Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[Maladict]

Possible lockdown announcement tomorrow. Thanks, antivaxxers 

[Zanza]

Carnival season started in Cologne. I know outside has amuch lower risk of transmission, but seeing this on the worst day of the pandemic in Germany so far seems unwise...

[Syt]

The state of Salzburg is running out of ICU capacities. Its governor, Haslauer, says the spike in recent weeks was unexpected by the medical commissions (not true). He said there would be no lockdown in Salzburh (lockdown for unvaccinated is scheduled to start on Monday in Upper Austria).

He then railed against virologists who "all want people to sit alone at home in separate rooms where they die of depression, hunger, or thirst."

Obvioisly no one has actually proposed that, and after a public backlash Haslauer claimed he only meant to lighten the mood with some humor.

[Eddie Teach]

Funny.

[Syt]

It is. Almost all experts have warned about a spike in cases in Fall, and offered ways to mitigate them, but politicians largely ignore advice, in no small part because of the recent election Upper Austria (incidently, the region with lowest vaccination rates well under 60% at the time).

[Syt]

The really frustrating bit is that it's a repeat of last year. All summer the politicians say that the worst is over, things are fine now, and no need for any measures while the experts urge action to prevent the Fall spike.

When the spike actually happens, the politicians act all surprised and say there was no way to predict it and even the experts didn't see it coming.

As usual, I don't expect political consequences out of this.

[Tamas]

Carnival season started in Cologne. I know outside has amuch lower risk of transmission, but seeing this on the worst day of the pandemic in Germany so far seems unwise...

[Sheilbh]It's just camera angles it's fine[/Sheilbh]

[Tamas]

The really frustrating bit is that it's a repeat of last year. All summer the politicians say that the worst is over, things are fine now, and no need for any measures while the experts urge action to prevent the Fall spike.

When the spike actually happens, the politicians act all surprised and say there was no way to predict it and even the experts didn't see it coming.

As usual, I don't expect political consequences out of this.

It's weird for me how seemingly nowhere in the world bad management of the pandemic is having political consequences.

On a Hungarian podcast a journalist (when somebody else raised how it's Hungarians' contentment with Orban the reason why the terrible death toll is seemingly ignored), pointed out that it's very much the same everywhere, and so othe reason isn't Orban, but rather people's utter indifference toward their neighbour dying.

[Syt]

So apparently we'll get a vaccination requirement in health professions, and a country-wide lockdown for the unvaccinated. Though it seems unclear how that would be enforced.

[Grey Fox]

You guys have 10k new cases a day? On 9 millions population!

Dammmmn.

[Syt]

The discrepancy between vaccinated and non-vaccinated is quite large, though:



And this bears out in the 7 day incidence per 100k by state. Salzburg and Upper Austria have notably lower vaccination rates. Vienna has had stricter measures for a while, with other states only slowly doing the same.



The hospitals are being pushed to capacity in some states. E.g. in Upper Austria 30% of surgeries had to be postponed during the first 10 days of November.

For the 20th, the usual suspects (FPÖ, new anti-Covid measures party MFG) plan to hold a rally in Vienna, protesting anti-Covid measures and the increased pressure to get vaccinated.

[mongers]

Carnival season started in Cologne. I know outside has amuch lower risk of transmission, but seeing this on the worst day of the pandemic in Germany so far seems unwise...

[Sheilbh]It's just camera angles it's fine[/Sheilbh]

[Sheilbh]

It is fine!

[Maladict]

Three-week partial lockdown, yet another half-assed attempt to keep numbers down but mostly aimed at not alienating too many voters.
Serves us right for voting the same parties into power over and over again.

[Syt]

Vienna is tightening the rules again. In work places, FFP2 masks will be required again if you work closely with others. E.g. in supermarkets personnel were recently allowed to work without masks, as long as they were tested or vaccinated. But the rule will also apply to offices and other work places. The third shot will be available after 4, not 6 weeks. In clubs and discos and at events with more than 25 people you will be required to be vaccinated (or recovered from infection), plus have a PCR test not older than 48 hours.

EDIT: And booked my booster for the 4th of December (20 days before my 6 months since 2nd shot would be up).