Self Isolation or Full Quarantine?

Markit

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Sep 3, 2007
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Just wondering if any of the other members here are doing any of the above and how you are getting on with it?

Spent a week now just the missus and me alone in the house plus the staff - he and she married couple living locally. We organized with them to stay well away from us and they are happy (possibly just to still have a job as sooooo many have been let go) to do it our way.

Funny here in the East of Bali no one else (locals) seem to have heard there's a pandemic going around the world and are doing their ceremonies, shopping and normal social things just like before!

Living in the jungle (old coconut orchard) with the closest neighbor 200 meters away makes self isolation easier and the staff do our shopping.

Does anyone else actually know first hand anyone that has been diagnosed with the virus? I don't and nobody I know does...?

Good luck and health
Markit
 

mugwump

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Mar 15, 2011
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Just wondering if any of the other members here are doing any of the above and how you are getting on with it?

Spent a week now just the missus and me alone in the house plus the staff - he and she married couple living locally. We organized with them to stay well away from us and they are happy (possibly just to still have a job as sooooo many have been let go) to do it our way.

Funny here in the East of Bali no one else (locals) seem to have heard there's a pandemic going around the world and are doing their ceremonies, shopping and normal social things just like before!

Living in the jungle (old coconut orchard) with the closest neighbor 200 meters away makes self isolation easier and the staff do our shopping.

Does anyone else actually know first hand anyone that has been diagnosed with the virus? I don't and nobody I know does...?

Good luck and health
Markit
Went to Sanur today and bought a bread making machine because quality bread was the only part of the diet not available in West Bali. From now on plans are to stay away from tourist areas and pursue the same existence you suggest.
Also, as with yourself know of no afflictions nor concerns as life goes on West Bali without apparent change.
 

spicyayam

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Jan 12, 2009
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We have closed our hotel for a while. Got tired of the whole business. We are just staying home, only going out to buy food. Trying to keep the kids occupied and getting them to do some school work. Trying to keep vigilant washing hands and keeping everything clean.

Turn on CNN and it's like the world is going to end. Go out in the street and its like business as normal. Yes, a bit quieter, less tourists, but you wouldn't really know there's a pandemic going on.

I don't know anyone who has caught the virus, unless you count Tom Hanks and a few people on Facebook. I cling to the hope the heat and humidity will help, but it's not going to make up for lack of hygiene and people getting together like they normally do.

The ray of hope is things are starting to get a little better in China, but they are still being very strict with the quarantines of people and movement. I think Wuhan is still in lockdown.
 

Mark

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Apr 19, 2004
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A close friend of my wife knows two persons who are hospitalized now in Bali with the virus. The bugger is that the majority of cases apparently have very mild symptoms so we may not even know we are infected. However, as we do know, for the 10-15% with lowered immunity, due to old age, obesity, smoking, etc, it can become life threatening. Of course, the lack of test kits in Bali means that even if we suspect we are ill, unless we are hospitalized we probably won't be tested. Personally, I'm relying on hand hygiene, a combination of self-isolation and social distancing when we need to go out for food and supplies, and a bit of sunbathing to boost Vitamin D levels, which I understand is excellent for fighting off respiratory issues.
 

mugwump

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Mar 15, 2011
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Hi Mark,
As I recall you have a background in the medical field so perhaps you can answer something for me.
What is the most common blood type found among native Balinese? Google has nothing on this and don't know where else to pursue it.
Thanks,
 

Markit

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Sep 3, 2007
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I have a fairly wide circle of friends and acquaintances around the world and the weird thing is I haven't heard from one of them that they personally know someone that has this bloody disease. Now correct me if I'm wrong but a pandemic is a little more evident usually isn't it?
 

