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Original poster

Australian mumsnetters

109 replies

Wizzbangfizz · 29/12/2021 23:09

How are you feeling right now? I've very close relatives in several states who are bemoaning the lack of testing but apart from that seem content now the majority who want to be are vaccinated that is should run it's course - how is it going - are your govt also looking to reduce isolation from 10 to 7?

OP posts:
WoodenReindeer · 30/12/2021 07:28

Thanks Spotty.

Makes sense really - it seems omicorn is a good one to have for the inevitable spresding of covid through the population as it seems milder so less complications.

Mrbob · 30/12/2021 08:03

If it was just about me I can sort of understand some of the above attitudes. But I will be one of the many caring for patients with covid, vaccinated or unvaccinated, working alongside potentially covid positive colleagues in a disintegrating health care system. People will die who should have survived (not just from covid) because the healthcare system barely copes now never mind with even a few % increase in work. SO I can't be quite so selfish. Have an accident in rural Australia and no one might come and get you. Now think again

Dishhh · 30/12/2021 08:35

[quote spottygymbag]@Dishhh not sure where you are but if relevant and you're looking an earlier appointment then sonic vax clinics seem to have more available.[/quote]

Thanks for this - I may need it!

TwiceAsNice22 · 30/12/2021 09:24

I think where people live in Australia will be shaping peoples opinion on things now. I’m in Melbourne and opening everything up and seeing the cases rise so much, makes the last 2 years of hard lock downs seem pointless and for nothing. I really think opening up has been bungled. The part I’m most angry about is how so many restrictions were eased before kids can be vaccinated. My daughters will have just had their first dose before they go back to school.
People are going to die, the health care system is under huge strain and we were in such an enviable position to get things in place properly before easing restrictions to reduce the impact.

Cocogreen · 30/12/2021 09:58

Also in Melbourne.Have had all 3 jabs but really don't want to get the virus as I'm a transplant patient so am still vulnerable. If I or one of my household gets it I have to go get an infusion to prevent possible hospitalisation - I think it's called Sotrovinab?
Feel grateful that we got through all our Christmas events ok, and even a night away, but I think I'll lie low for a bit now.

LifeAdvice · 30/12/2021 10:19

I’m in NSW, still don’t know anyone who has had Covid personally. It’s strange, whilst we have 12,000+ new cases today, my particular area had 40. (I’m not in a capital city, but it’s one of the 10-15 big main towns out of the capital city). So it’s hard to worry, knowing that so few people in my area have it, but on the other hand you see what Omnicron can do with a small number, and wonder what it will be in a week or a month. I live in a holiday destination, so seeing car loads of people coming in from the major cities is annoying - we all think they are probably carrying it!

Most of my friends and family have had or are getting the third jab now or booked in for January.

I ordered some RAT tests 2 weeks ago for my parents and myself. Very glad, as now they are impossible to get. I imagine it will be like everything here - at first impossible to get unless you were an early adopter, but after we get going, more than enough (eg Pfizer vaccines, hand sanitiser, masks etc)

Like others, I just want to get on with things. I don’t want to catch it, nor do I want vulnerable parents to do so, but we’ve held it at bay for 2 years for people to get vaccinated and I just don’t think it’s sustainable to continue to live like this.

StartupRepair · 30/12/2021 10:20

DD trying to decide whether to go to a Nye party tomorrow. At 20 she has had almost no social life for 2 years. On the other hand it could be a bit of a superspreader event....

Original poster
Wizzbangfizz · 30/12/2021 10:43

Interesting thanks for the responses, we have relatives in Perth and NSW and again we havent seen them for what feels like forever but couldn't afford the time to come and be in quarantine and would also need to travel interstate.

A friend of ours had to queue 9 hours for a test on SA over Christmas.

OP posts:
WoodenReindeer · 30/12/2021 10:50

Ah Wiz similar situation to us.

We have one relative in melbourne who is just over it all and wants life to be back to normal now people are jabbed and sees them as just a bit behind us in terms of opening up. Another relative is in a state with hardly any covid and only wanted to do outdoor meet ups and is incredibly wary. I imagine after 2 years of managing to avoid it it must be so strange psychologically to know a waves coming that will wash through. I think its a bit harder for her.

WoodenReindeer · 30/12/2021 10:51

9 hours for a test!!! If the lateral flow tests arent free what's encouraging people to do them before seeing family/vulnerable people?

Cocoabutterformula · 30/12/2021 10:58

Baffles me totally why you have to pay for the rapid tests? That's just mad

Jacaranda75 · 30/12/2021 10:58

Bring back Gladys!!!!!

WoodenReindeer · 30/12/2021 10:59

Do you pay for pcrs too?

BinChicken3 · 30/12/2021 11:40

@WoodenReindeer

Do you pay for pcrs too?
No we don’t pay for these but a few days ago they were turning people away if they were getting tourism tested, ie didn’t have symptoms but needed this test to get into qld. At least that stupid rule will be scrapped on 1 January.

