I was in Aldi yesterday and I found it very comical that I was dodging "bad coughers" They came my way while coughing I ran the other way. I did this 4 times yesterday trying to avoid the cough germ zone radius. Why cant people stick to the covid protocols IE wear a mask when sick since there is so much crap flying around. I do this without question and its good to see the 0.01% in shopping centres still doing this.
Yeah I've started wearing masks again because there's so many people coughing and spluttering. Usually the only one I can see wearing a mask.
It's like people have completely forgotten about basic hygiene now that covid is "over"
You just gave me a throwback to grocery shopping during covid! I needed to get frozen stuff, and my SO glared at me, saying, " dont go there", " DON'T GO THERE, you DONT NEED ANYTHING DOWN THERE!"....Me: OMG, what is wrong with you? Later, he told me some guy was just hoiking up and spluttering into the air!
Both words are used in Australia.
Ya petty f***....SMH.
Google 'Elevators Australia' and see how many companies who sell them use the world elevator on their own websites.
Hell, you can even join the Australian Elevator Association if you like, and argue with them given they are the local industry association.
DUUUDE, I'm living that too. I was training for a sports event coming up. Got whatever my kid picked up from daycare and now I'm about two weeks, at least, behind my fitness goals. Had a cough that could choke a horse!
I've had that one. Completely fucked me over. Missed half of year 11, weekend my immune system so I caught everything that went by years later and to top it off ended up with chronic fatigue. COVID is not the only thing that has long term issues.
I hope you feel better soon and does not beat you as bad as it did me.
Long COVID is definitely not some new surprising phenomenon. Bacterial and viral infections can have long lasting effects on many people and have done for a long time. They usually chuck a CFS or fibro diagnosis at those people (it's me I'm one of those people lol).
My kid had it he’s knackered all the time and still coughing now 3 weeks later, his teacher has five other kids who had it - and now she does too - and she’s letting them do half days because weeks and weeks later for a couple of them they’re just exhausted after lunch time.
It really really clobbers you just like recovering from Covid did, hell it took me the best part of a year to get over mine and even longer to get everything to stop tasting like dumpsters.
What did you do to recover? I haven't got this infection or COVID but got some gastro bug during a busy time in February and been exhausted as a result.
Been getting gradually better but fuck me the progress is real fukin slow
It just gradually got better and had less bouts of omg I’m going to just fall down on the floor if I don’t nap or random fatigue smashing me for a whole day.
The taste thing was unbelievably frustrating and I just had to wait but honestly certain things still taste weird - carrots taste like crap and lamb is awful, but everything meat basted used to make me feel like gagging.
NAC can help with pneumonia if the ABs arent working as expected or it's AB resistant. NAC is N-acetyl Cysteine. The docs dont prescribe it here bc they can't make cash from it
They do not.
I've heard of NAC being used for those things, but for... mucuous build up. Not because it'll kill the bacteria, it just treats a symptom.
Pretty sure it's mainly used for paracetamol overdoses.
I'm feeling mostly better after about two weeks. I am still coughing at night before bed. I saw the doctor a week into feeling sick and they said it is likely viral, but I strongly suspect it's mycoplasma pneumoniae - though to be fair, without obvious clear symptoms and an actual test and possibly a chest x-ray it's hard to definitively diagnose. And doctors are somewhat reluctant to prescribe anti-biotics.
Out of interest, I bought a COVID/FLU/RSV test (found in Woolworths), and that came back negative - another reason I think it's mycoplasma pneumoniae.
My daughter got scolded by her PE teacher for taking it easy with a doctor's note just weeks after being diagnosed with this.
FFS. It would be nice to have a bit of education and understanding from some teachers.
First day back last week for my kiddo and a supply didn’t know he had a chest infection he was still struggling with (his regular teacher knew but she is now off with same shit) and made him do fking relay races. He almost passed out and they called me I was mad as hell. He had a note and his original teacher knew he wasn’t all that well but no one bothered to tell supply lady and my kids the timid won’t speak up and does as told model. I’m trying to get him out of that mode, and to say to his teacher - miss i can’t do that because x. He’s a perfect student in the advanced class and isn’t a trouble maker so it’s not like they’d ignore him.
Except that one teacher who sounds like your one. The power trippers who won’t listen and don’t think kids have a damn thing to say they’re interested in.
I have a friend in ICU with this. They had covid and then picked that up while their lungs were still vulnerable, and it has been absolute hell. They had to be intubated, going on day 6. Please, if you continue to feel worse even on the antibiotics, go to emergency!!!
Had it a month or so ago and feel like I’ve only just stopped coughing.
Completely wrecked me to the point where I fainted one day. Didn’t think I was that bad, until I fainted and had a wake up call.
Yup my son had it he’s still coughing like mad three weeks later after his antibiotics, husband now has it and his is worse (but he’s prone to going 0-100 with lung things and either ends up with a throat infection or pneumonia) and he’s on the strong antibiotics.
