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Rob McIntosh's avatar

And when further down the track a mutatation arises that is highly lethal those morons still won't comply with common senses measures and we'll all be fucked.

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thekrunkymonkey's avatar

I got reemed by Rona three weeks ago and I am still trying to get over it. I wear a mask and lube up every time I go anywhere but for a while I was kinda alone in that. It is edifying though to now see increasing numbers of maskers and lubers on those rare occasions that I leave my nest but I am stunned at the paucity of fucks being given to this by the government and the media.

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John Birmingham's avatar

I amused by your use of the term 'lube' and will be stealing it in future.

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thekrunkymonkey's avatar

Excellent!

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Jonathon Troy's avatar

You know JB. This column has been very topical for me because today the contractors in my workplace are introducing a split shift so they reduce the number of their staff that would be taken offline in the event of a COVID 19 outbreak here. Strangely enough when I suggested that they encourage people to get vaccinated (so their staff who are over 60 won't get long COVID or get the flu), their manager who claims to be a "Registered Nurse" stated she is not a medical practitioner and is "prochoice".

So while we have the choice of wearing a mask at work, suggesting to people that they get vaccinated against COVID or the flu is not something she supports. A RN who doesn't support preventative health care - go figure.

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John Birmingham's avatar

I understand that there's more of it around than you'd imagine.

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K2SO's avatar

I'm with you JB. My partner has a thing called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), and complex allergies, so her body over-reacts to everything. Walk past a bakery? Coughing fit. Open a box of Jatz? Anaphalactic shock. When she gets covid she's one of the ones very likely to die. And she can't go anywhere near a hospital because they won't be able to deal with the complexity of her conditions - we've been told this by her allergy specialist. So, we've been in 100% iso since December last year.

Meanwhile, in Japan and some other Asian countries, the entire population wears masks without even being told to, as a matter of societal common sense during a pandemic. Then we come to the average Aussie freedumb merchant - brainwashed by American libertarian bullshit - who won't even deign to put a fucking mask on their face so my partner is a little less likely to die. I have no words.

The hate is growing in me, and I despise myself for it. But by fuck am I sick of policy being dictated by the Lowest Common Denominator ball-scratchers as if Idiocracy is our goal.

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John Birmingham's avatar

Jeezus, PR. That fucking sucks. I can understand why you'd be getting angrier and angrier.

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Rik's avatar

The aggro these arsehats have re masks boggles my mind. I had a similar incident in the carpark outide a mall-except I had the female variant who seemed equally ready to throw down after the "Why you wearin' a fuckun mask for!" I was holding my 5 yr old's hand so I sped up and got out of there. I know they feel compelled to prove something at all costs-what that is I don't know.

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ken's avatar

My recent purchase of a bottle of Pine O Clean, disinfectant has a very bold claim about the efficacy of its product. The following list on the label contains four viruses that can be killed, instantly. Apparently, S. Aureus, E Coli, Influenza virus and, wait for it, Covid-19 virus, can kill 99% of all of these little bastards.

I tested Trump's bleach cure on my little brother first, but I haven't seen him since, mum thinks he may have gone to Bali, with Darlene.

I tried the Pino stuff, but I had to throw down a handful of jelly crystals at first to stop me gagging, then to zap the last little one per cent, I found a bottle of Bundy and a packet of smokes did the trick, I was back done the pub with me mates in no time. I found a lot of them weren't there, for some reason.

That bloke who had, The Media Are The Virus, on his T-shirt, must have known a thing or two, why else would the lame stream media keep this a secret? They must be in cahoots with the Canberra Cabal of Freemasons, Evangelists and shape-shifting, Dutton-like aliens, I read about in a magazine I bought at Woolies.

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John Birmingham's avatar

Comment of the Day

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Matthew F.'s avatar

If you’d like to know more about the Canberra Cabal, Ken, there are some scruffy hoarse-voiced folks down on the Lake Burley Griffin shore each morning who’d be happy to supply you with details.

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leefe's avatar

Vaccinated to the eyeballs, mask and sanitiser whenever I'm out, social distancer by nature and still haven't had it but it's probably only a matter of time. It shits me that so few are taking reasonable precautions.

Everyone here did the right thing when there were mandates and that worked; now it's like the powers-that-be have just given up. Like they don't care about the deaths and the long-term damage. Screw the lot of them.

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Matthew F.'s avatar

Yep. Same as you, vaxxed, mask up whenever I’m in public, sanitise and wash, social distance on the fairly rare occasions when I’m out of home. Thought I was Neo watching the viruses fly past me in bullet-time, but nope, halfway through a week of iso after I thought “wait, this doesn’t feel quite like a normal cold” and went for a PCR. Just so glad the rest of the household seems to have dodged it.

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Dave Morgan's avatar

'But collectively, it’s like we’ve entered the denial stage of whatever process we’re moving through.' If I've learnt anything as a frontline HCW over the last 2 years, it's that truth is in short supply, and governments lack the will to do the heavy lifting. Which results in Health Department messaging like this:

To protect others you must:

• practise good hygiene

• practise physical distancing

• follow the limits for public gatherings

• understand how to isolate if you need to

It's airborne. Period. Source control masking, ventilation and filtration are protective of others. I grit my teeth every time I see a hand sanitiser station (rough estimate - you're 1000 times more likely to get infected respiratory vs. surface transmission). If our leaders serve up dross like this, what hope do we have? I'm despondent.

