spread, with 389 outbreaks in childcare and early education centres so far in 2021 – an increase of 140 on the previous month.
Victoria’s executive director for communicable disease, Dr Bruce Bolam, said handwashing with soap and water is still the best personal hygiene method to minimise the chance of spreading the virus.
“A good old-fashioned scrub with soap and warm water is the best way to remove the gastro virus from our hands and prevent passing it on to infect others,” Bolam said. While alcohol-based sanitiser is helpful in tackling coronavirus, it is much less effective against bugs such as norovirus, which is the predominant cause of the current childcare gastroenteritis outbreaks, he said.
That's the point I am making, one that does not wash their hands regularly most likely coughs without covering their mouth, does not understand social distancing and so on.

Partner works in aged care and they used to get lots of gastro outbreaks and once a certain staff member left it is no longer an issue.
 
Finally some accountability for the mess in WA. Staff still frequently not wearing masks in HQ.... seriously!

—-

Western Australia’s hotel quarantine boss Robyn Lawrence quits after series of bungles​


 
Perhaps 1 in 10 use the hand sanitisers at Bunnings entry, similar number elsewhere.
Not surprised ... hand sanitizer is supposed to sterilise then 'disappear'. Not Bunning's - it stays stinking with an invisible odiferous trace on one's hands for hours. Yuk!

I use my own (bottle in car).
 
Not surprised ... hand santizer is supposed to sterilise then 'disappear. Not Bunnings - it stays stinking one's hand for hours. Yuk!

I use my own (bottle in car).
I think they use the Scott's brand of hand sanitiser - it'll repel anything...
 
Not surprised ... hand santizer is supposed to sterilise then 'disappear. Not Bunnings - it stays stinking one's hand for hours. Yuk!

I use my own (bottle in car).
Same here, I use my own sanitizer product, called zoono which has claims & independent lab tests claiming 24hours sterilization. So constantly have to say I used in car etc.
Not many believe a sanitizer lists 24hrs against covid.
The same zoono that Qantas plus a suite of other airlines & train tube services use.

The 1.5 or 2.0m distancing is an odd one to me, rarely see it followed on a strict basis. Supermarket even local Street shops, that distance nigh on impossible to adhere to in my opinion.
 
All Primary Close Contacts of the returned Melbourne Traveller Case have now tested negative.


Extract from the daily Vic DHHS Report
Media release
15 May 2021

Update: Wollert COVID-19 case

Public health teams continue to manage the contacts of the COVID-19 case in Victoria that was acquired interstate.

All three of the individual’s household Primary Close Contacts have been tested, have returned negative results and remain in isolation. In addition, as of midday today:


  • 42 patrons and staff who attended the Curry Vault CBD exposure site are currently identified as Primary Close Contacts.
  • 15 people who attended the Pact Altona North exposure site are currently identified as Primary Close Contacts.
  • 30 people who attended the Indiagate Epping exposure site are currently identified as Primary Close Contacts.
All of these Primary Close Contacts have been tested and returned negative results.

Victorian public health authorities have re-classified the Woolworths Epping exposure site as a Tier 2 site, requiring contacts to isolate until they receive a negative result.

This decision was made following a detailed assessment of the transmission risks of this site.

A total of 60 primary close contacts had been identified from the Woolworths Epping exposure site.

All of these primary close contacts are being contacted by public health authorities and advised they can end their quarantine once they have tested negative to COVID-19.

 
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I was listening to Pacific Review on ABC radio earlier this evening. Apparently Nauru has vaccinated 108% of its population against COVID. I think Australia is around 10%.
 
I was listening to Pacific Review on ABC radio earlier this evening. Apparently Nauru has vaccinated 108% of its population against COVID. I think Australia is around 10%.

Im sure if they wanted to and were allowed to the town of Colac in Victoria or Ulladulla in NSW could achieve similar levels of vaccination too.
 
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You are forgetting typical human behaviour. Some people adjusted their hygiene standards but many haven't. Many people still don't wash their hands after using restrooms so you can imagine what the rest of their hygiene practices are like.

I was at a pokies gaming room the other day. There were at least 3 or 4 ppl of the older generation coughing without covering their mouths.
 
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