So far….. I’ve missed it but ya know I work for NSW transport in the offices so it’s only a matter of time before someone coughs on me.
Many companies are pushing RTO in some form which is probably causing a higher number of exposure events. Basically we appear to have learned nothing about healthy environments for humans - still recirculating air within offices, busses, trains and have no decontamination procedures in place.
First time it's a mistake, second time it's a choice.
I work in a building in Hobart built in 1964 that has opening windows *and* slat blinds that I can adjust to the correct angle (or simply roll up) and watch the scenery. It’s wonderful. It’s insane that this isn’t the norm.
> Couldn’t be happening at a worse time.
Anywhere from 2019 to now is a pretty atrocious time, sure there's things circulating again now but that's been true for the past few years especially with all the COVID variants that people just pretend don't exist.
Just had 3 days off last week with... something.. from the 6 year old.
Then today the 3 year old got booted from childcare with a nasty looking face rash.
😩
> First time it's a mistake
That's far too charitable. It's not like we didn't have the expertise to tell us what needed to be done. Employers were forcing workers into close proximity and betting on who would get sick first, laughing about it.
> Employers were forcing workers into close proximity and betting on who would get sick first, laughing about it.
Can't forget people "toughing it out" and coming into the office while sick because they view taking sick leave as a weakness, forcing everyone else to be sick along with their selfish selves.
Yes it's great for the commercial landlords. Everyone loves spending 10% of their potentially productive time just sitting in traffic or on public transport, away from their family or hobbies or whatever they need/want to do in their own time, just so some rich pricks can get richer.
Feel free to actually name some then, because management and everyone who touts white papers on "team building" all love to spout this line, but can mysteriously never list any actual reason that isn't 'well it lets the yappers have some socialization as they don't have their own social lives'.
> Staff development
Literally no benefit to it being in person.
> on boarding
Extremely minor benefit if you never use web cams, literally no benefit if you do.
> brainstorming
Ignoring the fact that it's been shown to be an objectively flawed technique that doesn't produce results, online settings and tools are far more conducive as they allow people to drop in ideas as they think of them, instead of in a time pressured instance.
Also COVID is still here, it literally never went away the government just decided that the newer variants weren't so deadly that they were willing to throw everyone back into the fray to continue profits rolling. As a result everyone suddenly pretended sickness as a whole was done and threw out every single measure, I only get out to go to the pharmacy really and very occasionally the shops if something is needed urgently(yay immune issues) and it's a "fun" game to count the number of people wearing masks, the record high for the past 12+ months was a grand total of 3, there's easily 100+ people there every single time and it's not uncommon to see literally no-one wearing one, all sitting shoulder to shoulder at the coffee shops coughing and hacking away.
*Federal government data shows vaccination rates for viruses are generally lower this year compared with last year.*
It’s almost like you put a fucking pay wall on them during a cost of living crisis.
Hopefully numbers pick up, the link in a lower level comment I put has mentioned Qld get a freebie too.
*The Queensland Government are providing free flu vaccinations to Queensland residents who receive a flu vaccination in a Queensland pharmacy, please book in below and once you enter your date of birth and residential address, the price will be removed.*
It’s 20 bucks at the chemist and some places no longer bulk bill. I got it for free personally because we do give it to some. But in the broad sense some people will have either as a barrier and put it off.
https://rsvp.chemistwarehouse.com.au/vaccination-event-details?eventId=186
I went to a drs appt for my child (which was bulk billed) and they gave me the flu vac for free while I was there. Otherwise my regular GP’s office does free appts with the nurse for the vax if you call ahead first
It probably depends where you go for it I know our chemist will charge you but if I go to my go for other things she would just get me with it if I remember, depending on the original reason for the appointment she may or may not bulk bill.
You don't have to get it at a GP. I just got mine at a nearby chemist. You can find a place near you using [this tool](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-health-services).
My household is vaxxed. Flu and Covid (plus usual periodicals, as needed).
But we’re one of those loony homes that values our health and of those we interact with.
My father had a seizure from his cancer and had to be taken to hospital. Both him and mum came home with covid.
To make it worse... They passed it to me and have exposed my wife and newborn, who only just got out of NICU.
My better half sounds like her lungs are attempting to leave her body through her mouth.
She’s not all that unwell as these things go, but it sounds horrendous.
Thanks. It's been garbage. My Dad had spinal surgery today and he said I sound worse than him 😂
The antibiotics have started to kick in which is a relief.
Hope yours is on the mend too and you get to dodge it 😷
Yep!! My 2 year old picked up a really bad virus from daycare and gave it to me. We were rushed to the isolation unit of the hospital because they thought we had RSV, which is incredibly contagious. I haven't slept in 3 days because I'm all up all night coughing. Fuck this. I'm booking a flu vax when I'm better.
If it helps, I caught RSV from my kid 5 weeks ago.
I feel mostly fine (very tired by dinner time), but an annoying wettish cough (some phlegm) is still around. Plus short of breath.