Mark

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Apr 19, 2004
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Hi Mark,
As I recall you have a background in the medical field so perhaps you can answer something for me.
What is the most common blood type found among native Balinese? Google has nothing on this and don't know where else to pursue it.
Thanks,
Hey mugwump, I don't have any insight into blood type predominance among ethnic Balinese. As you probably discovered in your search, Indonesia is mainly type O, A and B (in that order) and as typical in Asia, nearly all are rh +.
 

mugwump

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Mar 15, 2011
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Hey mugwump, I don't have any insight into blood type predominance among ethnic Balinese. As you probably discovered in your search, Indonesia is mainly type O, A and B (in that order) and as typical in Asia, nearly all are rh +.
Thanks Mark,
Some things are puzzling, and I have just been trying to connect the dots.
Newsweek printed an article suggesting that some blood types are more susceptible than others to the coronavirus.
There has to be an answer to why the Balinese could have been exposed to thousands of Chinese tourists from Dec 2019 thru Feb. 2, 2020 and escaped without being afflicted. Some of those folks had to of emanated from Wuhan.
Earlier this week our old pembantu and husband from Mas-Ubud visited us in West Bali. The husband is an Ubud "taxi" driver that had many Chinese customers in recent months and he insisted that neither he nor any of his fellow drivers had ever become ill, so what's the fuss?
This is an incident that has been repeated timelessly and leaves us scratching our collective expat heads.
There has to be an answer and doubtlessly there are numerous factors that indicate an immunity that already exists here among the Balinese at least to some degree.
 
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spicyayam

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Jan 12, 2009
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When I was trying to research the effects of warm weather on the virus, some articles mentioned that bronchial tubes would narrow in colder climates. I don't think Indonesia can be any less affected by this outbreak, but it does seem warmer weather is better.

Just from watching Indonesian people outside the past few days, I don't think it is possible for them to social distance.

Northern Italy also seems worse affected than the south.
 

Balifrog

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Dec 30, 2017
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Not changing anything to my habits in Sanur.

Last week I was in a remote place south of Banyuwangi, life goes on as usual, they are not the type that watch FOX or SKY..
Anyway 1 wedding last week, Missus stays 1 more week because another wedding. Went to the first one, but ran back to Bali Friday as I feared some great mind would lock Bali, and close the ferry.
Nature will have its way, little we can do about it..
Heading for "apéritif" at the beach at 11.00. If its really the end of the world (as it looks if you believe the media), then better enjoy the last days of it !
 
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JohnnyCool

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Jan 10, 2009
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I have a fairly wide circle of friends and acquaintances around the world and the weird thing is I haven't heard from one of them that they personally know someone that has this bloody disease. 'Now correct me if I'm wrong but a pandemic is a little more evident usually isn't it?'
I don't know anyone here personally who knows of someone else who's infected, or from my friends worldwide (yet).
Now about your correct me if I'm wrong part.
This is nothing "personal" on my part, but I would have thought it's pretty evident how widespread worldwide it already is.
China, Italy, Iran, Spain, France, Germany (the whole EU), South Korea, Japan, UK, Australia, Canada, etc, and now Indonesia.
How much more "evident" can it be to be called a pandemic (which it already is)?
:rolleyes:
 

SamD

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Sep 7, 2006
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Life appears to be going on as normal here in the tourist spots of Seminyak and Legian. I went out last night for a look and the restaurants, bars and clubs were all operating although quiet. Isn't it interesting how the world has now shut down and the economy is being trashed because of this virus. What consequences are goingto unfold because of these draconian measures? Consider that 3000+ people die each day in car crashes worldwide. Has any government declared a national emergency and stopped all traffic to save lives? No. Because that would destroy the economy and ruin people's lives. So why have they done it for this virus? It doesn't make sense to me. The cure is worse than the disease.
 
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JohnnyCool

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...There has to be an answer and doubtlessly there are numerous factors that indicate an immunity that already exists here among the Balinese at least to some degree...
An "immunity" can't occur before someone has developed it through contact with the virus and overcome it.
How then could others share that immunity? Unlikely that Balinese already acquired it hundreds of years ago, or it's somehow "genetic" when it didn't exist in the past.

