There’s a secret 787 compartment you probably don’t know about. Business-class blogger Zach Griff recently flung the doors open and shed light on it, giving his Instagram followers a sneak peek into life Up The Stairs.

Inspired by said video, in which Griff is permitted entry into this “secret compartment… that’s typically off-limits to passengers,” DMARGE got in touch to seek further insights about this “out of sight” zone which requires a code to enter.

But first: context. If you haven’t already seen the video, which is filmed in one of American Airlines’ 787 Dreamliners, watch it now (see below).

“The staircase leads up here…to the crew rest,” Griff says in the clip. “There’s a bed here.. another bed here… a third one… some oxygen in case of an emergency… and then three more beds.”

 

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This little known compartment is down the back of the Dreamliner, and is designed as a space that crew can rest in during long haul flights.

It doesn’t just exist on American Airlines either. Griff told DMARGE “most large international planes – like the double-decker Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner – have dedicated spaces for the crew to catch some sleep that are completely off-limits to passengers.”

“The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a plane designed for long-haul international flying,” Griff added. “On these long flights, the pilots and flight crew need to take a rest — they can’t physically work for ten or more hours without a break.”

“This crew rest exists on nearly every airline, not just American Airlines. The ‘standard’ configuration of the Dreamliner and most other international planes includes a crew rest, so you’ll find this on nearly every airline.”

As for its secret nature, Griff told us, “The crew rest is easily the coolest part of the entire plane. It’s completely off-limits to passengers, and only certain crew can use it during flight.”

“It’s also really interesting that it’s located one level above passengers – so no one really knows about it. Even when flight attendants use it during flight, they do so very discreetly and they don’t let any passengers inside or know about where they are going.”

Griff also told DMARGE this space been used for this purpose, to his knowledge, ever since American Air received the 787 jets: “Absolutely, every long-haul flight includes a break period for the crew and the crew head to the crew rest every time they have a long break.”

Instagram posts from as far back as 2015 show flight attendants showing off their crew rest areas (on various carriers), with captions like, “When your day of work involves a legal requirement to take a three hour nap.” There are only 28 posts with the “crewrestcompartment” hashtag though. This, together with Griff’s comments, leads DMARGE to believe crew rest compartments are still a relatively little known phenomenon.

 

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All Dreamliners have at least one crew rest above the passenger deck, Griff informed us, and, “there are actually TWO secret crew rests on most Boeing 787 Dreamliners” with one located right behind the cockpit and another much larger one all the way at the back of the coach cabin (the one featured in Griff’s Instagram video at the top of the page).

“Both of them are hidden out of sight and require a code to enter. They’re both located upstairs, above the main passenger deck. The one at the front of the plane is much, much smaller. It just has a seat and two beds, which are typically reserved for the pilots. The one at the back of the plane is much larger, and that one has six beds for the cabin attendants.”

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The post The Secret 787 Dreamliner Compartment Few Travellers Know About appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

It’s almost the end of 2020 and boy it has been a chaotic year that saw many unexpected things happen, for better and for worse. One thing that has remained the same, however, is the world’s love for dive watches. Nearly every big name brand, including the likes of Rolex, Blancpain, Panerai and Tudor all released new dive watches, however, this, the Alsta Nautoscaph Superautomatic might be the coolest one you can get your hands on…

Why so cool you ask? Well, the Nautoscaph Superautomatic was the watch of choice for Richard Dreyfuss (the marine biologist) in the 1975 blockbuster Jaws. Dreyfuss can be seen wearing the watch in a multitude of scenes, including whilst trying to catch the shark and some of the underwater scenes.

The watch features everything you’d expect from a modern-day dive watch, including 300m water resistance, stainless steel case and strap, Super-LumiNova markings and a unidirectional rotating bezel. It’s tremendously capable, to say the least.

Unlike modern dive watches, it’s aesthetically unique with an almost square case, thanks to oversized lugs and an epic strap that looks as if it is a stainless steel reincarnation of something you would have seen on the wrist of Stirling Moss during the Mille Miglia. It’s certainly not as pretty as a Panerai, but this watch has a rugged charm, that most of its modern peers seem to lack.