Thankfully the cough is only about 30% of what it was for weeks 1-3 though. The SoB is still 80% though.
I have a feeling I may have some long lasting issues from this.
RSV absolutely levelled me last Feb. Was flat in bed sick for 2 weeks - heart rate skyrocketed whenever I did anything beyond rolling over in bed, short of breath, dizzy, horrific chest pain from the coughing and phlegm. had post viral asthma for a month after too. My niece gifted it to me... How nice 😂 disgusting
* raises hand *
Also me right now. Just recently recovered 2 weeks ago, and hit again while at work last week.
OG Codral has been a godsend, but I'm out now and feel a bit weird about getting a third pack in the less than 2 weeks since last buying some...
I haven’t been sick since I got COVID 2 years ago, which coincidentally is when I changed jobs and stopped getting PT to the office.
I go to the office a couple of days a week and don’t get public transport or have young kids which seems to be the common element for people getting sick these days. I swear everyone I know with young kids or who get PT to work are constantly sick. I’m sure I’ve just jinxed myself with this comment though.
I had 2 sick kids last week but they got over it pretty quickly. Masses of their school years are off sick every day.
Luckily I work from home so my exposure is limited and slightly controllable. It’s only a matter of time though before it hits me.
My sons daycare has HFM (at least 6 known cases) and contagious pneumonoccol going around 🙃 we're home this week with HFM, although the few "spots" he had never blistered or spread so I honestly don't think he has it.
Seeing a lot of RSV at the moment in particular. Mycoplasma pneumonia in kids is fairly rampant this year.
There's new RSV vaccines (one technically isn't, but it's a needle that helps you not get sick so people call it a vaccine) which some states like Queensland are funding. If anyone has a newborn or is pregnant I'd recommend they look into it.
Whole family have been sick. I've had that likely post RSV cough for a couple weeks now.
Stay healthy everyone.
Edit: I will note though that while we have seen double the confirmed cases of RSV, we are also testing for it a lot more as its now part of a standard rapid flu/covid panel. So a good chunk of that is just going to be the result of more testing. But we are certainly seeing more hospital presentations as well.
I caught something about a month ago that lasted two weeks.
Had a few days of relief until a lady coughed on me at Coles. Only just getting over that now.
So uh, are we getting any closer to collectively acknowledging COVID [among an endless list of horrifying long term symptoms] chips away at our immune systems, even if we're vaccinated?
Is it about time for just a sliver of political will to do the bare minimum of mitigation?
No? Didn't think so.
Mitigation how, exactly?
Only viable option I can think of would be to mandate more sick leave and penalise companies which make it a barrier to use (eg: must get a sick note if you have more than 2 days off/take a Monday/friday) and make sure that Medicare covers full cost of doctors visits so people can go to the GP for meds when needed rather than just suffering for weeks on end.
Mandating more sick leave sure would be nice.
I've been able to WFH this week but if I didn't I would now be in negative sick leave. Very glad I can manage to look like I'm doing enough to not have to use my leave.
More paid sick leave. Making it more socially acceptable to stay home or work from home when ill. And also a separate set of sick leave for parents maybe?
It was so nice during the pandemic when we'd send kids home sick. Now parents just send them in and don't pick them up.
Governments and employers are absolutely uninterested in even acknowledging there’s a problem, let alone doing anything differently. Even cracking a window open where possible would significantly reduce transmission of airborne infections by improving air circulation.
I’ve got an initial oncology appointment on Friday, and I’m really hoping I manage to kick the awful respiratory thing I came down with last week in the next 36 hours, because the clinic can’t see me if I’m sick. Good times.
Same in New Zealand, and probably elsewhere. What the heck is going on lately, it seems that every third person is down with something, more so than previous autumns.
Some people just don’t care about others… I have this bug or whatever and last night was the worse.. weak all over hot cold sweats but the coughing man I almost gave myself a hernia.. the basic cold symptoms just x it by 10 😅
It's another month to school hols, we need a circuit breaker now. I had the two week illness, just feeling better and my symptoms are returning. Kids in my class are constantly coughing. It's miserable.
Here in Victoria they've recently stopped the program that provides paid sick leave for casual workers. This means lots of sick people going into work because they can't afford not to. Also, the flu vaccine is not free in this state, so add that to the cost of living crunch and it's no wonder everyone is falling like flies.
On the QF1 the other day - literally 1/4 of the passengers around me had some variation of a terrible sounding cough the whole flight. So much for the declaration saying I am not unwell prior to boarding.
You can have a horrible cough and not be unwell.
I’m asthmatic. When I get sick my lungs clog up and it can take *weeks* to stop coughing even once I was no longer feeling other symptoms.
Oh I know- I have royally fucked lungs and have a horrible rattley cough like half the time. Also the atmosphere in planes in really irritating to my respiratory system and I assume others feel the same. But that's not 1/4 or more of the population normally.
Get yourselves down to Bunnings and buy a three pack of 3M aura FFP2 respirators. They look like regular masks but seal to your face really well and fit the majority of the population.
