Coronavirus - New Zealand
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@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
Sounds about right. We are not Taiwan or South Korea, we don't have the resources to test everyone. That's why trying to stifle the flow of CV into NZ is so important. And trying to reduce mobility and therefore exposure of more people if it does get through
And the resources are more about the people needed to perform and analyse the tests.
Every person with a runny nose and a mild cough turning up to an A&E wanting a test doesn't help!
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@Bovidae said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
Sounds about right. We are not Taiwan or South Korea, we don't have the resources to test everyone. That's why trying to stifle the flow of CV into NZ is so important. And trying to reduce mobility and therefore exposure of more people if it does get through
And the resources are more about the people needed to perform and analyse the tests.
Every person with a runny nose and a mild cough turning up to an A&E wanting a test doesn't help!
Yet if they are mild c-19 sufferers and are unaware, then they just spread it through the community.
We need to do the SK drive through tests and get numbers tested.
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@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
My mother in law is very ill in hospital and my wife is really struggling with how to visit her safely.
Doesn’t help when you see people getting tested in the car park with the full Monty protection gear. It’s clear that more people are infected than the official numbers state.
I don't know how you conclude that from what you've posted. Our clinic will not see suspected cases who rock up unannounced (doesn't stop the odd one trying!). They have to call ahead and are assessed initially in the carpark. The staff are kitted out in full garb as you describe. We have isolation rooms where patients are presumably tested then sent home or I assume if much worse sent to Middlemore. That doesn't mean everyone tested is positive, but it makes sense to treat all suspects as infected.
That said I sympathize about your mother in law. It is a hell of a thing to face, and I hope it works out for you and your wife
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@Kirwan I would suggest that children and the young are more likely to be carriers but are asymptomatic, as they are the most mobile and likely to spend time in close contact with others. I expect the number of tests will ramp up now but I doubt they can test everyone.
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NZ has a few companies that develop diagnostic assays/kits. We don't have anyone who makes DNA oligonucleotides or qPCR probes at large commercial scale. We do have a company that makes rapid PCR equipment (not sure if its manufacturing is done in NZ). Don't think we have anyone who makes the enzymes for RT or PCR in NZ, but probably have companies who could. Don't know about how many facilities we have for producing and characterising viruses (needed for certifying test kits in this case).
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@Bovidae said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Kirwan I would suggest that children and the young are more likely to be carriers but are asymptomatic, as they are the most mobile and likely to spend time in close contact with others. I expect the number of tests will ramp up now but I doubt they can test everyone.
I reckon that's what went wrong in Italy. Multiple generations living in one house, kids at school adults at work and oldies hanging out down at the town square or with lots of mates. Recipe for disaster
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Are these testing kits specifically for Coronavirus or certain other viruses in general?
If it is the latter, I don't see why NZ and other Western countries didn't have these ready long ago, for just such a scenario as we now see unfolding.
Why do Taiwan and Korea have them but Western countries don't?
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@Bovidae I think the RT-PCR itself takes about 60 minutes. Maybe as little as 40. There's sample handling and prep, and putting together 24 to 96 (I assume, maybe 384 well plates are used though) samples for a batch on each machine.
Sample prep could be another hour for extracting RNA. I'd have to check Qiagen or ThermoFisher's kit protocols to find out.
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@Frank They need validated primers and qPCR probes for each different virus, and these need to be validated to react specifically with the virus in question's RNA or DNA. Prior to validation, anyone with the sequence, and the appropriate software, could design the primers/probes in under a day. Someone like Eurofins could make primers/probes in 24 hours and have them delivered in another 24 hours if you pay enough.
I suspect that the US has way more regulations on clinical diagnostics (validation in individual labs as well as kit providers, who can offer tests, what reagents can be used), which should have been waved to some degree. This wasn't helped by scumco's like Theranos.
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@Frank said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
Are these testing kits specifically for Coronavirus or certain other viruses in general?
If it is the latter, I don't see why NZ and other Western countries didn't have these ready long ago, for just such a scenario as we now see unfolding.
Why do Taiwan and Korea have them but Western countries don't?
