Protests are breaking out across parts of China in response to the Chinese government zero COVID restrictions. The number of COVID cases has soared in China in recent weeks, rising at a similar rate to what happened in March this year. The outbreak was quickly brought under control, by the use of the Government's severe measures such as forced external quarantine and city wide lockdowns. But with widespread discontent and protests, it may prove harder to keep this outbreak under control. So is t...
Nov 29, 2022
There's hope that the current Omicron sub variant wave will be in decline again just in time for Christmas - but like everything COVID, it's hard to know for sure. Both case loads and hospitalisations due to COVID have continued to increase in the last week. The latest advice from state health authorities say that overseas experience suggests the current wave might pass relatively quickly, though they warn local conditions may mean it's different here. So what do we know about the latest wave? A...
Nov 22, 2022•11 min
There's hope that the current Omicron sub variant wave will be in decline again just in time for Christmas - but like everything COVID, it's hard to know for sure. Both case loads and hospitalisations due to COVID have continued to increase in the last week. The latest advice from state health authorities say that overseas experience suggests the current wave might pass relatively quickly, though they warn local conditions may mean it's different here. So what do we know about the latest wave? A...
Nov 22, 2022•11 min
Another week, another big jump in COVID case numbers and rising admissions to hospitals. The next wave is well and truly underway, with the BA4 and BA5 sub variants rapidly being replaced by versions that are even more immune evasive. However, when Omicron turned up last year there were a variety of public health measures in place to try and slow infection rates. This time though, we've only got vaccination and an optional sense of public duty. So can we slow down the next wave, or is it coming ...
Nov 15, 2022•13 min
Another week, another big jump in COVID case numbers and rising admissions to hospitals. The next wave is well and truly underway, with the BA4 and BA5 sub variants rapidly being replaced by versions that are even more immune evasive. However, when Omicron turned up last year there were a variety of public health measures in place to try and slow infection rates. This time though, we've only got vaccination and an optional sense of public duty. So can we slow down the next wave, or is it coming ...
Nov 15, 2022•13 min
Rapid-antigen tests promised so much: a quick, cheap and easy way to tell if you were COVID positive so you could make a decision to help protect yourself, family and community. But in reality, it's far more complicated. The tests were initially hard to come by, expensive for some and the rollout was patchy. And now, add to that the fact that the coronavirus has continued to evolve - making it hard to tell if RATs can even detect COVID. So on this week's Coronacast, should we give a rat about RA...
Nov 08, 2022•14 min
Rapid-antigen tests promised so much: a quick, cheap and easy way to tell if you were COVID positive so you could make a decision to help protect yourself, family and community. But in reality, it's far more complicated. The tests were initially hard to come by, expensive for some and the rollout was patchy. And now, add to that the fact that the coronavirus has continued to evolve - making it hard to tell if RATs can even detect COVID. So on this week's Coronacast, should we give a rat about RA...
Nov 08, 2022•14 min
New sub-variants of Coronavirus are increasingly appearing in Government statistics and clinical breakdowns of the virus' spread. The BQ1 and XBB sub-variants of Omicron have surged overseas, and are also starting to pick up in Australia. It's likely that they'll take over the BA5 subvariant that's been dominant for the past several months. So what could these new variants bring and given they're likely to evade our immune systems, what could it mean for spread and severe disease?...
Nov 01, 2022•12 min
For those keeping count, 2022 hasn't been a great year for animal virus outbreaks into human populations. A new study has suggested that the Omicron variant may have had a reservoir in mice. Also, there are warnings that the East Coast floods may see a rise in people infected with the Japanese encephalitis virus, and parts of Uganda are locked down to prevent an Ebola outbreak from spreading into cities and across borders. So what's going on and how can we make sense of it all?...