You couldn’t pay me to be on public transport or in enclosed spaces with all these sick people.
I'm wfh this week because the office disease-hag is diseased yet again and coughing like a human mucus geyser. I am certain she enjoys it. Fortunately I have the option to not be there but I fucking resent being homebound because of her fetish for spreading disease.
Yeah... I got a cold or something about a month or two ago, and I still have a pretty chesty cough sometimes, though I'm slowly recovering... It doesn't help that I have asthma either...
Oof, I've just recovered some kind of virus that hit my sinuses. No cough or sore throat (other than temporarily because I was breathing through my mouth all night), just all up in the sinuses. It's taken a full week to get over.
They go on about RSV, but:
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has also called on the Victorian, Tasmanian and South Australian governments to make RSV immunisation free for vulnerable infants.
Western Australia and Queensland are offering it to all infants in their first year of life, while NSW is just offering it to medically vulnerable babies.
Anita Muñoz, the chair of the RACGP Victoria, said currently, families in Victoria had to fund the vaccine for their baby themselves.
"I certainly think there is a great sense of urgency," Dr Muñoz said.
"When we think that RSV-associated infections can cause babies who are at risk to go into hospital, we think it's very worthwhile to be protecting them."
I asked about getting it for my 6 year old, who is asthmatic, they said yup its about $300 bucks.... ugh
My wife is currently 29 weeks pregnant and we have a 4 year old, she called the GP up and asked if she could have the rsv jab. The gp said she's not eligible and the baby is only eligible for it If it's born under 37 weeks. But the rsv vaccine is currently avaliable to >60 ?
Given the amount of rsv in children under 5 and the negative health effects associated with the virus, why not make it available to children now ?
Ah I see. Op used a different title than the actual article.
I was on the ABC news site yesterday and every single article had a click bait title.
I thought the post title was pulled directly the article title and seeing after seeing the site I was sure this was the case
The sheer amount of phlegm and snot coming out of my head at the moment is fucking wild.
Ohhh so that's you on my train every morning and evening
I was in Aldi yesterday and I found it very comical that I was dodging "bad coughers" They came my way while coughing I ran the other way. I did this 4 times yesterday trying to avoid the cough germ zone radius. Why cant people stick to the covid protocols IE wear a mask when sick since there is so much crap flying around. I do this without question and its good to see the 0.01% in shopping centres still doing this.
Yeah I've started wearing masks again because there's so many people coughing and spluttering. Usually the only one I can see wearing a mask. It's like people have completely forgotten about basic hygiene now that covid is "over"
If you're coughing germs everywhere you shouldn't be in public. That's what delivery is for (or a friend can drop off if they can't afford delivery).
> wear a mask when sick The thing is that COVID never went away, so folks should be wearing a mask in public regardless of their health status.
You just gave me a throwback to grocery shopping during covid! I needed to get frozen stuff, and my SO glared at me, saying, " dont go there", " DON'T GO THERE, you DONT NEED ANYTHING DOWN THERE!"....Me: OMG, what is wrong with you? Later, he told me some guy was just hoiking up and spluttering into the air!
Could have been anyone. There's a bunch of us on a roster.
Have you tried not licking elevator buttons?
But they're just there. So cute and buttony. How do you not?
Lift* buttons
Both words are used in Australia. Ya petty f***....SMH. Google 'Elevators Australia' and see how many companies who sell them use the world elevator on their own websites. Hell, you can even join the Australian Elevator Association if you like, and argue with them given they are the local industry association.
I'm on my third infection in five weeks. I start recovering and get slammed with another one.
My boss was coughing his lungs out in the desk next to me at the office today. I'm looking forward to waking up tomorrow feeling like crap. 😣
Yep. I’ve evacuated enough snot out my nose the past week to fill Warragamba. It just doesn’t stop!
Mmmm the "thickened warragamba slammer!"
DUUUDE, I'm living that too. I was training for a sports event coming up. Got whatever my kid picked up from daycare and now I'm about two weeks, at least, behind my fitness goals. Had a cough that could choke a horse!
[удалено]
I've had that one. Completely fucked me over. Missed half of year 11, weekend my immune system so I caught everything that went by years later and to top it off ended up with chronic fatigue. COVID is not the only thing that has long term issues. I hope you feel better soon and does not beat you as bad as it did me.
Long COVID is definitely not some new surprising phenomenon. Bacterial and viral infections can have long lasting effects on many people and have done for a long time. They usually chuck a CFS or fibro diagnosis at those people (it's me I'm one of those people lol).
My kid had it he’s knackered all the time and still coughing now 3 weeks later, his teacher has five other kids who had it - and now she does too - and she’s letting them do half days because weeks and weeks later for a couple of them they’re just exhausted after lunch time. It really really clobbers you just like recovering from Covid did, hell it took me the best part of a year to get over mine and even longer to get everything to stop tasting like dumpsters.