Given that this virus is "Novel" (new), little is still known about it because of that.
Although it's in the broader family of coronavirus (like SARS, MERS, Influenza), it's not the same as those others).
 

mugwump

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Mar 15, 2011
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An "immunity" can't occur before someone has developed it through contact with the virus and overcome it.
How then could others share that immunity? Unlikely that Balinese already acquired it hundreds of years ago, or it's somehow "genetic" when it didn't exist in the past.

Given that this virus is "Novel" (new), little is still known about it because of that.
Although it's in the broader family of coronavirus (like SARS, MERS, Influenza), it's not the same as those others).
Good point about immunity, but could you then say that the Balinese don't possess the sensitivities that would make them readily susceptible to such a virus? If then that is valid perhaps there are also factors in the environment such as high humidity that also partner in with that lack of susceptibility?
In any event how can you deny the fact that given this exposure there hasn't been a resulting epidemic given the social character of the Balinese? These people aren't stoical introverts as a group if you generalize and compare them with other societies.
 

SamD

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Sep 7, 2006
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The police cancelled the Melasti ceremony here on Legian beach at the last minute. Not allowed to have such a big gathering. As you can imagine it has caused some controversy with the locals.
 

Markit

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Sep 3, 2007
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An "immunity" can't occur before someone has developed it through contact with the virus and overcome it.
How then could others share that immunity? Unlikely that Balinese already acquired it hundreds of years ago, or it's somehow "genetic" when it didn't exist in the past.

Given that this virus is "Novel" (new), little is still known about it because of that.
Although it's in the broader family of coronavirus (like SARS, MERS, Influenza), it's not the same as those others).
Think sickle cell anemia - a genetic change in the red blood cells in some African countries in the body's attempt to fight of endemic malaria - not necessary for the person to have ever had the disease (malaria) but American blacks also have the anemia.
I don't think for a minute Asians or Indonesians have any inborn immunity to corona but I do think climate will have played a role in it's spread.
 

JohnnyCool

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Jan 10, 2009
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Think sickle cell anemia - a genetic change in the red blood cells in some African countries in the body's attempt to fight of endemic malaria - not necessary for the person to have ever had the disease (malaria) but American blacks also have the anemia.
I don't think for a minute Asians or Indonesians have any inborn immunity to corona but I do think climate will have played a role in it's spread.
Yes and no. Sickle cell anemia is a genetically transmitted blood disorder, (not a virus). It passes between generations though human reproduction, where at least one or both parents got it from theirs. Some parents can be carriers without symptoms, but still have it and can pass it on (not by breathing or coughing).
Malaria is caused by a parasite (not a virus). You can't get malaria by breathing in a mosquito.
And I've yet to spot a mozzie that can somehow cough up it's blood-carrying parasite into a human's.
 

JohnnyCool

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Jan 10, 2009
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Good point about immunity, but could you then say that the Balinese don't possess the sensitivities that would make them readily susceptible to such a virus? If then that is valid perhaps there are also factors in the environment such as high humidity that also partner in with that lack of susceptibility?
In any event how can you deny the fact that given this exposure there hasn't been a resulting epidemic given the social character of the Balinese? These people aren't stoical introverts as a group if you generalize and compare them with other societies.
"Susceptibility" or "lack" of it in Balinese to this particular virus? It all depends on their immune systems, and if they already have immunity (which is basically not possible for the reasons I mentioned earlier).
The main reason why "...there hasn't been a resulting epidemic..." in Bali yet is, (hopefully), that it won't.
That depends on what the numbers really are, who provides them and from what sources, not to mention the availability, application and accuracy of "tests".
 
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JohnnyCool

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Johnny your lessons in semantics are nice. Do you have any observations?
I'm not writing "lessons in semantics" here, whatever they might be.
I'm already sharing my "observations".
I hail from scientific and academic backgrounds and try be as unbiased as I can.
I'm also a retired psychologist and musician (player, sound/recording engineer, soundtrack composer), telescope maker.
Covers a lot of ground, not just one particular "discipline".

Any special "observations" you'd like?
:)