Resources for Journalists

Fixing up Earth crucial to exit COVID-19

Publicly released: Thu 8 Sep 2022 at 0730 AEST, 0930 NZST

The Lancet - Planetary Health

COVID-19, even though the pandemic has exposed socioeconomic disparities and weaknesses in health systems worldwide. ... Exposure to healthy ecosystems can facilitate the transfer of immunoregulatory Read more about Fixing up Earth crucial to exit COVID-19

Climate data could help model the spread of COVID-19

Publicly released: Thu 8 Sep 2022 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

PLOS ONE

For instance, humidity was positively correlated with COVID-19 spread in the machine learning analysis and negatively correlated in the econometric analysis. ... They point out that this is supported by Read more about Climate data could help model the spread of COVID-19

Morality's role in COVID-19 conspiracies and prevention behaviours

Publicly released: Thu 8 Sep 2022 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

PLOS ONE

To help clarify the role of morality in COVID-19 conspiracy theories and prevention, Gkinopoulos and colleagues conducted a study of 49,965 adults across 67 countries. ... Statistical analysis of the Read more about Morality's role in COVID-19 conspiracies and prevention behaviours

Psychological distress may make you more susceptible to long COVID

Publicly released: Thu 8 Sep 2022 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

JAMA Psychiatry

2020, researchers found pre-infection psychological distress, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, worry about COVID-19, loneliness, and perceived stress, was strongly associated with the risk Read more about Psychological distress may make you more susceptible to long COVID

Winter may be over but COVID-19 is not - Aussies urged to get booster for spring and footy finals

Publicly released: Tue 6 Sep 2022 at 1645 AEST, 1845 NZST

The Australian Government data shows that only 71. 6% of eligible Australians aged 16 and over have had three or more doses of COVID-19 vaccines. ... Most of us are not perfect and forget important things Read more about Winter may be over but COVID-19 is not - Aussies urged to get booster for spring and footy finals

Hey Siri - do I have COVID? An app could detect COVID-19 from changes in your voice

Publicly released: Mon 5 Sep 2022 at 0801 AEST, 1001 NZST

European Respiratory Society International Congress

COVID-19 infection usually affects the upper respiratory track and vocal cords, leading to changes in a person’s voice Mobile phone app accurately detects COVID-19 infection in people’s Read more about Hey Siri - do I have COVID? An app could detect COVID-19 from changes in your voice

Serendipitous backyard experiment shines light on producing polymers

Publicly released: Fri 2 Sep 2022 at 1200 AEST, 1400 NZST

Nature Communications

The research, reported in the journal Nature Communications, is a result of a series of factors, including the COVID lockdown which impacted laboratory access, a decision to investigate a waste Read more about Serendipitous backyard experiment shines light on producing polymers

How the gut may help to drive COVID-19

Publicly released: Thu 1 Sep 2022 at 1217 AEST, 1417 NZST

Gut

Many genes linked to COVID-19 were found expressed in the different cell types lining the gut wall but only serotonin cells expressed all three receptors for the virus,” says Professor ... As COVID-19 Read more about How the gut may help to drive COVID-19

More kids left orphaned by COVID-19 in poorer countries

Publicly released: Thu 1 Sep 2022 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

PLOS Global Public Health

The authors say that due to pre-existing health and vaccine coverage inequity, more children will suffer the loss of their parents due to COVID-19 in poorer countries. ... We think of COVID-19 as a Read more about More kids left orphaned by COVID-19 in poorer countries

Boosters better for longer in the Omicron era

Publicly released: Thu 1 Sep 2022 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

PLOS Medicine

Three COVID-19 vaccines may provide greater protection from COVID-19 infections than twoTwo vaccine doses provide only limited and short-lived protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection with the Omicron Read more about Boosters better for longer in the Omicron era

COVID-19 restrictions in Fiji helped curb the spread of the virus

Publicly released: Wed 31 Aug 2022 at 0901 AEST, 1101 NZST

Royal Society Open Science

The team used a model on national COVID-19 to track how the rate of virus transmission changed over the course of the pandemic. ... The results show that the COVID-19 transmission had the strongest Read more about COVID-19 restrictions in Fiji helped curb the spread of the virus

COVID-19 is indirectly increasing child mortality in lower income countries

Publicly released: Wed 31 Aug 2022 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

PLOS Medicine

and projected corresponding increases in child and maternal mortalityDeclines in essential health care utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic in low- and lower-middle-income countries devastatingly Read more about COVID-19 is indirectly increasing child mortality in lower income countries

Landmark research investigating benefits of COVID-19 vaccination for kids set to launch at Telethon Kids Institute

Publicly released: Tue 30 Aug 2022 at 1822 AEST, 2022 NZST

results generated in stage 2 of the PICOBOO study are expected to inform national and potentially global COVID-19 immunisation practice and policy in kids in the future. ... We are also hoping this Read more about Landmark research investigating benefits of COVID-19 vaccination for kids set to launch at Telethon Kids Institute

Australia records lowest ever HIV numbers, but late diagnoses are concerning

Publicly released: Tue 30 Aug 2022 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

However, we need to consider these particularly low numbers in 2020 and 2021 within a context of changes to testing and sexual behaviour brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. ... HIV testing levels were Read more about Australia records lowest ever HIV numbers, but late diagnoses are concerning

NEWS BRIEFING: 20 ways Australia can prepare for the next pandemic - CSIRO report

Publicly released: Tue 30 Aug 2022 at 0001 AEST, 0201 NZST

The COVID-19 pandemic knocked $144 billion off Australia's projected bottom line and has already cost over 13,000 Australians their lives, so how can we better prepare for the ... The COVID pandemic Read more about NEWS BRIEFING: 20 ways Australia can prepare for the next pandemic - CSIRO report

2 in 5 teens can't distinguish between real and fake online health messages

Publicly released: Mon 29 Aug 2022 at 1400 AEST, 1600 NZST

Frontiers in Psychology

There has been an explosion of misinformation in the area of health during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said principal investigator Dr Radomír Masaryk, of Comenius University. ... They presented 300 Read more about 2 in 5 teens can't distinguish between real and fake online health messages

Keeping Kermit: new clues to protecting frogs from deadly Bd fungus

Publicly released: Mon 29 Aug 2022 at 0800 AEST, 1000 NZST

Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia

As the globe continues to battle COVID-19, another pandemic – the deadly fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) - is ravaging the world’s frog species, contributing to the instability of Read more about Keeping Kermit: new clues to protecting frogs from deadly Bd fungus

Point-of-care Strep A tests set to save lives in remote settings

Publicly released: Mon 29 Aug 2022 at 0001 AEST, 0201 NZST

Medical Journal of Australia

Over 100 POCT machines were set up in remote health clinics throughout Australia as part of COVID-19 testing, and this network of machines will be a game-changer in enabling ... As part of a collaboration Read more about Point-of-care Strep A tests set to save lives in remote settings

Can kids learn to accurately self-test for COVID-19?

Publicly released: Sat 27 Aug 2022 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

JAMA

The team gave 197 young people aged 4-14 instructional materials, including a video and handouts, to teach them how to self-collect nasal swabs for COVID-19 tests. ... The team found that self-collected Read more about Can kids learn to accurately self-test for COVID-19?

RAT requirements lead to less time in isolation, fewer infectious people in the community

Publicly released: Fri 26 Aug 2022 at 0300 AEST, 0500 NZST

Requiring negative RAT tests before leaving isolation could mean fewer infectious people in the community, and less time in isolation for many people infected with COVID-19. ... In a report released today, Read more about RAT requirements lead to less time in isolation, fewer infectious people in the community