Resources for Journalists

COVID-19 is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus strain, that has not been previously identified in humans. See below for a collection of resources to help you cover this issue (Please note: additional resources are available to journalists who are logged in).

The AusSMC also issues a daily COVID-19 update for registered journalists (click here to view an example). If you would like to receive this email, please go to your profile on MyScimex and select yes beside "Receive COVID-19 Updates?". The email update and this resources page are supported by the Google News Initiative.

Latest COVID-19 news, research, expert reactions and briefings

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  1. Pfizer vaccine may pack less punch for people with arthritis

    Publicly released: Wed 26 May 2021 at 0830 AEST, 1030 NZST

    Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases

    The authors assessed the immune response to the mRNA Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in 82 patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (mainly psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid Read more about Pfizer vaccine may pack less punch for people with arthritis

    InternationalNew York University (US), FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg and Universitatsklinikum Erlangen (Germany)

  2. 'Supertasters' could be naturally better at fighting off COVID-19

    Publicly released: Wed 26 May 2021 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

    JAMA Network Open

    Of the 266 people who tested positive for COVID-19 during the study, 15 were 'supertasters'. ... tastes) and outcomes after infection with SARS-CoV-2. Read more about 'Supertasters' could be naturally better at fighting off COVID-19

    InternationalBaton Rouge General Medical Center, USA

  3. Home palliative care doubles as need increases overall in Australia

    Publicly released: Wed 26 May 2021 at 0001 AEST, 0201 NZST

    In 2018-19, 83,430 hospitalisations were related to palliative care with hospitalisations increasing over the five years of the report. ... Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost 83,500 palliative Read more about Home palliative care doubles as need increases overall in Australia

    Australia; NSW; VIC; QLD; SA; WA; TAS; NT; ACTAustralian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW)

  4. China makes remarkable gains in maternal and child survival rates

    Publicly released: Wed 26 May 2021 at 0001 AEST, 0201 NZST

    The Lancet

    advances in medical services and technology The report found that China now needed to turn its focus to emerging or neglected health problems including infertility, stillbirth, mental health and the Read more about China makes remarkable gains in maternal and child survival rates

    Australia; VICMurdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI)

  5. EXPERT REACTION: The Indian B1617 COVID-19 variant is in the Melbourne community

    Publicly released: Tue 25 May 2021 at 1530 AEST, 1730 NZST

    Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton has confirmed Victoria's new locally acquired case as the B1617 variant, which is currently wreaking havoc across India. ... As of Tuesday afternoon, nine Read more about EXPERT REACTION: The Indian B1617 COVID-19 variant is in the Melbourne community

    Australia; NSW; VIC; QLD; WAAustralian Science Media Centre

  6. Getting vaccinated won't make 'long COVID' worse

    Publicly released: Tue 25 May 2021 at 1059 AEST, 1259 NZST

    Annals of Internal Medicine

    Long COVID is a persistence of symptoms including fatigue, breathlessness and insomnia after a person has recovered from COVID-19. ... According to the researchers, these observations are important Read more about Getting vaccinated won't make 'long COVID' worse

    InternationalSouthmead Hospital, UK

  7. Vaccines becoming more acceptable in the US - especially in Black and Hispanic populations

    Publicly released: Tue 25 May 2021 at 0958 AEST, 1158 NZST

    JAMA

    The decrease, in late 2020 and early 2021, occurred in tandem with regulatory approval of COVID-19 vaccines and the mass vaccination rollout. ... The authors say more needs to be done to build public Read more about Vaccines becoming more acceptable in the US - especially in Black and Hispanic populations

    InternationalMaynooth University (Ireland), University of Liverpool (UK)

  8. EXPERT REACTION: NZ & Aus are exporting more sugary drinks to the Pacific - and paying rising healthcare costs

    Publicly released: Tue 25 May 2021 at 0913 AEST, 1113 NZST

    BMC Nutrition

    3 kg per person each year from 2000 to 2015. New Zealand and the USA gained the most financially from these exports. ... The authors say the results highlight the irony that Kiwi and Aussie taxpayers are Read more about EXPERT REACTION: NZ & Aus are exporting more sugary drinks to the Pacific - and paying rising healthcare costs

    Australia; New Zealand; Pacific; InternationalAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Deakin University, Monash University (Australia)

  9. Healthcare workers may have been 3 times more likely to get COVID-19 during 2020

    Publicly released: Tue 25 May 2021 at 0901 AEST, 1101 NZST

    ERJ Open Research

    An international study of 2,063 Scottish health and social care workers found that they were three times more likely to get COVID-19, but one in five of the workers ... community. Among the 300 healthcare Read more about Healthcare workers may have been 3 times more likely to get COVID-19 during 2020

    InternationalUniversity of Dundee, Scotland

  10. Feeling lonely? Turn up the volume!

    Publicly released: Tue 25 May 2021 at 0830 AEST, 1030 NZST

    Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

    Sound could be used to combat feelings of loneliness, including during COVID-19-related lockdowns and quarantine, according to new research from James Cook University. ... This research is particularly Read more about Feeling lonely? Turn up the volume!

