Podcast 66 – Locked down and loaded up with medical misinformation

In this week’s Flat Chat Wrap, Jimmy and Sue discuss Australia’s coronavirus lockdown and what it means to people living in apartments.

There’s the whole issue of returned travellers settling in to 14 days of self-isolation and whether or not they really will wear masks when they pass through common property, as government health measures demand.

We look at lifts and whether or not we should travel in them with strangers.  And then there are gyms and pools, with news that some apartment blocks are shutting them down, just to be on the safe side.

But what do you do when the government also advises you to exercise to boost your immunity?  Is the thump-thump of you exercising at home not really just revenge for the late night doof-doof of the downstairs neighbours’ sound system?

Pets and hoarding are also on the agenda along with growing outrage over Airbnb hosts offering self-isolation packages in apartment blocks.

Should we turn our asylum seeker detention centres into quarantine camps for suspected Covid-19 carriers and low-level sufferers?

And there’s a fascinating clip from a BBC podcast about coronavirus misinformation, with Jimmy explaining how he fell for bogus medical advice passed on by a normally reliable strata source. And you can find a more detailed and expansive look at coronavirus conspiracies here.

FYI, if you want the latest real and truly reliable information on Covid-19, log into the Federal Government Health website, the NSW Health website, and the Victoria Health website. There are also websites for Queensland, WA, South Australia, Tasmania, ACT and the NT.

Finally, on the bright side, there’s a virtual visit to a couple of zoos, with furry friends to keep you company during your less-than-splendid isolation. Melbourne Zoo has a live ‘animal-cam’ where you can watch cute snow leopard cubs, majestic giraffes, penguins and other animals.

Meanwhile, Mogo Zoo on the NSW South Coast has a beautiful picture gallery and you can support these survivors of the recent bushfires who are doing it tough all over again with tourist numbers, obviously, having hit a new low.

Enjoy.