Resources for Journalists

EXPERT REACTION: 4 climate change records broken in 2021 - WMO State of the Climate Report

Publicly released: Wed 18 May 2022 at 1800 AEST, 2000 NZST

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Some glaciers have reached the point of no return and this will have long-term repercussions in a world in which more than 2 billion people already experience water stress. ” ... Food security: The Read more about EXPERT REACTION: 4 climate change records broken in 2021 - WMO State of the Climate Report

Burnet Institute partners with Moderna to accelerate vaccine development for emerging and neglected infectious diseases

Publicly released: Wed 18 May 2022 at 0500 AEST, 0700 NZST

the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” Professor Brendan Crabb AC, Burnet Director and CEO, said. ... the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” Professor Crabb said. Read more about Burnet Institute partners with Moderna to accelerate vaccine development for emerging and neglected infectious diseases

Pfizer and Moderna win out over other vaccines against COVID-19 variants

Publicly released: Wed 18 May 2022 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

PLOS Medicine

By March 2022, COVID-19 had caused over 450 million confirmed infections and six million reported deaths. ... Four weeks after the initial two doses, antibody responses to the original SARS-CoV-2 viral Read more about Pfizer and Moderna win out over other vaccines against COVID-19 variants

The numbers don’t lie: Australia is failing at maths

Publicly released: Tue 17 May 2022 at 0929 AEST, 1129 NZST

Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science

It helps our brain better understand the concepts and commit them to memory. ” ... The shift from face-to-face teaching towards online learning in the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic has Read more about The numbers don’t lie: Australia is failing at maths

Why are people with COPD more susceptible to COVID-19?

Publicly released: Tue 17 May 2022 at 0830 AEST, 1030 NZST

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

In the study, the researchers infected differentiated airway cells from COPD patients and healthy people with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). ... We believe that new drug treatments targeting Read more about Why are people with COPD more susceptible to COVID-19?

Trained sniffer dogs accurately detect airport passengers infected with SARS-CoV-2

Publicly released: Tue 17 May 2022 at 0830 AEST, 1030 NZST

BMJ Global Health

Trained sniffer dogs can accurately detect airport passengers infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, according to international researchers. ... passengers infected with SARS-CoV-2, Read more about Trained sniffer dogs accurately detect airport passengers infected with SARS-CoV-2

Forecasting the next five years of the COVID-19 crisis

Publicly released: Tue 17 May 2022 at 0801 AEST, 1001 NZST

Unprecedented and Unfinished – COVID-19 and Implications for National and Global Policy calls for the UN to establish a new Science Advisory Board to help curtail the impact of the pandemic Read more about Forecasting the next five years of the COVID-19 crisis

Game-changing spray to revolutionise world-wide pest control

Publicly released: Tue 17 May 2022 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

Nature Plants

The insect lays eggs on the underside of the leaves and the nymphs and adults suck the sap from the plant resulting in reduced yields. ... The world of RNA is not just responsible for COVID-19 vaccines, Read more about Game-changing spray to revolutionise world-wide pest control

Pfizer vaccine prevented 8.7 million COVID-19 cases and saved $70 billion in the US in one year

Publicly released: Mon 16 May 2022 at 1408 AEST, 1608 NZST

Journal of Medical Economics

to estimate how many symptomatic COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths would have occurred that year if the vaccine had not been available. ... She adds that the results, “highlight the Read more about Pfizer vaccine prevented 8.7 million COVID-19 cases and saved $70 billion in the US in one year

Sweet discovery could drive down inflammation, cancers and viruses

Publicly released: Fri 13 May 2022 at 0930 AEST, 1130 NZST

Science Advances

and could also help in future to reduce the severity of viruses like COVID-19. ... Using a SARS-CoV-2 protein, the team was able to show how some viruses can inadvertently trigger the death complex and Read more about Sweet discovery could drive down inflammation, cancers and viruses