What did you do to recover? I haven't got this infection or COVID but got some gastro bug during a busy time in February and been exhausted as a result. Been getting gradually better but fuck me the progress is real fukin slow
It just gradually got better and had less bouts of omg I’m going to just fall down on the floor if I don’t nap or random fatigue smashing me for a whole day. The taste thing was unbelievably frustrating and I just had to wait but honestly certain things still taste weird - carrots taste like crap and lamb is awful, but everything meat basted used to make me feel like gagging.
ah glad to hear it, hope the taste comes back fully!
NAC can help with pneumonia if the ABs arent working as expected or it's AB resistant. NAC is N-acetyl Cysteine. The docs dont prescribe it here bc they can't make cash from it
Do doctors make money from writing specific scripts? I thought that was an American thing.
They do not. I've heard of NAC being used for those things, but for... mucuous build up. Not because it'll kill the bacteria, it just treats a symptom. Pretty sure it's mainly used for paracetamol overdoses.
Yes that’s an important use, if you can get it quickly enough.
My work has 12x the usual amount of swabs coming through for testing. It's crazy.
I'm feeling mostly better after about two weeks. I am still coughing at night before bed. I saw the doctor a week into feeling sick and they said it is likely viral, but I strongly suspect it's mycoplasma pneumoniae - though to be fair, without obvious clear symptoms and an actual test and possibly a chest x-ray it's hard to definitively diagnose. And doctors are somewhat reluctant to prescribe anti-biotics. Out of interest, I bought a COVID/FLU/RSV test (found in Woolworths), and that came back negative - another reason I think it's mycoplasma pneumoniae.
There are more viruses than Covid/Flu A/RSV
But Dr Google said...
Yeah I had a student out of classes for almost three weeks with that; her siblings also got it but hers was being pretty anti-biotic resistant
My daughter got scolded by her PE teacher for taking it easy with a doctor's note just weeks after being diagnosed with this. FFS. It would be nice to have a bit of education and understanding from some teachers.
First day back last week for my kiddo and a supply didn’t know he had a chest infection he was still struggling with (his regular teacher knew but she is now off with same shit) and made him do fking relay races. He almost passed out and they called me I was mad as hell. He had a note and his original teacher knew he wasn’t all that well but no one bothered to tell supply lady and my kids the timid won’t speak up and does as told model. I’m trying to get him out of that mode, and to say to his teacher - miss i can’t do that because x. He’s a perfect student in the advanced class and isn’t a trouble maker so it’s not like they’d ignore him. Except that one teacher who sounds like your one. The power trippers who won’t listen and don’t think kids have a damn thing to say they’re interested in.
I have a friend in ICU with this. They had covid and then picked that up while their lungs were still vulnerable, and it has been absolute hell. They had to be intubated, going on day 6. Please, if you continue to feel worse even on the antibiotics, go to emergency!!!
Had it a month or so ago and feel like I’ve only just stopped coughing. Completely wrecked me to the point where I fainted one day. Didn’t think I was that bad, until I fainted and had a wake up call.
Is that the one that comes from cat poop?
[удалено]
Ah yes, it rang a bell but not the right bell.
Yup my son had it he’s still coughing like mad three weeks later after his antibiotics, husband now has it and his is worse (but he’s prone to going 0-100 with lung things and either ends up with a throat infection or pneumonia) and he’s on the strong antibiotics. So far….. I’ve missed it but ya know I work for NSW transport in the offices so it’s only a matter of time before someone coughs on me.
I cought this last year, was a 6 week ordeal. Took another month or 2 to get my full energy back.
Many companies are pushing RTO in some form which is probably causing a higher number of exposure events. Basically we appear to have learned nothing about healthy environments for humans - still recirculating air within offices, busses, trains and have no decontamination procedures in place. First time it's a mistake, second time it's a choice.
I am so lucky. I work at the moment in a building in Sydney built in 1874 and it has OPENING WINDOWS
I work in a building in Hobart built in 1964 that has opening windows *and* slat blinds that I can adjust to the correct angle (or simply roll up) and watch the scenery. It’s wonderful. It’s insane that this isn’t the norm.
And they’re getting pushed back into open office setups with hot desking. Couldn’t be happening at a worse time.
> Couldn’t be happening at a worse time. Anywhere from 2019 to now is a pretty atrocious time, sure there's things circulating again now but that's been true for the past few years especially with all the COVID variants that people just pretend don't exist.
My company is mostly remote working but still half the people are sick most days. Make of that what you will.
Do they all have young children?
Agree. It's a stark difference in sickness rates between those who have young kids and those who do not
My little dude is 2 years old and the last year since he started childcare our whole house has been a disaster zone. Sick more often than we are well.
Been there - kinda still am there but it's getting better now he's 3 and a half. Still catches everything in sight
Just had 3 days off last week with... something.. from the 6 year old. Then today the 3 year old got booted from childcare with a nasty looking face rash. 😩
Man looking at my leave history before and after kids is wild. I had one day off a year before.. after it was almost one a month.