Priced at $1005, it’s not the cheapest dive watch around, but you certainly won’t find another watch with a story as good and the capability to match.

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The post This Dive Watch From 'Jaws' Is The Best James Bond Omega-Alternative appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Why should road cyclists have all the fun? Everyone deserves the calves of their dreams. Calves are a common problem area for many gym-goers though. A notoriously difficult area upon which to build muscle mass, it’s not uncommon for a long term gym-goer to be shaped like a pyramid – barrel chest, sturdy arms, fabulous core, strong (ish) quads and teeny tottering lower legs.

Sound familiar? Never fear: a loveable, mad professor style German lifter, who goes by the Instagram username @joesthetics, Jo Lindner is here. Lindner recently took to Instagram to show his 2.9 million followers “how to get big ass calves.”

“In order to get these big ass calves you have different stances, you can stand like this… you can stand like this…or you can stay put in neutral,” he announces, mid workout. “Then there’s different machines. But in order to get big ass calves you need to have a good stretch and degrees….and make sure you train it with your toes in this area… so this is where you have all the the pressure on it” he says pointing to the ball of his foot.

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“Then you have a nice stretch here already and then you go into the … degrees.” So far so simple, right? Wrong. Next is patience, dedication and technique, which Lindner illustrates in the following two videos, showcasing the different kind of calf raise machines and exercises he uses.

In the second video he makes a particularly good point which is that when using your standard sitting down calf raise machine, if you want big calves, it’s “very important you don’t lean back.” Instead you must lean over the weight, which makes it much harder, and “only use your calves” rather than involving other muscle groups to get the job done.

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Lindner then shows how you can experiment with different angles – pigeon toes vs toes facing out, for instance – when you are doing standing calf raises on a platform. As DMARGE reported earlier this year, fitness coach James Kew also has some useful pointers for those looking to build big ass calves, for those looking for further advice.

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Watch how to get huge like Jo Lindner

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The post Jo Lindner Unveils His Technique For Building Perfect Calves appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

It’s weird to think that 2013 was seven years ago. It was a time before Trump in the White House, The Bat Kiss, TikTok and Tony Abbott taking bites of raw onion. The world was obsessed with Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball and Frozen, and man buns were still ‘new again’.

Yes, it was truly an older, simpler time – but there are still some lessons we can learn from 2013 if we’re ready to listen.

British dating coach Matthew Hussey caused somewhat of a stir back in 2013 with this video cheekily titled ‘Brainal’ – The New Dirty Word For Smart People. Putting the cringy term (and somewhat dated humour of the video) aside, Hussey’s core argument is still highly relevant.

In essence? Being capable of intellectual conversation is sexy.

In 2020, it’s somewhat of a lost art, with dating apps like Tinder and Grindr incentivizing short and to-the-point communication instead of diving in the deep end. You chat just long enough to convince someone to meet in person, and most connections don’t turn into long-term relationships.

While newer dating apps like Bumble and Hinge, which place more emphasis on your bio and answering meaningful questions, purport to encourage more intellectual conversation (and therefore better matches), the reality is they still encourage curt conversation and judging people on physical appearance alone. One Redditor put it best: “app dating is zero effort dating.”

At the other end of the spectrum, you have things like traditional dating websites like OKCupid or eHarmony, and more old-school methods of meeting people like speed dating sessions. These instead arguably encourage far too much intellectual conversation and cultivate a sort of navel-gazing that’s just as bad as the impersonality of dating apps.

That’s perhaps Hussey’s most valuable point: “dry ‘brainal’ really hurts”, or to translate, being overly intellectual during a date can be just as bad as being vacuous.

Sure, I could just call myself a good conversationalist, but that doesn’t sound half as good as saying I’m “great at brainalingus.” #brainal

— Sam Haft (@SamHaft) August 31, 2015

Mastering the art of good conversation is arguably more important than your physical appearance or bank balance. Don’t take our word for it: NYC-based Aussie model Monika Clarke (who also happens to be single) revealed to DMARGE that humour and “appreciating sarcasm” is far more important to her than “the watch you’re wearing while you’re holding your car steering wheel.”

