NSW had a few problems though, Omicron set in before they were as vaccinated as we are and before they rolled out their boosters, they also started with AZ which is reportedly not as good as Pfizer.
Their contact tracing and testing infrastructure was also overwhelmed very quickly. At the peak more than 50% of tests were positive. You want the percent positive to be under 5% to know you've got control of the virus.
Then they didn't have enough nurses so they had to send infected nurses back into the front line, which of course didn't help prevent the spread of covid among staff.
Obviously we're rolling out the booster aggressively and hopefully we've got enough contact tracing and testing capacity to keep the peak from overwhelming the health system. And, if it does, hopefully we've got enough staff in reserve to help out. A friend of mine who was a nurse years ago before changing career has been asked to be on call for when the hospitals start to struggle, and I guess there's plenty of people like that out there.
Good news is, if you're vaccinated, which most of us are, the rate of hospitalisation and then death is quite low.
Interestingly friends of mine overseas think we're mad for having as few restrictions as we have as an omicron outbreak is arriving, we've gone from very strict virus restrictions to very loose ones in pretty rapid succession. We're obviously trusting Pfizer a lot with this.
Their contact tracing and testing infrastructure was also overwhelmed very quickly. At the peak more than 50% of tests were positive. You want the percent positive to be under 5% to know you've got control of the virus.
Then they didn't have enough nurses so they had to send infected nurses back into the front line, which of course didn't help prevent the spread of covid among staff.
Obviously we're rolling out the booster aggressively and hopefully we've got enough contact tracing and testing capacity to keep the peak from overwhelming the health system. And, if it does, hopefully we've got enough staff in reserve to help out. A friend of mine who was a nurse years ago before changing career has been asked to be on call for when the hospitals start to struggle, and I guess there's plenty of people like that out there.
Good news is, if you're vaccinated, which most of us are, the rate of hospitalisation and then death is quite low.
Interestingly friends of mine overseas think we're mad for having as few restrictions as we have as an omicron outbreak is arriving, we've gone from very strict virus restrictions to very loose ones in pretty rapid succession. We're obviously trusting Pfizer a lot with this.
My first 2 jabs were AZ, in Aussie. First I've heard that it's reportedly not as effective as Pfizer (booster I got in Peru!).
Real issue with AZ in Aus was that it was linked to a very small number of blood clotting deaths. A tiny number in overall picture but enough to make the news, and give the anti vaxxers ammunition. This despite you being at far greater risk of dying from Delta unvaccinated, than getting a dangerous blood clot from being vaccinated.
There was also some confusing messaging from Aus Govt/health authorities re AZ. It first being recommended for above 50 age bracket, then above 60. This after Aus Govt, signed a contract to manuafcture AZ in Melbourne, so in many ways tying their early vaccine programme to AZ.
But yes Ryan on the other points you make I agree. NZ is in much better position than NSW, was when Omicron arrived. But it is still going to be a couple of tough months ahead for NZ's frontline health workers, and that ABC article shows how demoralising/soul destroying it all can be for health staff, if the system gets overwhelmed and they feel govt fish heads are just outright lying to the public - covering their arses. Leggy obviously doesn't know any nurses working in NSW.
I've never voted Labour in my life, but I think Jacinda & Co have overall done a pretty good job, and NZ is in a good position. This from someone currently overseas, affected by the closed border situation, impatient for this whole Covid fudgeer to end. And I'd also state that QLD (Labor Govt) where I've lived alot past 10 years, has done a better job than NSW (Liberal/National Govt) re managing Covid. I'm grown up enough I think, to look beyond the blind politics to assess who's done a good job & who hasn't.