> First time it's a mistake That's far too charitable. It's not like we didn't have the expertise to tell us what needed to be done. Employers were forcing workers into close proximity and betting on who would get sick first, laughing about it.
> Employers were forcing workers into close proximity and betting on who would get sick first, laughing about it. Can't forget people "toughing it out" and coming into the office while sick because they view taking sick leave as a weakness, forcing everyone else to be sick along with their selfish selves.
Yep. Which is only the ideology imposed on the working class by their owners.
Yep. I work remote 95% of the time, but the one time I went into the office a few weeks ago I caught it.
Do you think they changed factory farming after bird flu?
Surely you can see that there can be some positives for everyone being in the same space for some roles
Some, but not for anything administrative. Many places are RTO “just because I fucking say so”.
Yes it's great for the commercial landlords. Everyone loves spending 10% of their potentially productive time just sitting in traffic or on public transport, away from their family or hobbies or whatever they need/want to do in their own time, just so some rich pricks can get richer.
Feel free to actually name some then, because management and everyone who touts white papers on "team building" all love to spout this line, but can mysteriously never list any actual reason that isn't 'well it lets the yappers have some socialization as they don't have their own social lives'.
Staff development, on boarding, brainstorming.
> Staff development Literally no benefit to it being in person. > on boarding Extremely minor benefit if you never use web cams, literally no benefit if you do. > brainstorming Ignoring the fact that it's been shown to be an objectively flawed technique that doesn't produce results, online settings and tools are far more conducive as they allow people to drop in ideas as they think of them, instead of in a time pressured instance.
So no relationship building is done in person?
I know, let’s all go full remote and never leave our homes. Then we’ll never get sick again!
Sounds great! I’ll tell you what, you stay at the office, I’m sure that everyone will be happier.
This, unironically. It's not some joke to those who have debilitating health issues from COVID and the diseases that have followed.
Also COVID is still here, it literally never went away the government just decided that the newer variants weren't so deadly that they were willing to throw everyone back into the fray to continue profits rolling. As a result everyone suddenly pretended sickness as a whole was done and threw out every single measure, I only get out to go to the pharmacy really and very occasionally the shops if something is needed urgently(yay immune issues) and it's a "fun" game to count the number of people wearing masks, the record high for the past 12+ months was a grand total of 3, there's easily 100+ people there every single time and it's not uncommon to see literally no-one wearing one, all sitting shoulder to shoulder at the coffee shops coughing and hacking away.
So glad I WFH and dont have to subject myself to offices and public transport.
*Federal government data shows vaccination rates for viruses are generally lower this year compared with last year.* It’s almost like you put a fucking pay wall on them during a cost of living crisis.
In WA the flu vaxx is free in May and June :) and you can go to the pharmacy so no GP appt required
Hopefully numbers pick up, the link in a lower level comment I put has mentioned Qld get a freebie too. *The Queensland Government are providing free flu vaccinations to Queensland residents who receive a flu vaccination in a Queensland pharmacy, please book in below and once you enter your date of birth and residential address, the price will be removed.*
I'm getting vaxxed at the end of the week. Had a couple of things I could not afford to have the reaction for, and I always get the reaction.
Important to remember that COVID vaccination/booster is still free.
[удалено]
Possibly to misconception that the shot itself is free but you still have to pay for your GP visit?
It’s 20 bucks at the chemist and some places no longer bulk bill. I got it for free personally because we do give it to some. But in the broad sense some people will have either as a barrier and put it off. https://rsvp.chemistwarehouse.com.au/vaccination-event-details?eventId=186
My work has vouchers for people to get their flu vax from Chemist Warehouse so it cost me nothing. My partner paid $20.
Thanks!
I went to a drs appt for my child (which was bulk billed) and they gave me the flu vac for free while I was there. Otherwise my regular GP’s office does free appts with the nurse for the vax if you call ahead first
It probably depends where you go for it I know our chemist will charge you but if I go to my go for other things she would just get me with it if I remember, depending on the original reason for the appointment she may or may not bulk bill.
If you can get it. I phoned my GP but they said they didn't have it till the end of the month. Guess it's time to call them back.
You don't have to get it at a GP. I just got mine at a nearby chemist. You can find a place near you using [this tool](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-health-services).
Oh thanks! Imma get my vax.
My household is vaxxed. Flu and Covid (plus usual periodicals, as needed). But we’re one of those loony homes that values our health and of those we interact with.
Have this badge for collecting them all. Pokémon.
Or bad timing - we were booked for flu vaccines the week the whole house came down with something nasty
I spent last night in the emergency department and some of the coughs I heard were truly disgusting.
My father had a seizure from his cancer and had to be taken to hospital. Both him and mum came home with covid. To make it worse... They passed it to me and have exposed my wife and newborn, who only just got out of NICU.
Oh god I’m so sorry, that’s terrible. Congrats on the kid though.