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asmith1024's avatar

Back in the day I used to get punched on the train for not being a skinhead, these days I get punched on the train for wearing a mask. I hate the train.

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stronghyli's avatar

I'll get a lot of hate for this but Australia still mandates RAT/PCR reporting and legally requires positive reporters to isolate. A lot of other countries don't, especially in Europe. No wonder we look very dark purple. By all means throw stats at me but stats are not being collected evenly

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John Birmingham's avatar

No hate. You’re right that comparisons are odious for the very reason you say. But some numbers are hard and real. Ten thousand dead is a lot of loss and sadness, with more to come. And it feels like we’ve just wished all of that away.

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Jim KABLE's avatar

John: As vaccinated as far as we can be - so far - and wearing masks in shopping centres, crowded streets, cinemas, concerts - and so far - neither being infected nor being responsible for others being infected. My wife feels ill when she sees those with a mask below the nose or loosely protecting only their chins. Neither of us with "co-morbidities" yet! We have travelled throughout the state (and to Tasmania) this year - always being careful, though. Galleries, museums - in our Caravan Park unit accommodation and the occasional motel - but the silence on daily cases and where and the lack of mandating wearing of masks - I find it astounding - as yet another toddler or another aged care facility succumbs. From one of the best - straight to one of the worst - in the world! In my own warped way I see Coleman, Hunt and Morrison as the instruments of Covid-deaths in Australia! And to see all bar three of the reduced LNP cohort in the Federal Parliament without masks is symptomatic - but I am hoping that they might soon wipe themselves out - as uncharitable as that sounds! And as you pointed out to your interrogator at the barber shop: "It's not all about you!" And at least he had the good grace to instantly recognise that! Maybe his old mum or grandma might survive if he visits them...

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John Birmingham's avatar

Yeah you make a good point about the performative wankery of refusing to make up in Parliament. I should have mentioned that.

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Jim KABLE's avatar

John: There are so many instances - it would take a book to list them all! Masking up!

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Dave Morgan's avatar

Jim I can't tell you how disheartened I am that labor is not changing course on this. My days of voting for the major parties is now over (and yes, I understand the preferential system and will avoid giving potatomort a leg up). Maybe all is not lost, I have it on good authority there are federal labor ministers who are unhappy with our current approach and want to put a broom through ICEG and senior figures in the health department.

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Jim KABLE's avatar

Dave: It started well - Uluru Statement from the Heart - support; the Biloela Murugappan Family "home"; Bernard Collaery case dropped (but what of Richard Boyle and David McBride - and Julian Assange?); and then AA rushing to Tokyo/The "QUAD" to Madrid to Kyiv - Marles and AUKUS to sitting holding hands with Dutton in the US - pluses for Penny Wong - sort of - in the Pacific - but the loaded language every time China is referenced???!!! Grr! Thanks Dave - we are NOT alone! And yes - re who one votes for - preferentially - looking forward to the setting up of Federal ICAC and fair dinkum accountability for the rorting/corruption of whoever - whichever side of politics - is involved.

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Philip Fitzpatrick's avatar

"This study of five million US veterans found every reinfection increased your chances of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental illness, gastric problems, neurological issues and, unsurprisingly, fatigue."

I've got all of those things - at least I think I have - but I still don't want to catch covid.

Dutton's already had covid so it's unlikely to take him out (although he'll probably do that to himself anyway, politically speaking). And of course, he is exhibiting the signs of mental illness from his dose, it's just a little bit hard to distinguish from his previous state. Still, anything to thin the numbers of the nasty party can't be a bad thing, not that you'd want to wish it on anyone, even them.

Actually "nasty party" needs an update I think. How about the stupid/nasty party?

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David Inchley's avatar

No freedom to go to ICU. Back to residential aged care. Long covid? Not long and back for palliation. Our freedom for your sacrifice. How can you see our appreciative smiles while masked?

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Derek's avatar

Large sticker on the back of a pumped up 4WD Ute yesterday - "Fuck Your Vaccine". Nice

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John Birmingham's avatar

Yeah, that. That aggressive stupidity is what I find hard to understand.

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Pauline4bubbles's avatar

Those of us who do care and have mostly been doing the right thing all along feel unsupported by the various levels of government. With notable exceptions they were almost instantly subverted by the big and small money obsessed spokesgroups into to doing only the least they could. Even the exceptions eventually caved when disease carriers proved that Ms Rona cares less about state borders than Johnny Depp's dog. Now everyone is in one high risk category or another. Those of us who always were or have actual loved ones at high risk are left wondering how much protection that 4th booster shot 8 months ago is still giving us.

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John Birmingham's avatar

Not much, Pauline. Not against infection, at least. It does seem to have real benefits at staving off the worst, most extreme outcomes after infection, however.

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LB's avatar

Wild how these weaponised contrarians are AOK with facial recognition. Not that their world-view is supposed to make any sort of coherent sense.

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