General Coronavirus (COVID-19) chat
- Thread starter phillm
- Start date
)return of caleb
Member
New Zealand looking at freight as the source, which made sense to me, until I read that they believe that the virus was present in a refrigerated unit one of the infected family members work in; we know the virus survives on surfaces, and in those conditions, but it seems strange to me the assume it would be at an infectious level.
But then, coronavirus has proven itself to be bloody strange.
But then, coronavirus has proven itself to be bloody strange.
frogwoman
No amount of cajolery...
Have they found any more infected patients?
return of caleb
Member
I don't believe so, yet. But they're only testing close contacts atm, I believe.
frogwoman
No amount of cajolery...
I really hope they can find the source of the infection. Do they have quarantine rules around freight ships etc?
Chilli.s
mingling jets and statuettes
This has been known for some time:
"WU ZUNYOU, CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST OF CHINA’S CENTER FOR DISEASES PREVENTION AND CONTROL:
Wu told state media over the weekend that the virus can survive on the surface of frozen food for up to three months ."
But working in a refrigerated container handling food (butchered meat?) for extended periods does seem to be a risky area.
"WU ZUNYOU, CHIEF EPIDEMIOLOGIST OF CHINA’S CENTER FOR DISEASES PREVENTION AND CONTROL:
Wu told state media over the weekend that the virus can survive on the surface of frozen food for up to three months ."
But working in a refrigerated container handling food (butchered meat?) for extended periods does seem to be a risky area.
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
I really hope they can find the source of the infection. Do they have quarantine rules around freight ships etc?
Whatever else happens in NZ, their approach is going to be best for learning about how the infection is passed on.
At least they are acting quickly and effectively. Unlike some island'sOh poor New Zealand.
Yu_Gi_Oh
天天好心情
This is the presumed cause of the Dalian outbreak and the Beijing outbreak in China too. Seems crazy, I know. Like, it makes me imagine people at the other end coughing and phlegming all over the packaged fish before they send it off, but apparently this is a thing.
China tests all incoming cold imports now, and found some infected stuff just today.
Buddy Bradley
Pantheistic solipsist
Or just breathing.
Yu_Gi_Oh
天天好心情
Right. Obviously they're not phlegming on the fish. Obviously. But it does seem amazing that breathing on cold stuff at one end would infect people on the other end.
Yes, it does seem wild! And wouldn't there be even more infections everywhere if this was a route of transmission? But maybe the risk is tiny, so tiny that it wouldn't register in countries (like all European ones) with significant community transmission, but will register if the literally one-in-a-million thing happens in a country/region where the virus is otherwise eliminated?
LDC
On est tous des pangolins
Early on in the pandemic I chatted to a consultant doctor (unsurprisingly he wasn't one in infectious diseases...) who was convinced it all was being transmitted through new mobile phones that were made and shipped from China, and then opened in the rest of the world.
Just to prove yet again that you can be clever and well educated, and yet still an idiot.
Just to prove yet again that you can be clever and well educated, and yet still an idiot.
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Yu_Gi_Oh
天天好心情
Yes, it does seem wild! And wouldn't there be even more infections everywhere if this was a route of transmission? But maybe the risk is tiny, so tiny that it wouldn't register in countries (like all European ones) with significant community transmission, but will register if the literally one-in-a-million thing happens in a country/region where the virus is otherwise eliminated?
That is a really good point.
I really hope this is the transmission route, because if it is, they can test the imports and hopefully it'll stop happening. I think China now also routinely tests those working with the incoming cold stuff too, just in case.
two sheds
Least noticed poster 2007
It's because we've got rid of all the telephone sanitizing engineersEarly on in the pandemic I chatted to a consultant doctor (unsurprisingly he wasn't one in infectious diseases...) who was convinced it all was being transmitted through new mobile phones that were made and shipped from China, and then opened in the rest of the world.
Just to prove yet again that you can be clever and well educated, and
Once again the Adams in his futurist role puts Nostradamus to shame.
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
Trying to stay positive, both those numbers are down on yesterday.
And, remember reported deaths on Tue & Wed are always higher, because of the lag in weekend reporting, reported on Sun & Mon.