Taiwan had all this stuff left over from SARS. Not sure about Korea but they have a huge industrial complex so probably produce them
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@taniwharugby said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Billy-Tell not sure it is quite as simple as not taking it seriously enough.
It really is hard to comprehend the scale of this and just how serious it is.
Even with every article in.media and on social media being about the pandemic, until you are immersed in it and your life is directly impacted I don't think people will realise.
There have been so many movies about virus outbreaks, they generally end well...
Not criticising anyone. I didn't take it too seriously at first either. Switzerland only had a handful of cases, now about 10 days later we are at about 2500 I think with about 20 odd deaths. It's not the same situation as NZ: bigger population, much smaller size, landlocked and next to Italy in particular with thousands of people crossing the border for work.
NZ should be able to nip it in the bud, especially given the low population density - I would think Auckand is most at risk of an outbreak, which doesn't take a genius to work out.
Here it is surreal though - went from banning large meetings to virtually closing down the country in about 2 weeks. Kids are at home until the end of April, no shops open, borders basically closed etc.
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The thing that I struggle with is that I woke with a mildly sore throat yesterday morning and wondered if I should go to work (Sometimes snoring can give me a sore throat)
By middle of the day, no sore throat but one dry cough piqued my interest but that was also one off.
Went to Gym this morning for PT and did the best workout yet. So energy levels are excellent. Still have a annoyance in throat today but it is not sore.
Basically, I can't tell within myself if I am hyper-noticing what I would never notice before??
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@Hooroo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
The thing that I struggle with is that I woke with a mildly sore throat yesterday morning and wondered if I should go to work (Sometimes snoring can give me a sore throat)
By middle of the day, no sore throat but one dry cough piqued my interest but that was also one off.
Went to Gym this morning for PT and did the best workout yet. So energy levels are excellent. Still have a annoyance in throat today but it is not sore.
Basically, I can't tell within myself if I am hyper-noticing what I would never notice before??
Gonna be a lot of second guessing going on
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I’ve had a sniffly nose the last couple days, put it down to chillier mornings etc
Yesterday I was waiting in line at the local BP behind some old fella, I did that snuffle noise.. should have seen how fast he snapped his head around in My direction with a panic look in his eyes!!
I was like what’s his problem... oh.... -
We have several people off who clearly think they have CV, despite not having been overseas or anywhere near a known vector. Or having the right symptoms.
I don't have any issues with the people that are scared - it's the ones that are too blasé or selfish that are the issue.
Roads are A LOT quieter in Auckland and apparently schools are seeing a lot of kids kept at home.
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@Hooroo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
The thing that I struggle with is that I woke with a mildly sore throat yesterday morning and wondered if I should go to work (Sometimes snoring can give me a sore throat)
By middle of the day, no sore throat but one dry cough piqued my interest but that was also one off.
Went to Gym this morning for PT and did the best workout yet. So energy levels are excellent. Still have a annoyance in throat today but it is not sore.
Basically, I can't tell within myself if I am hyper-noticing what I would never notice before??
I think there is a mild cold with those symptoms going around doing, I have had it for a couple of weeks. Basically mild you barely notice it.
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@Baron-Silas-Greenback said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Hooroo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
The thing that I struggle with is that I woke with a mildly sore throat yesterday morning and wondered if I should go to work (Sometimes snoring can give me a sore throat)
By middle of the day, no sore throat but one dry cough piqued my interest but that was also one off.
Went to Gym this morning for PT and did the best workout yet. So energy levels are excellent. Still have a annoyance in throat today but it is not sore.
Basically, I can't tell within myself if I am hyper-noticing what I would never notice before??
I think there is a mild cold with those symptoms going around doing, I have had it for a couple of weeks. Basically mild you barely notice it.
I completely get that and assume that is what it is but hard to identify when you're a hyper-sensitive to your own going-ons.
One thing I do know is that if I did have Covid-19, I wouldn't have the energy to go to gym etc.
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@Hooroo said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
One thing I do know is that if I did have Covid-19, I wouldn't have the energy to go to gym etc.
they say that about the flu: if there was $1M at the end of your driveway in cash, if you have the flu you wouldn't get up to go and get it...