Beyond knowing how to balance small talk with intellectual conversation, another (more contemporaneous) piece of dating advice men should pay heed to is knowing when to show some vulnerability. Like “brainal”, it’s also a balancing act: you don’t want to be too opaque with your feelings, but you don’t want to open up too completely too quickly, as while many women say they want men to be ‘more vulnerable’, some are less comfortable with the reality of that demand than they let on.

RELATED: ‘Human’ Relationship Skill That Could Massively Boost Your Dating Success

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• Modern Singles Bucking Trend By Looking For Love Outside ‘Safe Zones’

The post 'Dirty Word For Smart People': The Dating Tactic That Drives Intelligent People Crazy appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Byron Bay has undergone a radical transformation in 2020. But it’s not all Sydney blow-ins and Melburnians with “ironed jeans” – its physical state is in flux too. In fact, such are the shifts, even the British broadcaster the BBC has taken an interest, recently interviewing Professor Rodger Tomlinson from the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management, to understand what exactly is going on.

To put things simply: Byron Bay’s famous Main Beach is disappearing. The strip of sand is iconic, Professor Tomlinson relates, telling the BBC, “The beach is everything. It drives our economy.” He also says that though “a lot of that is surfing related… equally it’s just because it’s a wonderful place to be.”

For how much longer it will be a place you can ‘be’ though is under threat. Byron Bay – like various other towns on Australia’s east coast – has a history of coastal erosion over many decades.

 

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“In terms of the significance of the current event,” Professor Tomlinson tells the BBC, “I haven’t seen that since the 1990s.”

Coastal erosion is usually caused by storms, but what’s happening at Main Beach is more of a structural issue. In Main Beach, the culprit of the erosion is a process called “headland bypassing.” This is essentially a disturbance in the consistent flow of sand along the coast.

“Waves move sand along the coast of southeast Australia,” the BBC explains. “If that is blocked it can cause headland bypassing.”

“Headland bypassing, particularly at Byron, is an obstruction like a headland that will block sand and starve that sand from the other side until the wave conditions are right to move it around,” Professor Tomlinson says.

“Cape Byron, which is to the south of Main Beach, is the most easterly point on the Australian east coast. It’s quite prominent; it sticks right out. What we’re seeing at the moment is the blockage has been released and is now starting to move around, but it hasn’t made it up to Main Beach where the area of concern is.”

“It’s currently in an eroded state because of the trapping of the sand that would normally have reached Main Beach,” Professor Tomlinson adds.

So what does this mean for Byron’s famous Main Beach? Continued uncertainty, and a little bit of hope: “We don’t really know how quickly these systems move,” the professor says, “and it’s driven by the kind of annular weather conditions that we might have at the moment but it could take weeks, months and maybe even years depending on the wave conditions for the beach to recover.”

 

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On that front, Swellnet reported on Monday that this year’s La Nina switch is “about to flick…finally!”. This is good news for surfers hoping for an abundance of East swells (the same ones which happen to make Byron’s most iconic point break waves like The Pass fire).

For Main Beach, this means a shake up of our predominant south swell pattern and thus a potential (DMARGE understands) positive shifting of sand for Byron. It also, however, means more erosion from more waves hitting Main Beach head on.

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The post One Of Australia's Most Famous Beaches Is Disappearing appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Australia is in the midst of an alcoholic paradigm shift. It’s been a while since wine supplanted beer as our drink du jour. Now, spirits are on the up: according to data from Roy Morgan’s 2019 Alcohol Consumption Report, the proportion of Australians drinking spirits is increasing, while all other alcohol types are declining.

The next big thing? If you believe the media hype, it’s ‘ready to drink’ (RTDs), or premixed spirit-based drinks. RTDs used to have a bit of an image problem – think Bundaberg Rum & Cola or UDLs – but these days some are downright fancy, in no small part to the sudden rise in ‘hard seltzers’.

First developed in the United States around 2013, hard seltzers really hit the American mainstream in 2018-2019. Now the trend’s hit the Land Down Under, with dozens of brands pouncing on what looks to be an emerging market. Hard seltzers aren’t a new concept: essentially, they’re highballs made with carbonated water, alcohol and normally some form of flavouring. They’re marketed as being refreshing, better for you than beer, and aggressively target younger drinkers.