8ball
Decolonise colons!
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planetgeli
There's no future in England's dreaming
Early on in the pandemic I chatted to a consultant doctor (unsurprisingly he wasn't one in infectious diseases...) who was convinced it all was being transmitted through new mobile phones that were made and shipped from China, and then opened in the rest of the world.
Just to prove yet again that you can be clever and well educated, and yet still an idiot.
That's actually a little scary. I'm not stupid enough to believe every doctor is a genius* but that's quite out there and smacks a little of some sort of political or racial prejudice to come out with shit like that.
*My best mate's daughter just became a GP. She's really not that 'clever' (though she wouldn't stoop to that kind of BS) - she simply has some sort of photographic memory.
That's the spirit
return of caleb
Member
This is the presumed cause of the Dalian outbreak and the Beijing outbreak in China too. Seems crazy, I know. Like, it makes me imagine people at the other end coughing and phlegming all over the packaged fish before they send it off, but apparently this is a thing.
Yes, it does seem wild! And wouldn't there be even more infections everywhere if this was a route of transmission? But maybe the risk is tiny, so tiny that it wouldn't register in countries (like all European ones) with significant community transmission, but will register if the literally one-in-a-million thing happens in a country/region where the virus is otherwise eliminated?
This is my thinking as well, and I'm a bit silly about sanitising things from the supermarket from time to time, but surely if that was a source of transmission we'd have many millions more cases, well, everywhere given the nature of global supply chains. I think one epidemiologist explained it as one of those things which is absolutely theoretically possible, but there are so many things that would have to link up in a highly unlikely way to make it a reality - if that makes sense?
And then there's the fact that freighting is a high-risk industry in the same way abattoirs, etc. are. It seems like it's a hopeful thought that maybe it was imported that way - rather than workers spreading it to each other, and there being an actual source of infection in the community.
We'll have to wait and see.
return of caleb
Member
Update: NZ Director-General of Health saying it was most likely person to person transmission, rather than from a surface.
waterloowelshy
Well-Known Member
He's also now said that anyone testing positive will now have to quarantine for 14 days in a Government Quarantine facility. And so the madness begins.
elbows
Well-Known Member
Its what I would do if I were in their position.
Even England made a big show of doing that in the early days when repatriating people from the most obviously affected areas, back when it was possible to maintain an illusion that this virus was not in general circulation in the UK. There were too many other holes in the system to make it much more than being about being seen to be doing something, and not many people were included in the quarantine so it was absurd in many ways, but if done with the right scope at the right time in the right situation it can be a vital tool.
Even England made a big show of doing that in the early days when repatriating people from the most obviously affected areas, back when it was possible to maintain an illusion that this virus was not in general circulation in the UK. There were too many other holes in the system to make it much more than being about being seen to be doing something, and not many people were included in the quarantine so it was absurd in many ways, but if done with the right scope at the right time in the right situation it can be a vital tool.
spitfire
Walty McWaltface
This is the presumed cause of the Dalian outbreak and the Beijing outbreak in China too. Seems crazy, I know. Like, it makes me imagine people at the other end coughing and phlegming all over the packaged fish before they send it off, but apparently this is a thing.
I appreciate you aren't in the UK but just going to latch onto this post for some input.
I manufacture food for a living and get the Food Standards Agency emails that recall (potentially) dodgy food. I haven't seen any that have been recalled because they are COVID infected. Normally they recall food just on the off chance it is contaminated or has foreign bodies in it. If it was going through the food supply chain we'd be surely looking at many times the magnitude of cases we currently have?
Just been sent this which is also interesting. It refers to small cafes etc. but the principle is the same.
FSA launches campaign to help food sector adapt to the 'new normal'
The Here to Help campaign provides a practical guide for food businesses on how to register, re-open and adapt to the way they trade safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Our advice is clear that it remains very unlikely that people can catch COVID-19 from food. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness and not known to be transmitted by exposure to food or food packaging. We are continuing to work closely with industry and other partners to ensure the UK food supply remains safe."
But I am very open to any other information if anyone has it and do not present this as case closed.
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