    Australia; QLD; WAJames Cook University | Curtin University | Grenoble Ecole de Management, University of California (Merced), University of Jyväskylä

  11. NZ communicated well on COVID-19 testing, finds experiment

    Publicly released: Tue 25 May 2021 at 0749 AEST, 0949 NZST

    BMJ Open

    New Zealand Ministry of Health messaging around how to interpret COVID-19 test results was far more effective than the UK and US, according to a first-of-its-kind online ... The authors suggest other Read more about NZ communicated well on COVID-19 testing, finds experiment

    New Zealand; InternationalUniversity of Cambridge, UK

  12. New drugs to fight COVID-19 developed

    Publicly released: Tue 25 May 2021 at 0001 AEST, 0201 NZST

    Nature Cell Discovery

    The two early intervention drugs target how human cells respond to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, instead of the virus itself. ... The discovery of the peptide-based drugs was made possible after the researchers Read more about New drugs to fight COVID-19 developed

    Australia; QLDQIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

  13. Metabolic hormone ‘leptin’ linked to vaccine response

    Publicly released: Mon 24 May 2021 at 1900 AEST, 2100 NZST

    Nature Communications

    The researchers are keen to test responses to the COVID-19 vaccines to determine biomarkers that could identify those people at risk of not generating a strong vaccine response. ... During the era of the Read more about Metabolic hormone ‘leptin’ linked to vaccine response

    Australia; QLDThe University of Queensland

  14. Triage rules needed for health workers

    Publicly released: Mon 24 May 2021 at 1100 AEST, 1300 NZST

    MJA

    A warning has been issued that Australian health workers face legal risks if they make triage decisions during a disaster – and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the problem sharply into Read more about Triage rules needed for health workers

    Australia; QLDJames Cook University

  15. Branding the jab: the secret weapon to increase vaccination rates

    Publicly released: Fri 21 May 2021 at 1600 AEST, 1800 NZST

    As the global race for COVID-19 vaccination continues, new research from the University of South Australia shows that the uptake of vaccines could be vastly improved if approved vaccine brands Read more about Branding the jab: the secret weapon to increase vaccination rates

    Australia; SAUniversity of South Australia

  16. Antibody testing suggests some ‘probable’ NZ Covid cases weren’t infected

    Publicly released: Fri 21 May 2021 at 1141 AEST, 1341 NZST

    Pathology

    New antibody testing reveals the early 2020 outbreak of COVID-19 in Southland was largely confined to people who had already tested positive, and higher-risk travellers or close contacts of Read more about Antibody testing suggests some ‘probable’ NZ Covid cases weren’t infected

    New ZealandSouthern Community Laboratories, University of Auckland, University of Otago

  17. Community-minded areas more likely to see high mask usage

    Publicly released: Fri 21 May 2021 at 1030 AEST, 1230 NZST

    PNAS

    Community minded people and regions have been more likely to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a US and Chinese study. ... likely than those in individualistic cultures to wear masks Read more about Community-minded areas more likely to see high mask usage

    InternationalMassachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

  18. Outbreaks of bird flu in 46 countries

    Publicly released: Fri 21 May 2021 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

    Science

    Emerging H5N8 Avian Influenza Viruses Are a Serious Public Health Concern The emergence and global spread of the highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza virus (AIV), a pathogen that has caused Read more about Outbreaks of bird flu in 46 countries

    InternationalShandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences (China), Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China), Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)

  19. Covid jab may be too hard to get for a large group of New Zealanders

    Publicly released: Fri 21 May 2021 at 0001 AEST, 0201 NZST

    New Zealand Medical Journal

    areas. Key Points The equitable delivery of COVID-19 vaccines is key to an elimination strategy. ... We mapped the distribution of priority populations, who are at the highest risk of infection and Read more about Covid jab may be too hard to get for a large group of New Zealanders

    New ZealandUniversity of Waikato | Waikato District Health Board

  20. New Zealand’s bowel cancer screening is inequitable, say researchers

    Publicly released: Fri 21 May 2021 at 0001 AEST, 0201 NZST

    New Zealand Medical Journal

    In a Viewpoint, researchers reviewed the epidemiology of bowel cancer, and concluded that more cancers are being missed at present, as the current cut-off fails to account for Māori being Read more about New Zealand’s bowel cancer screening is inequitable, say researchers

    New ZealandUniversity of Otago | University of Auckland | Waikato District Health Board

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