Kamini - the illegal, addictive opioid available in Brisbane grocery stores

Publicly released: Fri 13 May 2022 at 0300 AEST, 0500 NZST

Drug & Alcohol Review

They sought help after supplies of the herbal drug dried up during the COVID-19 pandemic, or because they could no longer afford to feed their habit. ... The researchers suggest targeted efforts could Read more about Kamini - the illegal, addictive opioid available in Brisbane grocery stores

Half the first people hospitalised with COVID-19 still have symptoms 2 years on

Publicly released: Thu 12 May 2022 at 1530 AEST, 1730 NZST

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine

The study followed 1,192 participants in China infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the first phase of the pandemic in 2020. ... 2] The lack of pre-COVID-19 health status baselines and comparisons with the Read more about Half the first people hospitalised with COVID-19 still have symptoms 2 years on

Going home on steroids could help COVID patients cut risk of dying by up to 51%

Publicly released: Thu 12 May 2022 at 1400 AEST, 1600 NZST

Frontiers in Medicine

Our study is the first to examine the relationship between inflammation during hospitalization for Covid-19 and mortality after the patient has ‘recovered’,” said first author Prof Arch G Read more about Going home on steroids could help COVID patients cut risk of dying by up to 51%

Volunteers receive first dose in clinical trial of Melbourne-made COVID-19 vaccines

Publicly released: Thu 12 May 2022 at 1052 AEST, 1252 NZST

These vaccines focus the immune response on the tip of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, called the receptor binding domain (RBD). ... The RBD enables the virus to enter and infect cells in the body and Read more about Volunteers receive first dose in clinical trial of Melbourne-made COVID-19 vaccines

Lifting COVID zero lockdowns in China could result in 1.55 million deaths

Publicly released: Wed 11 May 2022 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

Nature

China’s dynamic zero-COVID strategy — which aims at cutting off transmission chains and quickly ending outbreaks — has been in place since August 2021 to respond to SARS-CoV-2 variants Read more about Lifting COVID zero lockdowns in China could result in 1.55 million deaths

Fourth dose fares well - for full Pfizer or half a Moderna shot

Publicly released: Tue 10 May 2022 at 0830 AEST, 1030 NZST

Lancet Infectious Diseases

A fourth dose of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines is well-tolerated and boosts the immune response compared to a third dose, finds a first-of-its-kind trial. ... The authors say peak immune responses after the Read more about Fourth dose fares well - for full Pfizer or half a Moderna shot

Being younger may not protect cancer patients from severe COVID-19

Publicly released: Tue 10 May 2022 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

JAMA Network Open

People with cancer are known to have a higher chance of worse COVID-19 illness, but now new research has honed in on how the virus affects certain cancers, treatments and ... ages. In the large review, Read more about Being younger may not protect cancer patients from severe COVID-19

COVID-19 stress on multicultural, older groups

Publicly released: Mon 9 May 2022 at 1500 AEST, 1700 NZST

Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare

The article, ‘Risk Perception and Health Precautions Towards COVID-19 Among Older Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Adults in South Australia: A Cross-Sectional Survey’ (2022) by Mohammad Read more about COVID-19 stress on multicultural, older groups

Immunity after Omicron much stronger in vaccinated people

Publicly released: Mon 9 May 2022 at 1500 AEST, 1700 NZST

Nature

The combination of an Omicron infection and COVID-19 vaccination provides much stronger protection than the virus alone against variants including Delta and multiple Omicron subvariants, according to Read more about Immunity after Omicron much stronger in vaccinated people

COVID-19 led to almost 15 million extra deaths during the first 2 years of the pandemic

Publicly released: Fri 6 May 2022 at 1145 AEST, 1345 NZST

9 million, according to the World Health Organization. This figure includes deaths directly attributed to COVID-19 and more indirect deaths, due to the pandemic’s impact on health systems and Read more about COVID-19 led to almost 15 million extra deaths during the first 2 years of the pandemic