Resources for Journalists

COVID-19: Hong Kong dodged major outbreak without lockdown

Publicly released: Sat 18 Apr 2020 at 0830 AEST, 1030 NZST

The Lancet Public Health

Hong Kong appears to have halted a major outbreak of COVID-19, even though they adopted far less drastic control methods than other countries, say researchers inside the country. ... The team says that, Read more about COVID-19: Hong Kong dodged major outbreak without lockdown

Water Research Australia leads national collaboration on sewage surveillance to support Australia’s COVID-19 response

Publicly released: Fri 17 Apr 2020 at 1500 AEST, 1700 NZST

for SARS-CoV-2 with COVID-19 health data on a national basis. ... The national “ColoSSoS Project” – Collaboration on Sewage Surveillance of SARS-COV-2— will track and monitor the presence of the Read more about Water Research Australia leads national collaboration on sewage surveillance to support Australia’s COVID-19 response

Estimating COVID-19's impact on Māori and Pasifika

Publicly released: Fri 17 Apr 2020 at 1300 AEST, 1500 NZST

Te Pūnaha Matatini

New research from Te Pūnaha Matatini estimates Māori and Pasifika populations could be impacted by COVID-19 at a rate more than twice that of Pākehā. ... Calculating the infection fatality rate - the Read more about Estimating COVID-19's impact on Māori and Pasifika

EXPERT REACTION: Did COVID-19 come from a lab in Wuhan?

Publicly released: Fri 17 Apr 2020 at 1130 AEST, 1330 NZST

Speculation that the virus that causes COVID-19 originated in a Wuhan lab has been given some weight, as the Trump Administration has announced an investigation into the matter. Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Did COVID-19 come from a lab in Wuhan?

PAC-MAN chomps down on coronavirus cells

Publicly released: Fri 17 Apr 2020 at 0931 AEST, 1131 NZST

Cell

Researchers have developed a gene editing approach which can attack 90 per cent of coronaviruses, including Sars-CoV-2 which causes the COVID-19 illness. ... Called PAC-MAN (Prophylactic Antiviral Crispr Read more about PAC-MAN chomps down on coronavirus cells

Trials for COVID-19 treatments in latest NZ research funding announcement

Publicly released: Fri 17 Apr 2020 at 0900 AEST, 1100 NZST

8 million to COVID-19 research in the fields of health and social science. ... Other studies will look at inequalities and stigmatisation in the COVID-19 response, and how the economy of the Pacific Read more about Trials for COVID-19 treatments in latest NZ research funding announcement

Paying cash? Coins may be better than notes at stopping the spread of bugs

Publicly released: Fri 17 Apr 2020 at 0801 AEST, 1001 NZST

European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID)*

In contrast, the number of bacterial cells on euro bank notes were not reduced compared to the control. ... In terms of COVID-19, while this experiment used bacteria, the researchers say that if cash Read more about Paying cash? Coins may be better than notes at stopping the spread of bugs

COVID-19: Just saying 'stay healthy' to someone shoots droplets of spit at them

Publicly released: Thu 16 Apr 2020 at 1430 AEST, 1630 NZST

New England Journal of Medicine

The study recorded video of people saying "stay healthy" and showed speaking the phrase could generate numerous droplets of spit ranging from 20 to 500 μm in size. ... While the study did not assess the Read more about COVID-19: Just saying 'stay healthy' to someone shoots droplets of spit at them

Having a cold or flu doesn't mean you won't get COVID-19

Publicly released: Thu 16 Apr 2020 at 1400 AEST, 1600 NZST

JAMA

A study of over 1,000 patient samples tested for COVID19 has found that around one in five people who tested positive for the coronavirus also had another respiriatory infection, such ... These results Read more about Having a cold or flu doesn't mean you won't get COVID-19

Covering up is key when it comes to PPE for COVID-19

Publicly released: Thu 16 Apr 2020 at 1400 AEST, 1600 NZST

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

However, there is a balance between covering more and being able to easily put on and take off the PPE. ... The review also suggests that more breathable types of PPE may lead to similar levels of Read more about Covering up is key when it comes to PPE for COVID-19

Where people burnout most during COVID-19

Publicly released: Thu 16 Apr 2020 at 1300 AEST, 1500 NZST

Psychiatry Research

Research is identifying the regions where working adults are more likely to burnout during the COVID-19 crisis. ... The results have revealed that those who were the closest to the epicentre of the Read more about Where people burnout most during COVID-19

Daddy day-care: new-look flexible work options, thanks to pandemic

Publicly released: Thu 16 Apr 2020 at 1000 AEST, 1200 NZST

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting flexible work on the table for thousands of fathers as they prove that working from home can be just as viable as working in a Read more about Daddy day-care: new-look flexible work options, thanks to pandemic

Indoor precautions essential to stem airborne COVID-19

Publicly released: Thu 16 Apr 2020 at 0930 AEST, 1130 NZST

Environment International

Researchers are urging health authorities to immediately recognise the role of airborne transmission of COVID-19 virus droplets from an infected person beyond 1. ... 5m in order to stem the disease’s Read more about Indoor precautions essential to stem airborne COVID-19

Aging populations at higher risk of COVID-19 deaths

Publicly released: Thu 16 Apr 2020 at 0900 AEST, 1100 NZST

PNAS

UK demographers say the age of a country's population, and how often generations interact, should be a key factor in their COVID-19 mitigation policies. ... In a new study, the authors highlight two Read more about Aging populations at higher risk of COVID-19 deaths

New mask material removes virus-size nanoparticles

Publicly released: Thu 16 Apr 2020 at 0900 AEST, 1100 NZST

Scientists around the world are scrambling to adapt their research to find solutions to the many problems raised by the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world, not the least being a ... QUT process engineer Read more about New mask material removes virus-size nanoparticles

NEWS BRIEFING: Australian researchers trace sewage for early warning of COVID19 spread

Publicly released: Thu 16 Apr 2020 at 0600 AEST, 0800 NZST

Australian researchers have achieved the first step in developing an early warning surveillance system to track COVID-19 prevalence in the community through tracing the presence of the novel Read more about NEWS BRIEFING: Australian researchers trace sewage for early warning of COVID19 spread

People can spread COVID-19 days before showing symptoms

Publicly released: Wed 15 Apr 2020 at 1900 AEST, 2100 NZST

Nature Medicine

A Chinese modelling study suggests COVID-19 patients may begin to shed the virus two to three days before the first symptoms appear. ... Researchers looked at 77 ‘transmission pairs’ - where one Read more about People can spread COVID-19 days before showing symptoms

COVID-19 in immunocompromised people

Publicly released: Wed 15 Apr 2020 at 1600 AEST, 1800 NZST

An Australian study will observe and evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on people with compromised immune systems, in order to uncover potentially life-saving information about how alterations in the Read more about COVID-19 in immunocompromised people

EXPERT REACTION: Chinese wet markets, COVID-19 and the wildlife trade

Publicly released: Wed 15 Apr 2020 at 1000 AEST, 1200 NZST

As China re-opens its controversial wet markets, experts comment on wet markets as a source of zoonotic diseases (diseases that jump from animals to humans) such as COVID-19, a ... source of food and Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Chinese wet markets, COVID-19 and the wildlife trade

US COVID-19 deaths poorly predicted by official US health forecaster model

Publicly released: Tue 14 Apr 2020 at 1630 AEST, 1830 NZST

ArXiv

Over 70 per cent of US states had death rates that were inconsistent with predictions made using a model provided by the US Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), which ... provides forecasts Read more about US COVID-19 deaths poorly predicted by official US health forecaster model