Oct 25, 2022•12 min
For those keeping count, 2022 hasn't been a great year for animal virus outbreaks into human populations. A new study has suggested that the Omicron variant may have had a reservoir in mice. Also, there are warnings that the East Coast floods may see a rise in people infected with the Japanese encephalitis virus, and parts of Uganda are locked down to prevent an Ebola outbreak from spreading into cities and across borders. So what's going on and how can we make sense of it all?...
Oct 25, 2022•12 min
After all big events, it's important to look back and think about what worked and what didn't. And one of the biggest events lately is COVID, and especially how Australia handled it. A group of researchers and experts have done just that, analyzing everything from the vaccine rollout to virus control measures to looking at what could be improved for the next pandemic. So what did we do well, and what could we have done better?
Oct 18, 2022•12 min
After all big events, it's important to look back and think about what worked and what didn't. And one of the biggest events lately is COVID, and especially how Australia handled it. A group of researchers and experts have done just that, analyzing everything from the vaccine rollout to virus control measures to looking at what could be improved for the next pandemic. So what did we do well, and what could we have done better?
Oct 18, 2022•12 min
The first COVID booster that targets the Omicron variant has finally been introduced to Australia's vaccine rollout. The vaccine from Moderna targets the BA.1 Omicron subvariant, but that's no longer the dominant strain. Omicron has continued to evolve since the vaccine was updated, and the dominant strain is now BA5. So how well will the new vaccine work with BA5? And if you've already had 4 doses, why can't you get this one as your 5th?
Oct 11, 2022•13 min
The first COVID booster that targets the Omicron variant has finally been introduced to Australia's vaccine rollout. The vaccine from Moderna targets the BA.1 Omicron subvariant, but that's no longer the dominant strain. Omicron has continued to evolve since the vaccine was updated, and the dominant strain is now BA5. So how well will the new vaccine work with BA5? And if you've already had 4 doses, why can't you get this one as your 5th?
Oct 11, 2022•13 min
The decision by National Cabinet to remove mandatory isolation for people testing positive to COVID-19 is seen by many as an "official" end to the pandemic. The period had already been reduced from two weeks to one week to 5 days, but soon it'll be gone entirely. It's one of the final public health controls that remained to try and slow the spread of the virus, and some experts say it'll lead to problems down the road. So for how long should we treat COVID differently?...
Oct 04, 2022•12 min
Russia has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, and here's another concern to add to the list. Scientists are on the alert about the risk of another virus spilling over from animals to humans. This time it's Russian horseshoe bats and a coronavirus from the SARS family. It's known as Khosta 2 and while there has been no known human transmission so far, unlike Khosta 1 scientists say there is the possibility that it could occur. And it's not affected by vaccines for COVID-19. That's on thi...
Sep 27, 2022
One of the mainstays over the past few years has been daily reporting of COVID cases, hospitalisations, ICUs and deaths.
Sep 20, 2022
One of the mainstays over the past few years has been daily reporting of COVID cases, hospitalisations, ICUs and deaths.
Sep 20, 2022
When COVID hit, there were a whole lot of predictions about how many people would die. Not just of the virus itself, but the knock on effects from reduced care and other diseases. One of the latest attempts at working out the number of excess deaths is recently published and has taken a wide view of the population looking for trends. And while the group found that excess deaths from undiagnosed COVID is likely low in Australia, increased deaths from COVID-caused complications is beginning to sho...
Sep 13, 2022•11 min
It may not be long before Omicron specific vaccines are available in Australia, like they are elsewhere in the world. Last week the Therapeutic Goods Administration provisionally approved an Omicron variant specific vaccine, but we’re still waiting on ATAGI to recommend its use. So with it likely to be available soon, is it worth waiting for if you’re due for your booster or should you just get what’s available now? Also on today’s show: * Snot and the inner parts of your nose - could this be th...
