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Will the Australian Tennis Open be safe? Can the event be realistically held?
Covexit: Covid-19 News and Policy Analysis ^ | 01/05/2022

Posted on 01/23/2022 10:16:30 AM PST by SeekAndFind

With the huge increases in Omicron cases in Australia, let’s have a look at the measures taken by the Australian Open organizers to address transmission, both for athletes and spectators. This brief analysis concludes that, unless quiete a few athletes are already immune thanks to a previous disease, like for example Nadal is, it may be hard for the event to be realistically held, as most players will likely get Omicron during the 2 weeks of the event – from January 17 to January 30.

A quick look at the website of the Australian Open shows that the authorities rely solely on vaccination and on masks to claim the event will be safe. There are no requirements of negative tests, nor checking of symptoms such as temperature, even if …

“Tennis Australia may withdraw your right to attend the Australian Open and access to Melbourne Park if you” … “present to Melbourne Park showing symptoms of COVID-19, including but not limiting to having a temperature above >37.5⁰C, chills, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath.

The authorities want to reassure the public it will be a safe event, but with the rapidly spreading Omicron, could that really be the case?

Omicron Policy Implications

As it has been witnessed in several countries now, those who are fully vaccinated tend to even get more infected with Omicron than the non-vaccinated people, with “negative vaccine efficacy” having already been observed.

So can the combination of vaccination and masks be expected to ensure there won’t be any spread / outbreaks at the event? Absolutely not!

In fact, it can be expected that there will be many outbreaks, day after day, and that many of the people attending the event, even if fully vaccinated, will get infected with many getting (mildly) sick.

Does that make it an unsafe event? Not really, at least as long as only Omicron is spreading, as it is mostly mild and seems to act as a life-attenuated vaccine.

But there will be many surprises among attendees, as many Australians, after 2 years of brainwashing, may not yet fully aware of the lack of protection provided by the injections vis-à-vis the fast spreading Omicron.

What is very likely to happen also is that several players will catch Omicron during the tournament, and even with mild symptoms, it’s certainly enough to compromise athletic performance.

As discussed with Dr. Chetty, among the most common symptoms are headaches and fatigue, which typically last 2 or 3 days. A test is expected to become positive after 1 or 2 days, and this is expected to force the athlete to retire from the competition.

So, a highly relevant question is: who will be left standing after 2 weeks of competition? Probably not many, but a few for sure, especially those who already recovered from Covid.

On that count, Djokovic, and other players having already recovered from Covid, and therefore being naturally immune, will actually stand a higher chance than others to avoid getting COVID/Omicron during the event.

A quick check at the 10 top seeded male players — 1. Novak Djokovic; 2. Daniil Medvedev; 3. Alexander Zverev; 4. Stefanos Tsitsipas; 5 Andrey Rublev; 6. Rafael Nadal; 7. Matteo Barrettini; 8. Casper Ruud; 9. Hubert Hurkacz and 10. Jannik Sinner — indicates that at least half of them already got Covid previously, and therefore are much less likely to get sick from Covid / Omicron during the event.

Yes, paradoxically, it’s natural immunity to COVID-19 which will save the Australian Open from a total fiasco, as the mandated vaccines are totally useless when it comes to preventing getting sick from Omicron.

The tournament will be an interesting experiment to watch! Beyond the unfolding Djokovic fiasco, it seems clear the organizers of this tournament are clearly in for a ride …


See our previous coverage on potentially super-spreader events down under …

Potentially Super-Spreading Events Allowed in Australia?


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Science; Society; Sports
KEYWORDS: australianopen; omicron; safety; tennis

1 posted on 01/23/2022 10:16:30 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

It’s not exactly open. It should be renamed the Australian Closed, closed to the unvaxed.


2 posted on 01/23/2022 10:19:30 AM PST by D Rider ( )
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To: SeekAndFind

Like American sports, it’s “politics uber alles”. Sportsmanship is nonexistent.


3 posted on 01/23/2022 10:22:48 AM PST by Spok (Who is Ray Epps?)
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To: SeekAndFind

Zverev got bageled last night. He was the high favorite. Shapovalov wasn’t even suppose to win a set.


4 posted on 01/23/2022 10:24:08 AM PST by RummyChick
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To: SeekAndFind

Australian Open Spreader Event.

Kekw

=.=

/s


5 posted on 01/23/2022 10:27:27 AM PST by cranked
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To: SeekAndFind

The Australian’s got rid of the competition so anyone who does “win” will have a * next to their name showing that they “won” by default.


6 posted on 01/23/2022 10:29:54 AM PST by minnesota_bound (I need more money. )
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To: SeekAndFind

They should just award the prizes to designated transgenders and stop pretending it’s an actual competition.


7 posted on 01/23/2022 10:32:11 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum ("Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy." ― Mao Zedong [FJB])
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To: SeekAndFind

Yes, the event can be held.

Let the participants, referees and support staff decide. If people want to come, let them. Stop trying to live people’s lives for them and let them decide for themselves what to do.

If they die, they die. Just like everything else in life they do.


8 posted on 01/23/2022 10:41:50 AM PST by SaxxonWoods (If It Aint Woke Don't Fix It.)
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To: SeekAndFind

The tournament is being held by idiots and craven cowards.

Shut it down. It’s a meaningless diversion at this point.


9 posted on 01/23/2022 10:45:31 AM PST by Walrus (I do not consent)
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To: SeekAndFind

The tournament is being held by idiots and craven cowards.

Shut it down. It’s a meaningless diversion at this point.


10 posted on 01/23/2022 10:46:44 AM PST by Walrus (I do not consent)
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To: SeekAndFind

Safe from what?

Did somebody make the mistake of letting Muslims into the coutry?


11 posted on 01/23/2022 10:50:50 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Let everyone get the cold symptoms, and then we’ll be over and done with it.


12 posted on 01/23/2022 11:03:01 AM PST by I want the USA back (Government is to be feared much more than the chicom virus.)
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To: I want the USA back

If anyone in the stands start coughing, the place will be evacuated in a panic!


13 posted on 01/23/2022 11:07:45 AM PST by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Aussies are pussies


14 posted on 01/23/2022 11:09:43 AM PST by Fledermaus (I'll wear a mask when Dr. Fraudchi shuts the hell up.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Easy solution. Move it to Texas. No problems there


15 posted on 01/23/2022 11:14:10 AM PST by PAR35
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To: cgbg
If anyone in the stands start coughing, the place will be evacuated in a panic!

No, they'd just send in the military and lock them all up in a covid concentration camp.

16 posted on 01/23/2022 11:16:21 AM PST by PAR35
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To: SaxxonWoods

‘Stop trying to live people’s lives for them and let them decide for themselves what to do.’

well, yes...since March of 2020 sane people have been saying this...


17 posted on 01/23/2022 11:46:05 AM PST by IrishBrigade
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To: SeekAndFind

It should be moved to China 🤪


18 posted on 01/23/2022 1:19:11 PM PST by NWFree (Somebody has to say it)
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To: SeekAndFind
Meanwhile...

Outrage as fan is ordered to remove 'Where is Peng Shuai?' T-shirt at Australian Open (whose organisers have a £53million sponsorship deal with Chinese liquor firm)

19 posted on 01/24/2022 3:10:06 AM PST by mewzilla (Those aren't masks. They're muzzles. )
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