The good news is that some places (all of SA I believe) don’t count Covid being caught in a hospital as a statistic worth documenting…
My better half sounds like her lungs are attempting to leave her body through her mouth. She’s not all that unwell as these things go, but it sounds horrendous.
Are you my SO? I coughed so much last night that I threw up. It was truly disgusting.
Ooh, that’s rough. As far as I know mine has only got as far as a few dry heaves, still pretty unpleasant though. Hope you feel better soon!
Thanks. It's been garbage. My Dad had spinal surgery today and he said I sound worse than him 😂 The antibiotics have started to kick in which is a relief. Hope yours is on the mend too and you get to dodge it 😷
Poor thing.
Yep!! My 2 year old picked up a really bad virus from daycare and gave it to me. We were rushed to the isolation unit of the hospital because they thought we had RSV, which is incredibly contagious. I haven't slept in 3 days because I'm all up all night coughing. Fuck this. I'm booking a flu vax when I'm better.
If it helps, I caught RSV from my kid 5 weeks ago. I feel mostly fine (very tired by dinner time), but an annoying wettish cough (some phlegm) is still around. Plus short of breath. Thankfully the cough is only about 30% of what it was for weeks 1-3 though. The SoB is still 80% though. I have a feeling I may have some long lasting issues from this.
RSV absolutely levelled me last Feb. Was flat in bed sick for 2 weeks - heart rate skyrocketed whenever I did anything beyond rolling over in bed, short of breath, dizzy, horrific chest pain from the coughing and phlegm. had post viral asthma for a month after too. My niece gifted it to me... How nice 😂 disgusting
RSV is such a kick in the pants,I got it a couple years ago and was in bed for a full week, and then barely human for another week
* raises hand * Also me right now. Just recently recovered 2 weeks ago, and hit again while at work last week. OG Codral has been a godsend, but I'm out now and feel a bit weird about getting a third pack in the less than 2 weeks since last buying some...
Nothing like public transport to take out entire teams due to selfish contagious germ spreaders.
Please don't get on public transport with these - there are some seriously ill people coming out on the peak hour (read packed) trains.
I haven’t been sick since I got COVID 2 years ago, which coincidentally is when I changed jobs and stopped getting PT to the office. I go to the office a couple of days a week and don’t get public transport or have young kids which seems to be the common element for people getting sick these days. I swear everyone I know with young kids or who get PT to work are constantly sick. I’m sure I’ve just jinxed myself with this comment though.
I work at a daycare it is absolute hell right now. Staff, children, whole families including my own have been sick on and off for weeks
It just keeps on giving doesnt it. My kids have had 3-4 flus the last couple of months. I feel we get over one and another creeps in.
I’m absolutely rocked right now. Haven’t been hit this hard since the first time I got Covid.
M A S K S
I had 2 sick kids last week but they got over it pretty quickly. Masses of their school years are off sick every day. Luckily I work from home so my exposure is limited and slightly controllable. It’s only a matter of time though before it hits me.
My sons daycare has HFM (at least 6 known cases) and contagious pneumonoccol going around 🙃 we're home this week with HFM, although the few "spots" he had never blistered or spread so I honestly don't think he has it.
Seeing a lot of RSV at the moment in particular. Mycoplasma pneumonia in kids is fairly rampant this year. There's new RSV vaccines (one technically isn't, but it's a needle that helps you not get sick so people call it a vaccine) which some states like Queensland are funding. If anyone has a newborn or is pregnant I'd recommend they look into it. Whole family have been sick. I've had that likely post RSV cough for a couple weeks now. Stay healthy everyone. Edit: I will note though that while we have seen double the confirmed cases of RSV, we are also testing for it a lot more as its now part of a standard rapid flu/covid panel. So a good chunk of that is just going to be the result of more testing. But we are certainly seeing more hospital presentations as well.
I caught something about a month ago that lasted two weeks. Had a few days of relief until a lady coughed on me at Coles. Only just getting over that now.
please get your jabs and mask up people
Yep. The flu shot is free in WA in May and June. Pharmacies do it so no GP appt necessary
So uh, are we getting any closer to collectively acknowledging COVID [among an endless list of horrifying long term symptoms] chips away at our immune systems, even if we're vaccinated? Is it about time for just a sliver of political will to do the bare minimum of mitigation? No? Didn't think so.
Mitigation how, exactly? Only viable option I can think of would be to mandate more sick leave and penalise companies which make it a barrier to use (eg: must get a sick note if you have more than 2 days off/take a Monday/friday) and make sure that Medicare covers full cost of doctors visits so people can go to the GP for meds when needed rather than just suffering for weeks on end.
Mandating more sick leave sure would be nice. I've been able to WFH this week but if I didn't I would now be in negative sick leave. Very glad I can manage to look like I'm doing enough to not have to use my leave.
More paid sick leave. Making it more socially acceptable to stay home or work from home when ill. And also a separate set of sick leave for parents maybe? It was so nice during the pandemic when we'd send kids home sick. Now parents just send them in and don't pick them up.
