Djokovic's PCR test was manipulated? • Hacker News Board

Re: Djokovic's PCR test was manipulated?

#41

Post by ISL » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 4:53 PM UTC

shmatt wrote: post #17

Good for Serbia for implementing some centralized system. A PCR test result in the U.S has absolutely no way of being verified, either negative or positive In Israel, which swabs every person who lands at the airport. There is a suspiciously steady stream of people flying in from the U.S who were negative before take off and positive 10 minutes after landing

For Omicron, with an incubation period of three days, one should expect negatives to turn positive with a transatlantic flight.

Google suggests that it takes 10-12 hr to fly from NYC to Israel. That's a long time with a fast virus. (Even with a week's incubation period, you'd still expect to see it, just less.). Furthermore, many of those negative tests will have been 24-48 hr prior to takeoff, depending upon legal requirements that day.

It's okay to suspect malice, but it may not be necessary here :).

Re: Djokovic's PCR test was manipulated?

#42

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 4:55 PM UTC

piva00 wrote: post #10

tppiotrowski wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OP might think it's funny because it appears beneficial to seek an infection despite all guidance to avoid it.

As an anecdote, that's exactly the behaviour/mentality I've heard from some people I know that still refuse to take the vaccine. They are young and fit, and their reasoning is exactly that, it's easier to just get infected, recover, and get papers for traveling that are valid for 6 months... Perverse incentives showing up, as usual.

[deleted]

Re: Djokovic's PCR test was manipulated?

#43

Post by alkonaut » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 4:56 PM UTC

Why does Australia even have a loophole that allows PCR tests instead of vaccination, without also requiring that the person can't be vaccinated?

You'd wish the tournament could have been clearer here and just said that all athletes should be fully vaccinated, regardless of what any authorities say.

It's PR after all, and the PR of an antivaxer playing is much much worse than the PR of Novak missing the tournament.

Re: Djokovic's PCR test was manipulated?

#44

Post by hugh-avherald » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 4:57 PM UTC

woodruffw wrote: post #21

Could someone double-check my understanding of this? Is the conclusion that Djokovic lied about the order (and specific dates) of his PCR tests, with the goal of entering Australia while still testing positive?

An alternative conclusion is that the entire test certificate was faked and the bogus timestamp is the smoking gun.

Re: Djokovic's PCR test was manipulated?

#45

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 4:57 PM UTC

chrisseaton wrote: post #36

boringg wrote: post #19

More fuel to the fire - no reason he should get a pass when other people can't. Sorry - it's only tennis and he's trying to cheat to get in. This isn't to political leaders talking about the fate of their people.

> Sorry - it's only tennis Real question is why are the Australians running an international tennis competition in the first place?

[deleted]

Re: Djokovic's PCR test was manipulated?

#46

Post by Scoundreller » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 4:58 PM UTC

boringg wrote: post #19

More fuel to the fire - no reason he should get a pass when other people can't. Sorry - it's only tennis and he's trying to cheat to get in. This isn't to political leaders talking about the fate of their people.

This is basically the Canada problem: we have tough rules for 95% of people, but we exempt 5% from it, so every variant quickly ends up here uncontrollably anyway.

Windsor Ontario has something like 1000+ health care workers commuting to the Detroit area that have been exempt from most entry test/vaccination/quarantine requirements. Same for truckers and flight crews and ~30 other groups.

I think this is only changing next week with an actual vaccination requirement.

If you want to go for covid-zero, go for it, but if you half-ass it, you get all the disadvantages without any of the advantages.

Re: Djokovic's PCR test was manipulated?

#47

Post by petre » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 4:58 PM UTC

piva00 wrote: post #10

tppiotrowski wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OP might think it's funny because it appears beneficial to seek an infection despite all guidance to avoid it.

As an anecdote, that's exactly the behaviour/mentality I've heard from some people I know that still refuse to take the vaccine. They are young and fit, and their reasoning is exactly that, it's easier to just get infected, recover, and get papers for traveling that are valid for 6 months... Perverse incentives showing up, as usual.

It's a gamble. I'd rather benefit from all the readily available medical science developments before I get infected. In Europe getting infected is generally only valid for 180 days for travel. From what I know only Hungary would grant longer recovery certificates based on an antibody test.

Re: Djokovic's PCR test was manipulated?

#48

Post by hugh-avherald » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 4:59 PM UTC

alkonaut wrote: post #43

Why does Australia even have a loophole that allows PCR tests instead of vaccination, without also requiring that the person can't be vaccinated? You'd wish the tournament could have been clearer here and just said that all athletes should be fully vaccinated, regardless of what any authorities say. It's PR after all, and the PR of an antivaxer playing is much much worse than the PR of Novak missing the tournament.

It's not testing positive per se that is the exemption, it's if you have a medical contraindication to the vaccine. The argument is that recent infection is a medical contraindication, which the tournament organizer accepted but the feds have not.

Re: Djokovic's PCR test was manipulated?

#49

Post by colinjoy » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 4:59 PM UTC

woodruffw wrote: post #21

Could someone double-check my understanding of this? Is the conclusion that Djokovic lied about the order (and specific dates) of his PCR tests, with the goal of entering Australia while still testing positive?

Either that or the positive test is a fabrication that was backdated on paper to claim the „recovered“ status. I would also not rule out the possibility that there has not been a real positive test at all and that the tampering could include false data entry.

Re: Djokovic's PCR test was manipulated?

#50

Post by darrenf » Tue, Jan 11, 2022, 5:03 PM UTC

joshenberg wrote: post #30

boringg wrote: post #19

More fuel to the fire - no reason he should get a pass when other people can't. Sorry - it's only tennis and he's trying to cheat to get in. This isn't to political leaders talking about the fate of their people.

Especially in tennis where tournaments are designed to be 'open', that is semi-professional and allowing for amateur entrants. If he were professionally affiliated with a particular country, that might be an extenuating circumstance. But as he is a private citizen seeking glory in AU, it's inappropriate to make an exception in this case.

The "open era" in tennis refers to the opposite situation: where the grand slam tournaments are open to professionals. Amateurs were always allowed in. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tennis#Open_Era