They’ve developed quite a cultural cache in the last few years (even if some of it has been ironic, hard seltzers typify the expression ‘all publicity is good publicity’). Yet, despite their easy-breezy branding and promise of guilt-free drinking, experts are quick to warn seltzers still carry all the usual risks of any alcoholic product. So – while they can be a smart choice for coeliacs trying to find something to replace their summer ale – it’s worth being a bit sceptical.

RELATED: The ‘Evolved’ American Alcohol Trend About To Blow Up In Australia

DMARGE spoke to Alex Bottomley, Marcus Kellett and Shaun Rankins, founders of Ampersand Projects, one of Australia’s most successful independent alcohol companies, a leader in the RTD space, and – some might argue – the natural competitor to up and coming hard seltzer brands in Australia.

A startup success story, Ampersand Projects have taken the classic premix and taken it upmarket – a natural evolution, they claim.

“Australia was a frontrunner when it came to premixed drinks, and then America copied what we did. Now, with hard seltzers, it’s coming back around.”

Ampersand Projects approach has been all about simplicity: their RTDs are simply real spirits (like vodka or gin) and soda, and that’s it. This is in stark contrast to mainstream hard seltzers, which typically include sugar, flavours and low-quality alcohol.

For a point of comparison, White Claw, the most well known hard seltzer, has the following ingredients list: Purified Carbonated Water, Alcohol, Natural Flavors, Cane Sugar, Citric Acid, Natural Lime Juice Concentrate, Sodium Citrate… Its alcoholic component is made from a pure spirit base, distilled from corn – cheap, smooth and with very little taste, corn spirits are a common component of many RTDs in the United States.

In comparison, RTDs like Ampersand Projects, whose products have a much shorter list of ingredients (literally just vodka and soda, or gin and soda, depending on which one you pick), give health-conscious drinkers more control over what they’re putting into their body (as does, you know, just making a soda-based drink with spirits yourself). It’s a less ‘Frankenstein’ product.

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That’s not to say all hard seltzers are bad. Australian brand FELLR for example actually uses a brewed alcohol base instead of a neutral substrate, while keeping added nasties at bay. Not all RTDs are great for you either –  premixed gin and tonics can sometimes have as much sugar in them as a glass of beer.

Hard seltzers that use a brewed base are arguably better than those that use a neutral spirit because it’s not only a less processed product, but gives them a depth of flavour and viscosity vodka and neutral grain spirits don’t quite have. It’s all about that ‘umami bomb’ that brewed drinks like beer have. However, these brewed bases open up another can of worms.

Ampersand Projects also mentioned to DMARGE that many hard seltzers effectively exploit a tax loophole. This has been a topic of much discussion in the US (see: How Tax Policy Gave Us White Claw), with the argument being because seltzers are brewed like beer, not like spirits, they escape the ‘alcopop’ tax.

Crafty Pint explains it like this: “Typically, in very simple terms, fermented sugar is dosed with a small amount of natural juice creating a gluten-free, low-calorie beverage; but in the US there they are taxed and labelled as beer, thus giving their makers a competitive advantage against spirit-based booze. For example, a White Claw 12-pack would set you back about 20 AUD. In Australia, if brewers can show their seltzers to be a beer, they also manage to avoid the alcopop tax.”

Crafty Pint also points out that, “Just as in the US, hard seltzers can be made from various bases, including spirits and wine, and not all will Australia will fit the Australian Tax Office’s definition of beer. Any drinks maker should contact the ATO directly if they’re unsure of where their seltzer might sit.”

However, even with this advantage, the ABC reported in October that hard seltzers in Australia are relatively pricey: “Cost could also affect sales — a standard six-pack of hard seltzer in the US usually costs about $15 ($US10), but local Australian brands already on the market are retailing for about $20 ($US14) for a pack of four.”

