Resources for Journalists

Bee disease offers rare insights into RNA virus origins

Publicly released: Thu 22 Jun 2023 at 1600 AEST | 1800 NZST

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

The study offers a rare insight in the origins of an RNA virus which, as we’ve seen through the COVID-19 pandemic, can be notoriously tricky to isolate,” Professor Mikheyev ... These mites carry the Read more about Bee disease offers rare insights into RNA virus origins

Tackling viruses with pandemic potential

Publicly released: Thu 22 Jun 2023 at 0830 AEST | 1030 NZST

Nature Communications

Dr Isaacs said the virus caused fever and severe respiratory symptoms and was from the same class of viruses as the deadly Nipah and Hendra viruses. ... We saw with COVID-19 how unprepared the world was Read more about Tackling viruses with pandemic potential

Urgent action needed to further improve child survival in Ethiopia

Publicly released: Thu 22 Jun 2023 at 0400 AEST | 0600 NZST

PLOS Global Public Health

With Ethiopia’s mortality rates two and three times those figures, the country is unlikely to reach those targets. ... Given the study uses data prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent civil war Read more about Urgent action needed to further improve child survival in Ethiopia

Deep sea dive from a desk uncovers three new species

Publicly released: Fri 16 Jun 2023 at 1615 AEST | 1815 NZST

Zootaxa

The Schmidt Ocean Institute voyage ‘Seamounts, Canyons & Reefs of the Coral SeaCruise’ was in 2020 and there was a lot of uncertainty with regards to travelling during the COVID epandemic,” Dr Read more about Deep sea dive from a desk uncovers three new species

Lessons learned from New Zealand's ‘genomic journey’ through the COVID-19 pandemic

Publicly released: Fri 16 Jun 2023 at 1143 AEST | 1343 NZST

BMC Medicine

New Zealand scientists at the forefront of our COVID-19 pandemic response say the lessons learned from our world-leading genomic surveillance programmes could be useful in the looming crisis of Read more about Lessons learned from New Zealand's ‘genomic journey’ through the COVID-19 pandemic

Chinese Daigou shoppers a new type of entrepreneur

Publicly released: Thu 15 Jun 2023 at 1345 AEST | 1545 NZST

Journal of Business Venturing Insights

Even with restrictions on international travel caused by the global COVID pandemic, Daigou has flourished and remains a vital and lucrative channel, with an estimated trade of between US$40bn to Read more about Chinese Daigou shoppers a new type of entrepreneur

Video games spark exciting new frontier in neuroscience

Publicly released: Wed 14 Jun 2023 at 1300 AEST | 1500 NZST

Nature Communications

Dr Tristan Wallis and Professor Frederic Meunier from UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute came up with the idea while in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. ... Individual proteins bounce and move in a Read more about Video games spark exciting new frontier in neuroscience

Lung and heart stem cell research paves way for new COVID-19 treatments

Publicly released: Wed 14 Jun 2023 at 0100 AEST | 0300 NZST

Stem Cell Reports

Lung and heart stem cell research paves way for new COVID-19 treatmentsResearch at a Glance:Melbourne researchers have used heart and lung stem cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 to ... SARS-CoV-2 primarily Read more about Lung and heart stem cell research paves way for new COVID-19 treatments

Sports injury hospitalisations return to pre-COVID-19 trends

Publicly released: Wed 14 Jun 2023 at 0001 AEST | 0201 NZST

injury hospitalisations largely in line with pre-COVID-19 trends – according to a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). ... In response to COVID-19 lockdowns and the Read more about Sports injury hospitalisations return to pre-COVID-19 trends

Addressing challenges to social cohesion in Aotearoa

Publicly released: Tue 13 Jun 2023 at 0300 AEST | 0500 NZST

Covid was an interesting test case of both disengagement and engagement. ... Older alliances, collaborations and ways of working together (such as the King Movement and the Māori Churches), have declined. Read more about Addressing challenges to social cohesion in Aotearoa

Astronomers find new multi-planet system that resembles the fictional desert Star Wars planet, Tatooine

Publicly released: Tue 13 Jun 2023 at 0100 AEST | 0300 NZST

Nature Astronomy

Dr Rosemary Mardling, from the Monash University School of Physics and Astronomy, is a co-author of the study. ... This was a challenging system to confirm because telescopes in Chile were closed for six Read more about Astronomers find new multi-planet system that resembles the fictional desert Star Wars planet, Tatooine

Diabetes drug shortly after infection cuts risk of long COVID by 40%

Publicly released: Fri 9 Jun 2023 at 0830 AEST | 1030 NZST

The Lancet Infectious Diseases

Taking a two-week course of metformin, a safe and affordable diabetes medication after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 leads to 40% fewer long COVID diagnoses over the following 10 ... Previous studies Read more about Diabetes drug shortly after infection cuts risk of long COVID by 40%

Older Australians who coped better mentally during the pandemic were smarter with their money

Publicly released: Fri 9 Jun 2023 at 0400 AEST | 0600 NZST

PLOS ONE

Among older Australians, those who coped better mentally at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to be making good financial choices, according to Australian research. ... The team Read more about Older Australians who coped better mentally during the pandemic were smarter with their money

COVID-19 can cause brain cells to 'fuse'

Publicly released: Thu 8 Jun 2023 at 0400 AEST | 0600 NZST

Science Advances

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been detected in the brains of people with ‘long COVID’ months after their initial infection. ... SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has been Read more about COVID-19 can cause brain cells to 'fuse'

COVID-19 transformed road safety for older Australians

Publicly released: Mon 5 Jun 2023 at 1052 AEST | 1252 NZST

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

crash data before and after COVID-19 to determine the impact of the pandemic on the frequency and location of crashes involving older people. ... Police-reported crash data for the over-65 population in Read more about COVID-19 transformed road safety for older Australians

Focus on the non-health benefits of COVID-19 vaccination to convince people to get their booster

Publicly released: Sat 3 Jun 2023 at 0400 AEST | 0600 NZST

PLOS ONE

Focusing on the non-health benefits of getting a COVID-19 booster could make vaccine messaging more persuasive, according to Australian research. ... The team recruited about 450 people to view different Read more about Focus on the non-health benefits of COVID-19 vaccination to convince people to get their booster

Parkinson's drug could help slow motor neurone disease progression

Publicly released: Fri 2 Jun 2023 at 0100 AEST | 0300 NZST

Cell Stem Cell

While they say many of the patients dropped out of the study - mainly due to COVID-19 - those who continued to receive the treatment saw a slower progression of the disease. ... Many patients dropped out Read more about Parkinson's drug could help slow motor neurone disease progression

EXPERT REACTION: Can garlic fight flu and COVID-19?

Publicly released: Thu 1 Jun 2023 at 1515 AEST | 1715 NZST

Media releases issued by the Australian Garlic Producers Pty Ltd and the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry suggest that new research shows that garlic can kill COVID-19 and flu Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Can garlic fight flu and COVID-19?

EXPERT REACTION: Australia considers ban on ‘high-risk’ uses of AI

Publicly released: Thu 1 Jun 2023 at 1434 AEST | 1634 NZST

The Albanese government is considering a ban on “high-risk” uses of artificial intelligence and automated decision-making, warning of potential harms including the creation of deepfakes and Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Australia considers ban on ‘high-risk’ uses of AI