Resources for Journalists

How does COVID-19 impact the placenta and lead to a 'pre-eclampsia-like sydrome' ?

Publicly released: Wed 7 Feb 2024 at 0300 AEDT | 0500 NZDT

Clinical & Translational Immunology

For some women, having COVID-19 during pregnancy can impact their placenta and lead to a ‘preeclampsia-like syndrome’, and now Australian experts have identified some of the changes taking place Read more about How does COVID-19 impact the placenta and lead to a 'pre-eclampsia-like sydrome' ?

Mild COVID-19 linked to insomnia, especially for people with anxiety or depression

Publicly released: Mon 5 Feb 2024 at 1600 AEDT | 1800 NZDT

Frontiers in Public Health

No participants had a history of insomnia before catching COVID-19. The survey asked about the length and severity of COVID-19 infection, symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression, and how Read more about Mild COVID-19 linked to insomnia, especially for people with anxiety or depression

COVID-19 researchers discover hidden natural immune defence pathway

Publicly released: Mon 5 Feb 2024 at 1200 AEDT | 1400 NZDT

Journal of Proteome Research

unknown biomarkers of infectionPotential for rapid virus diagnosis and new drug developmentAn international cohort of scientists researching COVID-19 has uncovered a hidden part of the human immune Read more about COVID-19 researchers discover hidden natural immune defence pathway

Machine learning to battle COVID-19 bacterial co-infection

Publicly released: Fri 2 Feb 2024 at 1149 AEDT | 1349 NZDT

Microbe

Associate Professor Kirsty Short from the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences said secondary bacterial infections can be extremely dangerous for those hospitalised with COVID-19. Read more about Machine learning to battle COVID-19 bacterial co-infection

EXPERT REACTION: Our mood on Twitter takes up to three weeks to recover from a global shock

Publicly released: Thu 1 Feb 2024 at 0600 AEDT | 0800 NZDT

PLOS ONE

Two events (the initiation of pandemic lockdowns and the invasion of Ukraine) were studied by surveying discourse on Twitter in the weeks before and after the event. ... The authors note that the results Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Our mood on Twitter takes up to three weeks to recover from a global shock

Obesity spiked in children during COVID-19 lockdowns—only the youngest bounced back

Publicly released: Thu 25 Jan 2024 at 0600 AEDT | 0800 NZDT

PLOS ONE

to society of post-pandemic obesity rates Obesity among primary school children in the UK spiked during the COVID-19 lockdown, with a 45% increase between 2019/20 and 2020/21 ... National Childhood Read more about Obesity spiked in children during COVID-19 lockdowns—only the youngest bounced back

EXPERT REACTION: Could blood proteins hold the key to the cause of long COVID?

Publicly released: Fri 19 Jan 2024 at 0600 AEDT | 0800 NZDT

Science

Not everyone fully recovers from COVID-19. Roughly 20% of patients diagnosed with it and about 5% of all SARS-CoV-2–infected persons develop lingering symptoms, called Long Covid, that ... Although Read more about EXPERT REACTION: Could blood proteins hold the key to the cause of long COVID?

Vegetarians and vegans may be less likely to get COVID-19

Publicly released: Wed 10 Jan 2024 at 1030 AEDT | 1230 NZDT

BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health

The team asked the participants about their diet, and compared the rates of COVID-19 infection and severity within the group over the period of March-July 2022. ... And the prevalence of overweight and Read more about Vegetarians and vegans may be less likely to get COVID-19

Data shows soaring demand for people skills in Aussie post-pandemic jobs market

Publicly released: Tue 9 Jan 2024 at 0925 AEDT | 1125 NZDT

Nature Human Behaviour

Key points: Australian employers’ demand for interpersonal skills, such as communication and networking, has continued to climb since the COVID-19 pandemic. ... Aussie employers’ demand for workers Read more about Data shows soaring demand for people skills in Aussie post-pandemic jobs market