“Furthermore, Australia’s alcohol consumption is actually on the decline, largely driven by young people giving it up for health reasons,” the ABC also reported, citing “the most recent National Drug Strategy Household Survey (2019)” which “found the number of people giving up alcohol rose from 1.5 million to 1.9 million Australians between 2016 and 2019.”

At that point, you may as well go for more ‘natural’ upmarket RTDs instead of a dubious-quality hard seltzer. But not everyone cares about a quality product: branding, lifestyle and taste are all important. Ultimately, there is fertile ground for hard seltzers to pick up in Australia, despite the price, convincing RTD alternatives and the odd person giving up drinking.

So why might the hard seltzer revolution fizzle, then? We’d argue it’s down to the fickle nature of the industry – something American beer writer Jeff Alworth has pointed out across the pond.

As the ABC reports, the current success of the hard seltzer sector in America is due to drinkers no longer being loyal to particular brands or even types of alcohol and wanting to try different things.

“If a person develops a taste for alcohol, they are likely to develop a taste for all the alcohols, shifting from hazy IPA to pinot to mezcal cocktails,” Alworth wrote in the aforementioned October article.

“The very fragmentation and variety that defines alcohol right now makes it very hard for any trend to last. Seltzer is a product of this trend and will almost certainly be the victim of it… It is a real phenomenon and the immediate future is bright. It won’t last.”

Man, fuck White Claw, just drink a beer and shut the fuck up. #whiteclaw #beer

— Brian Horustopheles Labrecque (@BMephistophele) December 8, 2020

Much to ponder for those involved in the business of RTDs and hard seltzers – and quite a provocative debate to be had no doubt as to whether this so-called loophole for hard seltzers should (or shouldn’t) be closed.

The big takeaway for consumers? Don’t get suckered into the branding, no matter if it’s a wine label or a skinny seltzer can. Read the labels, do your research and put good stuff through your system.

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The post Our Latest Alcohol Trend Could Fizzle Before It Even Gets Going appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

We’ve had Bermuda, Barbados, Sardinia, Japan and The Maldives all dangle carrots in front of voyagers this year. Some focussed on courting digital nomads, others waggled their treats for travellers in general. And who could forget this glorified care home in Northern Italy attempting to lure young globetrotters with this enticing offer.

Hawaii has now joined the fun. The island paradise is “offering free round-trip tickets to Oahu to out-of-state remote workers who want to live and work there while contributing to the state’s economy,” CNN Business reports.

This offer comes as part of a temporary residency program called ‘Movers and Shakas,’ which is working with schools and businesses. ‘Movers and Shakas’ is accepting its first bunch of applicants until December the 15th (read: you’ve got about a week left to apply).

“Movers and Shakas is a small step towards economic recovery and diversifying our economy,” Jason Higa, the group’s founder, told CNN Business.

“The pandemic… has normalized remote work for the foreseeable future, so we believe this situation presents an opportunity for local residents to return home, and for out of state professionals to experience Hawaii, not as tourists, but as contributing members of our community.”

Before you get your sunnies and surfboard out, don’t get too excited. They’re not just picking anyone. CNN Business reports fifty people will be chosen for the first group and “later applicants will be accepted on a rolling basis.” Also worth noting is that you must be a remote worker and at least 18 years old to be considered.

If you get selected you must move to Hawaii within a month of being chosen, and will be required to spend at least 30 days in a row there. DMARGE also discovered, by clicking through to the ‘Movers and Shakas‘ application form, your “active public social media channels” and the amount of time you wish to stay in Hawaii may both influence the success of your application, too.

Also, as per the ‘Movers and Shakas’ website (and as CNN Business hinted at above), “Unlike other work-remote programs, not just anyone can become a Mover and Shaka.” The program says it’s seeking “individuals with the right mindset, who are passionate about the values of Hawaii and have the skills and expertise to contribute to our community.”

“An online application process will allow us to vet candidates while creating a feeling of exclusivity for the program. We’ll ask all applicants to take the Pledge to Our Keiki, a commitment to respect and protect the life, lands and waters of Hawaii.”

 

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To put the situation prospective applicants face in Hawaii into perspective, the ‘Movers and Shakas’ press release claims Hawaii currently has the lowest rate per capita of Covid infections in the country, “making it one of the safest places to live and work.”