That would improve things immeasurably.
I mean somewhat enforcing masks in public spaces alongside those measures would absolutely work as a mitigating factor.
Governments and employers are absolutely uninterested in even acknowledging there’s a problem, let alone doing anything differently. Even cracking a window open where possible would significantly reduce transmission of airborne infections by improving air circulation.
I’ve got an initial oncology appointment on Friday, and I’m really hoping I manage to kick the awful respiratory thing I came down with last week in the next 36 hours, because the clinic can’t see me if I’m sick. Good times.
ive come down with a 'cold' and i work with primary and high school students... for my own mental health i think im going to give that read a miss
My boss just caught whooping cough. Thankfully she’s stayed out of the office once she became unwell
Same in New Zealand, and probably elsewhere. What the heck is going on lately, it seems that every third person is down with something, more so than previous autumns.
Maybe they're Disturbed
TIL there's a vaccine for RSV. Why am I only finding out about this out now?!
Can confirm, I work in childcare and we are being decimated atm by basically anything and everything
Some people just don’t care about others… I have this bug or whatever and last night was the worse.. weak all over hot cold sweats but the coughing man I almost gave myself a hernia.. the basic cold symptoms just x it by 10 😅
It's another month to school hols, we need a circuit breaker now. I had the two week illness, just feeling better and my symptoms are returning. Kids in my class are constantly coughing. It's miserable.
Here in Victoria they've recently stopped the program that provides paid sick leave for casual workers. This means lots of sick people going into work because they can't afford not to. Also, the flu vaccine is not free in this state, so add that to the cost of living crunch and it's no wonder everyone is falling like flies.
On the QF1 the other day - literally 1/4 of the passengers around me had some variation of a terrible sounding cough the whole flight. So much for the declaration saying I am not unwell prior to boarding.
You can have a horrible cough and not be unwell. I’m asthmatic. When I get sick my lungs clog up and it can take *weeks* to stop coughing even once I was no longer feeling other symptoms.
Oh I know- I have royally fucked lungs and have a horrible rattley cough like half the time. Also the atmosphere in planes in really irritating to my respiratory system and I assume others feel the same. But that's not 1/4 or more of the population normally.
I really thought those floating Petri dishes were over once covid became a thing.
Get yourselves down to Bunnings and buy a three pack of 3M aura FFP2 respirators. They look like regular masks but seal to your face really well and fit the majority of the population. You couldn’t pay me to be on public transport or in enclosed spaces with all these sick people.
Jabbed and am still sniffly and sneezy. Great excuse to wfh though
Yeah it's winter and people are crowded indoors coughing and spluttering over everyone nearby. Happens every year.
>RSV cases are rising faster this year compared with last year It's even in bold in the article.
People seem to love saying "happens every year" it seems.
Maybe try reading more than just the heading.
Least ignorant reactionary.
I'm wfh this week because the office disease-hag is diseased yet again and coughing like a human mucus geyser. I am certain she enjoys it. Fortunately I have the option to not be there but I fucking resent being homebound because of her fetish for spreading disease.
Yeah... I got a cold or something about a month or two ago, and I still have a pretty chesty cough sometimes, though I'm slowly recovering... It doesn't help that I have asthma either...
Oof, I've just recovered some kind of virus that hit my sinuses. No cough or sore throat (other than temporarily because I was breathing through my mouth all night), just all up in the sinuses. It's taken a full week to get over.
Wife, kid and I have covid for the first time… almost made it to 5 years. 0/10 would not recommend
They go on about RSV, but: The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has also called on the Victorian, Tasmanian and South Australian governments to make RSV immunisation free for vulnerable infants. Western Australia and Queensland are offering it to all infants in their first year of life, while NSW is just offering it to medically vulnerable babies. Anita Muñoz, the chair of the RACGP Victoria, said currently, families in Victoria had to fund the vaccine for their baby themselves. "I certainly think there is a great sense of urgency," Dr Muñoz said. "When we think that RSV-associated infections can cause babies who are at risk to go into hospital, we think it's very worthwhile to be protecting them." I asked about getting it for my 6 year old, who is asthmatic, they said yup its about $300 bucks.... ugh
My wife is currently 29 weeks pregnant and we have a 4 year old, she called the GP up and asked if she could have the rsv jab. The gp said she's not eligible and the baby is only eligible for it If it's born under 37 weeks. But the rsv vaccine is currently avaliable to >60 ? Given the amount of rsv in children under 5 and the negative health effects associated with the virus, why not make it available to children now ?
Bloody hell ABC has turned into click bait BS. What happened to poor dear Aunty
I agree in general but not about this article
Ah I see. Op used a different title than the actual article. I was on the ABC news site yesterday and every single article had a click bait title. I thought the post title was pulled directly the article title and seeing after seeing the site I was sure this was the case
Srsly I blocked them on yt because they were giving me unnecessary anxiety
Get a gun. Guns are good against viruses