Resources for Journalists

1-in-17 kids who get COVID-19 have lingering symptoms 90 days later

Publicly released: Sat 23 Jul 2022 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

JAMA Network Open

The team looked at health records for 3,387 kids, 1,886 of who had had COVID-19, and found 5. ... Post–COVID-19 Conditions Among Children 90 Days After SARS-CoV-2 InfectionAbout The Study: In this Read more about 1-in-17 kids who get COVID-19 have lingering symptoms 90 days later

More than 2 in 5 Aussies have experienced a mental health disorder

Publicly released: Fri 22 Jul 2022 at 1530 AEST, 1730 NZST

2 per cent) of young males aged 16-24 years had a mental disorder in 2020-21, with anxiety disorders being the most common type of disorder among young females and ... I should also say that this is not a Read more about More than 2 in 5 Aussies have experienced a mental health disorder

Fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines boost antibodies in the over 60s

Publicly released: Fri 22 Jul 2022 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

JAMA Network Open

Antibody Titers After Third, Fourth Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Dose in Older AdultsJAMA Network Open Research LetterAntibody Titers After a Third and Fourth SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 Vaccine Dose in Older Read more about Fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines boost antibodies in the over 60s

Lowest birth rate in more than a decade but most newborn babies are healthy

Publicly released: Fri 22 Jul 2022 at 0001 AEST, 0201 NZST

The report captures data from the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and shows that the number of babies born declined by around 7,100 (2. ... The AIHW report, Australia’s mothers and Read more about Lowest birth rate in more than a decade but most newborn babies are healthy

How Australia's economy braced for COVID-19

Publicly released: Thu 21 Jul 2022 at 1721 AEST, 1921 NZST

Pacific-Basin Finance Journal

Monetary policy interventions resulted in lower bank and fintech stock prices in the first stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. ... The article – COVID-19 and policy responses: Early evidence in banks and Read more about How Australia's economy braced for COVID-19

COVID shield: Spray coating to shield surfaces from viruses, bacteria

Publicly released: Thu 21 Jul 2022 at 1400 AEST, 1600 NZST

Advanced Science

A sprayable coating that can prevent the surface spread of infection from bacteria and viruses - including COVID-19 - over a sustained period has been developed by a team of Australian researchers. Read more about COVID shield: Spray coating to shield surfaces from viruses, bacteria

Real world data shows Pfizer vaccine gives kids some protection against Omicron

Publicly released: Thu 21 Jul 2022 at 1330 AEST, 1530 NZST

New England Journal of Medicine

The Pfizer vaccine reduces the risk of a COVID-19 infection and hospitalisation in kids aged 5 to 11 years of age when Omicron is the dominant variant, according to new ... The data, from more than a Read more about Real world data shows Pfizer vaccine gives kids some protection against Omicron

Hospital healthcare could be in 'hot water'

Publicly released: Thu 21 Jul 2022 at 1324 AEST, 1524 NZST

Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases

Healthcare at home has emerged as an alternative to extensive inpatient hospital stays – especially through the COVID-19 pandemic, to reduce the burden on the healthcare system and to support those Read more about Hospital healthcare could be in 'hot water'

EXPERT REACTION: Foot-and-mouth disease threat

Publicly released: Thu 21 Jul 2022 at 1237 AEST, 1437 NZST

The threat of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Australia appears to be escalating after foot-and-mouth virus fragments were detected in meat imported into Australia. Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Foot-and-mouth disease threat

Preterm birth more likely if women catch COVID-19 in late pregnancy

Publicly released: Thu 21 Jul 2022 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

PLOS ONE

The team used health records of 2,753 women who were infected during pregnancy and compared them with 2,753 women without COVID-19. ... Higher rates of preterm birth in women infected with COVID-19 in Read more about Preterm birth more likely if women catch COVID-19 in late pregnancy

Don't tell the tinfoil hat brigade, but beliefs in conspiracy theories may not be increasing