Judging by CNN’s trumpeting of the news on Instagram, where various users have tagged their friends with comments like “move back there for the winter?”, “who’s coming with me” and “let’s go,” many are keen to wriggle their socks off, hop into their thongs, and go.

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The post Hawaii Blows Digital Nomads' Socks Off With Offer Too Good To Refuse appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Buying a house is a lot like buying a car. You might have an idea in your head about what you want, but once you start shopping around, your mind’s likely to change. Every man and his dog has an opinion on what you should do, and there’s so much conflicting advice out there… And you almost wish you were a mechanic, so you knew what to look for.

Just as a car dealer and mechanic are likely to have different perspectives on what makes a good car, a real estate agent and an architect look for very different things when it comes to shopping for houses. Of course, the classic real estate agent adage of “location, location, location” has some truth to it, but finding the right house for you isn’t just a matter of postcode.

David Kidston, founder of boutique Newcastle firm HACK Architecture, shared what he looks for in a home with realestate.com.au – and his insights are rather surprising.

One of your foremost considerations, especially in the harsh Australian climate, should be how the property interacts with the elements.

“Good cross ventilation of a home will not only reduce the reliance on an air conditioner in the summer, but will also reduce the likelihood of mould growth and make the property a healthier place to live over time,” he explains.

“Do the window types and locations offer good cross ventilation? Awning windows offer more limited ventilation than a casement window or louvres. Another impact on this might be any noise source that is external to the house that would prevent the window being used for ventilation, such as heavy traffic.”

Temperature management is an often overlooked feature of buildings that will make a huge difference to your quality of life in the long run. Small features can make a big difference, too: for example, “high ceilings will always make a space feel larger than it is… [and] will also make the home feel cooler,” he relates.

Another key consideration is sunlight. “A property with a rear yard to the north… offers potential to place the living area to the rear of the home, if not already located here, and direct sunlight to these living areas. Direct sunlight from the north is relatively easy to control, to allow in through winter and keep out through the summer. This orientation also gives best access to outdoor spaces from the living areas, and ultimately gets the best use of your outdoor spaces as part of the living area.”

It’s also worth being realistic about the future life of a home.

“Over time, renovations or alterations are like to be carried out on the property. Having property that offers easy adaption will help. Well-located bathrooms and kitchens are especially important. These are costly items to be moving and make future renovations more complex. Don’t forget to eye that layout carefully.”

“If you are considering buying an older home watch out for poor quality renovations. Sometimes these will devalue a property as there is a lot more work to be done to correct the poorly thought out and poorly constructed owner-builder projects… For new properties, keep an eye on the quality of workmanship, and ask questions if you want to know more.”

It’s not just the house you’re looking at buying that’s important, either.

“What impact do nearby properties have on the one you are considering? Do they overshadow your whole back yard and render it dark or damp year-round? Or will they impede any future changes you’d likely want to make to the property? These factors can have a big impact on how you – or possible tenants – live in the property – and not items that can be easily changed.”

Kidston also has a perspective on what you shouldn’t worry about.

“Features, paint colours and floor coverings are things not likely to be around in 20 years time anyway… Don’t get hung up on them.”

Finally – keep your emotions balanced. There’s nothing wrong with being pragmatic, but buying a house should be a special experience – don’t be afraid to take a risk. DMARGE recently caught up with Edward Brown, director at Australia’s leading real estate provider Belle Property, who says you need to “educate yourself [but] don’t try to overthink… Pay what you think it is worth and be prepared to have a buffer but also pay that little bit more to secure the property.”

“You don’t want to be that person who just keeps missing out because you keep trying to be too pragmatic about price of the property. Ask yourself: ‘how important is your time and the journey in the search for a new home?’ If you find something that ticks most of the boxes for you; jump at it because there might not be another one.”

In short? Be the architect, real estate agent and house shopper all rolled into one.