New AI tool accurately detects COVID-19 from chest X-rays

Publicly released: Mon 8 Jan 2024 at 1313 AEDT | 1513 NZDT

Nature Scientific Reports

pressing need for effective automated tools to detect COVID-19, given the significant impact on public health and the global economy. ... The Custom-CNN model streamlines the detection process, providing Read more about New AI tool accurately detects COVID-19 from chest X-rays

WHO declares a new COVID19 variant of interest

Publicly released: Thu 21 Dec 2023 at 1207 AEDT | 1407 NZDT

LINK: Read the risk evaluation: https://www. who. int/activities/tracking-SARS-CoV-2-variants WHO is continuously monitoring the evidence and will update the JN. ... 1 and other circulating variants of Read more about WHO declares a new COVID19 variant of interest

Sexually transmissible infections are on the rise in Australia, with syphilis rates tripling over the decade

Publicly released: Tue 19 Dec 2023 at 0100 AEDT | 0300 NZDT

Chlamydia is increasing too (up 12 per cent since 2013), and low rates of testing brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have researchers concerned that the upward trends are likely ... ongoing impacts of Read more about Sexually transmissible infections are on the rise in Australia, with syphilis rates tripling over the decade

Applying NZ’s Covid contact tracing system to STIs

Publicly released: Fri 15 Dec 2023 at 0001 AEDT | 0201 NZDT

New Zealand Medical Journal

A centralised system to contact trace sexually transmitted infections, similar to what NZ created for COVID-19, would bring a more consistent approach to what’s currently done at the clinic Read more about Applying NZ’s Covid contact tracing system to STIs

Vaccination coverage in children continues to decline following easing of pandemic-related restrictions

Publicly released: Thu 14 Dec 2023 at 1045 AEDT | 1245 NZDT

A new report from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) shows vaccination coverage in children has continued to decrease since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about Vaccination coverage in children continues to decline following easing of pandemic-related restrictions

Animal tests suggest inhaled COVID-19 vaccine may prevent disease

Publicly released: Thu 14 Dec 2023 at 0300 AEDT | 0500 NZDT

Nature

Development of an inhaled vaccine for COVID-19  The development of an inhaled vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 is reported in Nature. ... The vaccine encapsulates a non-toxic bacterial protein called CTB, which Read more about Animal tests suggest inhaled COVID-19 vaccine may prevent disease

Mental health and addiction now second largest cause of disease in Australia

Publicly released: Thu 14 Dec 2023 at 0001 AEDT | 0201 NZDT

9%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (3. 6%). COVID‑19 ranked 30th among the specific diseases causing burden in 2023, accounting for 0. ... The burden from COVID‑19 was predominantly fatal Read more about Mental health and addiction now second largest cause of disease in Australia

Melbourne-made COVID-19 vaccines show robust boosting potential

Publicly released: Wed 13 Dec 2023 at 0600 AEDT | 0800 NZDT

eBioMedicine

Two Melbourne-made COVID-19 vaccines have shown strong potential to be an improved approach for boosting immunity to SARS-CoV-2 variants according to interim results of a Phase 1 ... Melbourne-made Read more about Melbourne-made COVID-19 vaccines show robust boosting potential

Suburban backyard home to more than 1,000 species

Publicly released: Fri 8 Dec 2023 at 0930 AEDT | 1130 NZDT

Ecology

UQ mathematician Dr Matt Holden, ecologist Dr Andrew Rogers and taxonomist Dr Russell Yong took a census of their Annerley share house and its backyard during the COVID-19 lockdowns in ... The Parilyrg Read more about Suburban backyard home to more than 1,000 species

The AusSMC's Top 10 Science Stories 2023

Publicly released: Wed 6 Dec 2023 at 0900 AEDT | 1100 NZDT

And Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data released in September showed COVID-19 was the first infectious disease in the top five causes of death in Australia since 1970, responsible for Read more about The AusSMC's Top 10 Science Stories 2023