Australian Open 2022

[prasen9]

So finally Novak's attempt to set his own rules fails
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-59991762

Well, it may not be final yet. That drama will play out in the court. It will show how competent the Australian government is.

[Rajiv]

Yes indeed this drama is playing out in the court again on an appeal by the Serbian.
The hearing is now adjourned with the courts working even on Sunday, as Novak's team is pushing for a decision before his first round match.

[Kumar]

By the way, CDC requires all non citizens to be vaccinated as well. So Djokovic may not be able to play Us open. His only option would be french and British open (where he has to quarantine or participate in test to release scheme)

[arjun2761]

Or maybe he just needs to take the vaccine!

[knarayen]

Or maybe he just needs to take the vaccine!

Vaccine mandates have never been implemented in any pandemic throughout history. This is the first time that mandates are being considered, and it is not appropriate to simply conclude that imposing mandates are the way to go, given that these vaccines and their efficacy are still in doubt. Especially for the current Omicron variant, there have been many cases where triple-vaccinated people have still gotten infected (information on this is deliberately suppressed), and the spread of the virus seems not to have abated in many countries in spite of vaccination rates going up. This forum seems to have condemned the world's number 1 player well before he can even present a defense!

Disclosure: I am a triple-vaccinated person, in addition to the flu vaccine.

Prof

[SaniaFan]

I thought this is the first time vaccines are available during the pandemic, so there is no history to look into. Also rules are same for world no 1 or world no 1000. So I guess it does not matter if he is world no 1 in this context. He has right to remain unvaccinated but then he can stay at his home. Don't come to the public places.

[knarayen]

I thought this is the first time vaccines are available during the pandemic, so there is no history to look into....

The polio epidemic (pandemic) terrorized people for many years in the late 1940s, and the polio vaccine, voluntarily adopted by parents who put their children through the approved protocols, helped eradicate polio over the next decade. There were no mandates - no need for them because human beings didn't need to be told to take them. They saw the polio vaccine as the lifesaver that it was.

Prof

[SaniaFan]

Level of contagiousness is different I guess. I had Spanish flu in mind which would be comparable.

[Sanjay]

Their tournament, their country, their rules.

If Djoko wants to play, he needs to follow the rules. Jimmy Connors recently posted a tweet saying Djoko should decide what he does but I don't agree.

[Kumar]

Vaccine mandates have never been implemented in any pandemic throughout history. This is the first time that mandates are being considered, and it is not appropriate to simply conclude that imposing mandates are the way to go, given that these vaccines and their efficacy are still in doubt. Especially for the current Omicron variant, there have been many cases where triple-vaccinated people have still gotten infected (information on this is deliberately suppressed), and the spread of the virus seems not to have abated in many countries in spite of vaccination rates going up. This forum seems to have condemned the world's number 1 player well before he can even present a defense!

Disclosure: I am a triple-vaccinated person, in addition to the flu vaccine.

Prof

Guess, we need to move Covid post to covid thread?

I agree 100% that vaccine mandates makes people more set in their opposition . And with Omicron, it is difficult to justify. I have been double vaccinated. I’m thinking natural immunity or even antibody levels (for symptomatic infection)can be considered instead of vaccination. I do not like the fact, they just keep boosting and CDC sometimes issues guidelines that do not appear to follow science.

As far as effectiveness of the vaccine, it has been shown to be clearly effective in numerous studies with unvaccinated people without prior exposure being hospitalized more. Please check the article I had posted in covid thread for vaccine effectiveness. If the people in US do not want take vaccine, they should have the freedom, but there should be economic consequences to their actions (increased premium, deductible) .

Personally, Djokovic should not be allowed to play . He knew he was positive and broke the rules of his own country by not isolating himself. Either his results were fake or he does not care for the welfare of other people. Either way, his behavior does not reflect well on himself.

[gbelday]

I do not like the fact, they just keep boosting and CDC sometimes issues guidelines that do not appear to follow science.

What makes you say that, Kumar? Data is constantly becoming available and if anything, they are trying to follow science pretty closely. They are also dealing with pressure from politicians and people but they’ve done a great job so far. I think there are just way too many experts taking all sorts of nonsense…

[Kumar]

I am not convinced that recommendation of booster 5 months after second shot. I have heard of so many people getting covid one month after booster. When u bring that up, they say the purpose of booster is to prevent severe covid. Lot of booster shots recommendations is based on lab antibody results. Check this article which questions using antibody data to drive vaccine decisions.

https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n2101

Former CDC director Tom Frieden, a proponent of universal vaccination, echoes that uncertainty: “We don’t know that antibody level is what determines protection.”

Gandhi and others have been urging reporters away from antibodies as the defining metric of immunity. “It is accurate that your antibodies will go down” after natural infection, she says—that’s how the immune system works. If antibodies didn’t clear from our bloodstream after we recover from a respiratory infection, “our blood would be thick as molasses.”

But to recommend boosters for teenagers 6 months after their second dose appears to be again an overkill. Rate of hospitalization for kids who are vaccinated is like 95% with most cases being among kids with pre existing conditions. Vaccinations are never going to give 100% protection.

Fauci just in November said he does not see kids needing a booster. Why this quick around? Especially for the variant that is not expected to be severe. Lot of kids are reporting severe reactions swollen lymph nodes to the booster shot, which clearly shows that their original vaccine is still effective.

https://www.reuters.com/business/health ... 022-01-11/

The EMA official raised concerns that a strategy of giving boosters every four months hypothetically poses the risk of overloading people's immune

I am not against boosters for elderly and immuno compromised people. Also, i would welcome booster shot that is tailored to the latest variant once a year. Eventually my guess is that covid 19 will become a cold virus. This idea of 3-6 months booster seems like a over reaction to this huge omicron wave.

[jaydeep]

Djokovic's saga is ended as the judges rejected his appeal, and he will be deported.

Novak Djokovic: Tennis star to be deported after losing Australia visa appeal

Djokovic said he was "extremely disappointed" but respected the ruling.

"I will co-operate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country," he said in a statement.

CNN: Djokovic loses Australian visa appeal

[suresh]

What a mess! I am glad that it is over.

[jaydeep]

If they win their first round (they should considering their opponents) they can meet 16th seed pairing of Andrey Golubev and Franko Skugor ... 2nd seed Ram and Salisbury can be next opponent for the winner.

[R1] Rohan Bopanna (IND)/ Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) vs (WC) Treat Huey (PHI)/ Christopher Rungkat (PHI)