Sep 06, 2022•12 min
Back at the start of the pandemic, if you tested positive for COVID - or even if you were a contact - you were looking at two weeks of isolation. These days, that's been downgraded to a week, and contacts are generally free to go about their normal life. But while COVID is still undeniably a health risk, having masses of people undergoing mandatory isolation takes its own toll. So should compulsory isolation be shortened or even scrapped altogether? Also on today's show: * Are vaccination requir...
Aug 30, 2022•12 min
It seems that COVID cases in the latest wave have indeed peaked, and all things across the usual pandemic metrics are improving. It's the best COVID caseload we've had since Omicron came into our lives late last year. So has BA5 burnt itself out or is this just a small respite? And are we due for another variant? Also on today's show: * How is COVID associated with increased risks of neurological and psychiatric conditions? * Is monkeypox getting away from us?...
Aug 23, 2022•14 min
Pretty much ever since the pandemic began, we've been told to socially distance by at least 1.5 meters if possible to reduce the chances of infection. But as the science is gathered on how much viral load flows from an infected person, how relevant is that recommendation? Was it even correct in the first place? Well a new - yet to be peer reviewed - study has attempted to explain just how much virus is in one's exhaled breath aerosols. And what does this mean for how the virus is spread?...
Aug 16, 2022•13 min
Is it finally time to say a big see ya later to the latest B5 COVID wave? The Omicron family has already brought us several waves - the first at the start of the year when it muscled out Delta and the most recent big one via B5. But there are signs that it is finally slowing down. Cases are dropping and there are small, but positive, signs that deaths are also falling. So while it may be the end of the worst of B5, what could be next?
Aug 09, 2022•10 min
As more and more people become infected with COVID-19, more and more people are also going to be reinfected. But there's another type of reinfection known as a rebound infection, which can happen in the days after you've recovered. The US President Joe Biden tested positive again this week for COVID-19 only a few days after he was cleared following his treatment with antiviral medication Paxlovid. So what could be going on? How common are rebound infections and could it extend to people who don'...
Aug 02, 2022•12 min
As more and more people become infected with COVID-19, more and more people are also going to be reinfected. But there's another type of reinfection known as a rebound infection, which can happen in the days after you've recovered. The US President Joe Biden tested positive again this week for COVID-19 only a few days after he was cleared following his treatment with antiviral medication Paxlovid. So what could be going on? How common are rebound infections and could it extend to people who don'...
Aug 02, 2022•12 min
When the pandemic started we were so worried about surfaces. But it turned out that wasn't so much of a concern. The big thing was the very air we breathe. But as Governments largely scale back on mandates and restrictions, experts are urging more be done on things that can prevent spread of the virus And the big target is better ventilation. On today's special Coronacast, Tegan Taylor takes a look around to see how bad the air is in everyday life....
Jul 31, 2022•13 min
When the pandemic started we were so worried about surfaces. But it turned out that wasn't so much of a concern. The big thing was the very air we breathe. But as Governments largely scale back on mandates and restrictions, experts are urging more be done on things that can prevent spread of the virus And the big target is better ventilation. On today's special Coronacast, Tegan Taylor takes a look around to see how bad the air is in everyday life....
Jul 31, 2022•13 min
BA5 sure is making itself well known, and is responsible for soaring infection and reinfection rates right across the country. So how does it compare in infectiousness to other diseases? Well working that out is a difficult question. It's partly down to changing variables like vaccination and controls, but also changes to the virus itself. So on this week's Coronacast, why it doesn't really matter if BA5 is as infectious as measles - it's still doing a lot of damage. Also on today's show: * Enou...
Jul 26, 2022•14 min
BA5 sure is making itself well known, and is responsible for soaring infection and reinfection rates right across the country. So how does it compare in infectiousness to other diseases? Well working that out is a difficult question. It's partly down to changing variables like vaccination and controls, but also changes to the virus itself. So on this week's Coronacast, why it doesn't really matter if BA5 is as infectious as measles - it's still doing a lot of damage. Also on today's show: * Enou...
Jul 26, 2022•14 min