But difficult to get rapid antigen tests as stupid government bungled those like they did with the vaccine rollout, and they are expensive.

timeisnotaline · 30/12/2021 23:00

Test sites in melbourne are closing for the next couple of days due to heat, I can’t roll my eyes enough! Letting it spread is a terrible idea, I have no idea of actual hospitalisation rates but let’s say delta is 3%, then 3% of 1000 cases is 30 people. Omicron is 0.5% then 0.5% of 10,000 cases is 50 people and 10k cases is less than a days worth in nsw right now, so no question the hospitals (& people who work there) cannot cope with letting it spread. My numbers are wrong but if anything conservative, just to show how the wider spread means hospitals will be overwhelmed even if it is much more mild.

Dishhh · 30/12/2021 23:12

My DH and DS still haven't got their PCR results back yet; this is day 3. DS is still fairly ill.

WoodenReindeer · 31/12/2021 02:26

Sorry to hear that Dishh. I hope he picks up soon. Its scary when you get it .

I'm wondering how it will play out with the combination of "lettting it spread" and no easy way to regularly test (like we have rapid tests for visiting famiky and many people facing jobs test twice a week). Are they hoping people with it mildly ('just a cold') wont notice ? It's spread like wildfire here and the regular rapid tests are the thing that kept it from spreading further to vulnerable people. I think. It made me feel safer visiting older family in winter.

I can't wait for this all to be over. I wouldnt be surprised if uk gets restrictions soon. I want to have a cystal ball and know when a safe time to visit family in Australia will be!

Sarahschild · 31/12/2021 04:29

I live in a coastal tourist town and the amount of tourists from Sydney is nuts. Obviously people are free to go wherever they like but earlier this year we locked down for one case!!
Now we have over 50 a day.
Our government is absolutely appalling.

DifferentHair · 31/12/2021 04:39

I'm in Melbourne. It's a sickening feeling to watch it completely let loose after all the sacrifices we made over the last two years. What the fuck was that for if they were always going to let it run rampant?! My children missed things they can never get back.

Watching NYE celebrations occur at this point in time is maddening.

I wish they would keep the monitoring up, plan for more testing capacity instead of telling people not to test. They should cancel big events.

My children are too young to be vaccinated. I have immune compromised friends.

It's insane to me.

echt · 31/12/2021 04:43

@DifferentHair

I'm in Melbourne. It's a sickening feeling to watch it completely let loose after all the sacrifices we made over the last two years. What the fuck was that for if they were always going to let it run rampant?! My children missed things they can never get back.

Watching NYE celebrations occur at this point in time is maddening.

I wish they would keep the monitoring up, plan for more testing capacity instead of telling people not to test. They should cancel big events.

My children are too young to be vaccinated. I have immune compromised friends.

It's insane to me.

Vic was buggered when Gladys let all rip in NSW.

Omicron is something else, though.

Bussinbussin · 31/12/2021 04:44

I'm in Melbourne too and don't feel that all our lockdowns over the last 2 years were in vain. They got us through the harsher variants (mostly) unscathed and bought us time to get vaccination rates really high.

I think it's uncontrollable now and am resigned to the fact that we're all going to get it sooner rather than later.

We'll be laying very low over the next few weeks. A good time to go on a health kick and get rid of the lockdown kilos I think!

DifferentHair · 31/12/2021 04:44

Also I know it's unfair and irrational (apologies to anyone here) but I find it maddening to speak with friends in Brisbane or Perth or Darwin etc right now.

When they complain about the virus impacting them and expect sympathy from me, who has been in Melbourne for the last two years, and heard no message of support or empathy from them in that time while they carried on with playgroups and birthday parties and posting photos from trips to the beach on SM... I want to scream. It has put so much strain on the friendships from my perspective.

I'd never say it in real life, but they have no idea. If they haven't been in Sydney or Melbourne...it's not the same.

I know it's irrational, I'm normally a nicer person. But fuck me I am spent and I can't empathise with people the way I used to.

DifferentHair · 31/12/2021 04:45

@echt 100% I blame Gladys. I can't believe the support she gets.

She absolutely fucked Melbourne over this year and should be pilloried for it.

thingsarelookingup · 31/12/2021 04:52

I'm in Melbourne and just glad the government aren't freaking out and putting restrictions back in. I feel like the people who are risk averse have been pandered to for 2 years and finally people who are willing to take some risk in order to have a life worth living get a look in. It has been the most monumental back flip in thinking for many people who don't live in Sydney or Melbourne to confront the idea that there is covid out there but no one is stopping you from going out.

Sarahschild · 31/12/2021 05:55

[quote DifferentHair]@echt 100% I blame Gladys. I can't believe the support she gets.

She absolutely fucked Melbourne over this year and should be pilloried for it. [/quote]
They are all to blame.
As an ex resident of Melbourne ( my home town) to have all that hard work and sacrifice for it all to be ignored now is just so disrespectful and rude. Like they don’t matter.
No one really matters to the government, people just get discarded if they don’t follow the narrative.