Read Next

• Ironic Photo Reveals Painful Truth About Sydney’s Outrageous Property Market
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The post The Little Known Features Architects Look For When Buying A House That Others Don't appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

2020 has seen many nations shutter their borders. Though many are now re-opening (or have re-opened), there is no quick fix to the current health crisis. That said, numerous solutions have been proposed for us to forge a way forward, with airlines like Qantas claiming they will have a policy next year that only permits The Vaccinated to fly, and various countries being slated to only to let in travellers who have either had the virus already or who have been vaccinated against it.

As DMARGE reported earlier this year, the Brazilian island of Fernando de Noronha decided to only let in travellers who had recovered from Covid 19. CNN Travel recently reported on similar policy being embraced by Hungary, which has, “shut its doors to almost everyone, even its European neighbors… Unless, they’ve had Covid-19.”

The policy was introduced in early September, enabling visitors who could provide evidence they’ve had and recovered from Covid-19 to get in.

As CNN Travel reported yesterday, “Iceland has plans for a similar policy beginning next week — and it already gives citizens who have previously been infected permission to ignore the nationwide mask mandate.”

These kind of exemptions are being referred to as “immunity passports” – a concept whose scientific and ethical feasibility is currently being studied and debated.

So, what’s the story as it stands? The World Health Organisation wrote in April, “Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an ‘immunity passport’ or ‘risk-free certificate’ that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection. There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.”

According to CNN Travel the World Health Organisation, as of last Thursday, had not changed its position.

However, CNN Travel yesterday reported the evidence so far suggests that for most people, beating the virus actually does give you immunity. “It’s certainly theoretically possible that some people even who have antibodies may not be protected,” Dr. Ania Wajnberg told CNN Travel outside her lab at Mount Sinai Hospital’s Icahn School of Medicine in New York.

“But I think the majority of people that test positive for antibodies will be protected for some time.”

“Wajnberg,” CNN Travel reports, “is leading a massive study of more than 30,000 people who had mild to moderate cases of Covid-19. Her latest research published in October found that more than 90% of people have enough antibodies to kill the virus for many months after infection, perhaps longer.”

So though the science is not settled, this particular study suggests the risk of a traveller with an “immunity passport” of this kind infecting others while on holiday somewhere is relatively low. As Wajnberg points out: there have only been a handful of documented cases of reinfection (people getting Covid 19 twice).

The question then becomes how long does this immunity last, and how much risk are we willing to take to start opening up again. What is reasonable and what is counterproductive? Iceland’s chief epidemiologist Thorolfur Gudnason is thinking along the same lines as Wajnberg, based on his country’s own data, and overseas studies.

“I think it’s pretty safe,” he told CNN Travel. “I mean, everything that we do has uncertainties with it. Nothing is 100%.”

Other experts warn there are other risks associated with introducing these policies: “I think the worst-case scenario is that you see a spike in cases that happens because people are incentivized to try to get Covid to demonstrate immunity,” Carmel Shachar, a Harvard University bioethics and health law expert, told CNN Travel.

“So, all of a sudden, you’d see people not wearing masks, not respecting social distancing, because they want to get Covid. Especially if more and more countries adopted a similar scheme.”

University of Oxford ethicist Rebecca Brown, on the other hand, speaking about the example of Hungary, told CNN Travel she finds it hard to believe people would go out and get Covid – which can come with long term effects even in some young, healthy people – on purpose: “It would be quite an extreme thing to do. And I think, in all likelihood, the vast majority of people wouldn’t.”

Brown has written a paper analysing the pros and cons of immunity passports, CNN Travel reports, arguing, “Lots of people who are concerned about immunity passports haven’t really made many suggestions about how we might resolve the difficulties and they don’t look insurmountable. It looks like there are ways that we can address the kinds of problems that could arise.”

The next question is whether being vaccinated makes you less liable to spread Covid 19 than having had it and successfully recovered from it, and whether we should (and how we could) implement electronic vaccine passports for those who have been jabbed.

Brown argues those who have recovered from the virus should be treated the same as those who have had the vaccine – something even some “immunity passport” skeptics see the value in, as we don’t want to waste vaccine dosages until there’s enough for everyone on the planet.

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The post 'Shutting Doors To Almost Everyone': Experts Debate Risks & Benefits Of Immunity Passports appeared first on DMARGE Australia.