Publicly released: Thu 21 Jul 2022 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

PLOS ONE

For the first, they investigated whether beliefs in certain conspiracy theories—including theories related to COVID-19 and the Kennedy assassination—have increased among Americans. ... A greater Read more about Don't tell the tinfoil hat brigade, but beliefs in conspiracy theories may not be increasing

EXPERT REACTION: UK passes 40°C 'milestone' and Europe burns

Publicly released: Wed 20 Jul 2022 at 1330 AEST, 1530 NZST

The UK has crossed the 40°C 'milestone' for the first time in recorded history, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the heatwave was causing a "huge surge" in the number ... The heatwaves are not just Read more about EXPERT REACTION: UK passes 40°C 'milestone' and Europe burns

ED cases spike after Australian bushfires

Publicly released: Wed 20 Jul 2022 at 1300 AEST, 1500 NZST

Epidemiology and Community Health

The percentage of people who attended emergency departments with acute lower respiratory tract infections also increased within one day (19 per cent increase) and three days (17 per cent increase) Read more about ED cases spike after Australian bushfires

The risks of heart diseases and diabetes spike after getting Covid-19

Publicly released: Wed 20 Jul 2022 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

PLOS Medicine

The analysis showed that COVID-19 patients had 81% more diagnoses of diabetes in the first four weeks after contracting the virus and that their risk remained elevated by 27% for ... Clinical and public Read more about The risks of heart diseases and diabetes spike after getting Covid-19

EXPERT REACTION: Moderna COVID-19 jab approved by TGA for kids as young as 6 months

Publicly released: Tue 19 Jul 2022 at 1500 AEST, 1700 NZST

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has provisionally approved the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use in kids aged six months to five years. ... The use of this vaccine in the national COVID-19 Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Moderna COVID-19 jab approved by TGA for kids as young as 6 months

Lifesaving Australian discovery helps combat antibiotic resistance

Publicly released: Tue 19 Jul 2022 at 1200 AEST, 1400 NZST

The Lancet eBiomedicine

When the COVID pandemic finally tails off, the challenge of antibiotic resistance will still be there, demanding urgent attention from the clinical lab. " ... Link to the publication: “Same-day Read more about Lifesaving Australian discovery helps combat antibiotic resistance

New wastewater surveillance method could provide an early warning of the next COVID-19 variant

Publicly released: Tue 19 Jul 2022 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

Nature Biotechnology

Austrian scientists have developed a new method of analysing wastewater that can tell us which COVID-19 variants are present and how abundant they are. ... Their new system, called VaQuERo (variant Read more about New wastewater surveillance method could provide an early warning of the next COVID-19 variant

Is Australia ready for monkeypox?

Publicly released: Mon 18 Jul 2022 at 0001 AEST, 0201 NZST

Medical Journal of Australia

They say Australia has had success with HIV control, and can draw on this infrastructure, community groups and expertise, as well as the COVID-19 infrastructure, to tackle monkeypox. ... and can draw on Read more about Is Australia ready for monkeypox?

EXPERT REACTION: Can COVID-19 vaccines impact your menstrual cycle? 

Publicly released: Sat 16 Jul 2022 at 0400 AEST, 0600 NZST

Science Advances

Since vaccine trial protocols do not usually monitor beyond 7 days post-vaccination and follow-up communications do not inquire about menstruation, SARS-CoV-2 vaccine manufacturers have been unable Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Can COVID-19 vaccines impact your menstrual cycle? 

Teens were more likely to catch the original COVID-19 strain than older adults

Publicly released: Sat 16 Jul 2022 at 0100 AEST, 0300 NZST

JAMA Network Open

In 16 of the 19 states they examined, the incidence rate and relative risk of COVID-19 infection from the original virus strain were higher in adolescents and youth than in ... of the 19 states examined, Read more about Teens were more likely to catch the original COVID-19 strain than older adults