A new report from the Grattan Institute says Australia can end lockdowns and start to reopen its border once 80 percent of the population is vaccinated – and we may be able to get there by the end of the year.
80 percent the magic number?
Lockdowns and learning
With many people in NSW and elsewhere in Australia looking at the prospects of further COVID lockdowns, parents are facing the challenge of supporting their children’s learning at home while also trying to work.
Needle free diabetes tests on the way
In a world-first, more than 460 million people living with diabetes are set to benefit from new saliva testing technology developed in Australia.
The R number, and why it matters
An infectious diseases expert from Monash University explains what makes the delta variant of COVID-19 so challenging. It all comes down to R numbers.
Health insurers hoarding cash?
Health insurance statistics released by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) indicate private hospitals are continuing to recover from pandemic restrictions, while insurers are hoarding cash which hasn’t been needed for claims, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Flu vaccines still important say RACGP
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners is reminding Australians that it’s still important to get their influenza vaccine this year.
Rural Australia disadvantaged with COVID vaccine?
With the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Australia today, the National Rural Health Alliance is urging Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt to ensure that vulnerable people in rural, regional and remote Australia are prioritised for vaccination.
Check your blood pressure for 2021
Stroke Foundation is urging Australians to make a healthy start to the year by getting a blood pressure check.
Mothers thrive working from home?
Working from home brings its own special challenges, but a recent study of public servants has shown women in particular see themselves as winners from more flexibility about work locations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Have we forgotten to protect our eyes?
The Australian Society of Opthalmologists argues that 2020 has been the year when we’ve lost sight of the importance of everybody’s eyes, and they want to do something about it.
Preventing COVID-19
Dr John Langford-Smith thinks it’s unfortunate that simple measures for preventing and limiting COVID-19 are not better publicised, as the downside is insignificant compared with potential benefit.
Doctors call for more RNs in aged care
The Rural Doctors Association of Australia has urged the federal government to require all aged care facilities to have a registered nurse on every shift.
First aid in a pandemic
The Australian Red Cross has revealed 82% of Australians are worried they could catch COVID-19 from a first aid emergency that involves performing CPR.
People with autoimmune diseases – don’t stop the meds
People with autoimmune diseases often take medicines that suppress their immune system, but there are reports some people have stopped taking their medication due to COVID fears.
#GettingThroughThisTogether
The National Mental Health Commission has announced #GettingThroughThisTogether, a national conversation to support the mental health and wellbeing of Australians as COVID-19 rolls on.
Australian oral health going backwards?
Dental Health Week kicks off today with some alarming statistics about what’s happening with the teeth of Australians.
Brain complications with COVID-19
Latest research out of the UK suggests that COVID-19 can have some alarming effects on the human brain, in addition to its better known symptoms.
Keeping the world open for elders living with dementia
Elders around the world have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. For those living with dementia, the new restrictions have made things even more difficult. Dementia Australia has launched a new campaign urging Australians to keep the world open for people living with dementia, not just during the pandemic, but every day.
Open letter – put your health first
23 health organisations have collectively put pen to paper and written an open letter to the people of Australia, urging preventative action to prevent a second wave of health problems after successfully flattening the COVID-19 curve.
Is this Covid disruption an opportunity to reimagine your habits?
Muhamad Ali was well known for his boxing achievements but less recognized for the fact he was an outstanding mindset changemaker. He once said “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”
Flu season and COVID-19
The Government has a 3-step plan in place to ease restrictions over the coming months but have they taken into account the unknown affect COVID-19 will have during our flu season?
Connecting inwards and outwards
‘Let’s focus on what’s going to support the love, the caring. What’s going to support kindness and compassion. Whatever we give our attention to is likely to grow, so much better we put our attention to those things than fear.’
There stands the glass
New polling suggests Australians are getting worried about what’s happening with their household drinking as the COVID-19 pandemic rolls on.
Manuka honey and its future
Honey has been used as a remedy for many ailments across history and has now found its way into people’s pantries across the world, for very different reasons.
What we can learn from other countries during COVID-19
A looming pandemic has been on the edge of global consciousness since Bill Gates delivered his chilling TED Talk back in 2015, showing how the world is not prepared for the next pandemic.
Overcoming loneliness
Most people try and run away from loneliness. You’ve opened the fridge for the 197th time today and almost exhausted all the good shows on Netflix.
Mythbusting COVID-19
Don’t panic! Now that we’re all spending an unhealthy amount of time on the internet, it’s easy to get swept up in strange human crowd behaviours even while we’re self-isolating. What to believe? Who to trust? Is that thing everyone’s sending around actually true?
What’s closed and what’s open?
You need more than 24 hours a day to keep up with all the COVID-19 updates at the moment. Here’s another one. Hopefully it won’t be superceded by the time you get to the bottom!
Consultations from afar
At this fascinating and unfamiliar time in our lives, access to health professionals and their services could not be more important. But with the new social-distancing guidelines, many people in self-isolation and many who have lost the financial means to utilise these services, the traditional in-person consultation is not as effective during this time.
Self-healing during COVID-19
COVID-19 policies from governments and businesses are evolving quicker than I can type. NAB announced today (20/3/20) eligible customers will be able to freeze home loan repayments. China has reported no new local cases of the virus and has successfully managed to ‘flatten the curve’ in the viruses epicentre of Wuhan.
COVID-19 update
Northern Rivers communities are doing their best to adapt to daily changes and warnings from state and federal governments as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.