In the new COVID-19 era, politicians are advising the experts — and in some cases, ignoring advice they don't want to hear
2 years, 5 months ago

In the new COVID-19 era, politicians are advising the experts — and in some cases, ignoring advice they don't want to hear

ABC  

It's less than a year since the "hi-vis" protests brought Melbourne's CBD to an almost daily standstill. It's less than six months since the "Convoy to Canberra" saw huge crowds converge on the national capital for a two-week "freedom" festival. This week, Victoria's Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas rejected advice from the state's acting Chief Health Officer to mandate mask-wearing in childcare centres, schools, retail and some hospitality venues, just as a new Omicron wave was taking hold. Mask wearing is still "strongly recommended" and many are clearly taking up the suggestion, but the official advice to mandate masks indoors has been rejected. Health Minister Mark Butler says there is a "level of fatigue about being told what to do".

Advice End Minister Free Era Victoria Butler Mask Victorian Health Experts Health Advice Free Rats Pandemic Leave Payments  politicians  dont  end  free  hear  payments  health  experts  wave  advice  rats  ignoring  covid19  minister  cases  advising  mask  era

History of this topic

Opinion: How should we deal with COVID now?
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Opinion: How should we deal with COVID now?

LA Times  

The government made funding available for people infected with COVID to afford the drug Paxlovid for treatment, but not many people know how to access it. Another payment problem arises around antiviral medications such as Paxlovid — imperfect but useful tools to reduce death among those infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. After the COVID-19 public health emergency ended, the Department …

Too many patients are catching COVID in Australian hospitals, doctors say. So why are hospitals rolling back precautions?
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Too many patients are catching COVID in Australian hospitals, doctors say. So why are hospitals rolling back precautions?

ABC  

Steve Irons' older brother Jim was only supposed to be in hospital for a short while. But senior healthcare workers in several states say vulnerable people — including transplant and oncology patients and others with compromised immune systems — are contracting COVID because even basic precautions are not being taken: a consequence, they say, of hospitals' failure to address airborne …

Chris Whitty: Britain’s Covid plans were ‘woefully deficient’ – even for a flu pandemic
1 year, 1 month ago

Chris Whitty: Britain’s Covid plans were ‘woefully deficient’ – even for a flu pandemic

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Britain’s pandemic plans …

5 Things COVID Experts Personally Won't Do Right Now In This Latest Surge
1 year, 3 months ago

5 Things COVID Experts Personally Won't Do Right Now In This Latest Surge

Huff Post  

andreswd via Getty Images Here's how infectious disease experts are managing their COVID-19 risk. “As I have gray hair, I’m in a higher-risk group just on the basis of age, so I’ve been wearing my mask at indoor events continuously,” Schaffner said. “My wife and I are major caregivers for a family member who is receiving cancer chemotherapy, so we’re …

Expert calls for future pandemic planning amid ‘signals’ from bird flu
1 year, 4 months ago

Expert calls for future pandemic planning amid ‘signals’ from bird flu

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

UK ‘underprepared for severe pandemic because of planning for no-deal Brexit’
1 year, 6 months ago

UK ‘underprepared for severe pandemic because of planning for no-deal Brexit’

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Hugo …

Long Covid patients are being 'left to their own devices'
1 year, 8 months ago

Long Covid patients are being 'left to their own devices'

Dutch News  

Doctors and patients are calling for a national action plan to improve what they consider the failing treatment of Long Covid patients in the Netherlands, the AD reports. Jan Kluytmans, a professor of microbiology and member of the government’s Outbreak Management Team said Long Covid patients are not getting the medical answers they are after and are being ‘left to …

Long Covid patients are being 'left to their own devices'
1 year, 8 months ago

Long Covid patients are being 'left to their own devices'

Dutch News  

Doctors and patients are calling for a national action plan to improve what they consider the failing treatment of Long Covid patients in the Netherlands, the AD reports. Jan Kluytmans, a professor of microbiology and member of the government’s Outbreak Management Team said Long Covid patients are not getting the medical answers they are after and are being ‘left to …

Without other pandemic precautions, hospital mask rules didn’t stop COVID spread, study finds
1 year, 9 months ago

Without other pandemic precautions, hospital mask rules didn’t stop COVID spread, study finds

LA Times  

In a world moving on from the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and medical offices have been the last bastions of mandatory masking. But new research finds that in communities where pandemic precautions have been largely abandoned, mask mandates in healthcare settings do little to prevent coronavirus infections among patients. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to recommend indoor …

Decoding China’s COVID-19 Policy U-Turn
1 year, 11 months ago

Decoding China’s COVID-19 Policy U-Turn

The Diplomat  

On November 30, several districts in the southern hub metropolis Guangzhou took the lead in lifting a large number of COVID-19-related lockdowns, as well as suspending testing requirements. In face of this, local and provincial administrations – in adherence to official party doctrine concerning “zero COVID” – turned to lockdowns and mass testing campaigns as desperate measures in tackling the …

Lessons From COVID: What The World Needs to Learn to Tackle Future Pandemics
1 year, 11 months ago

Lessons From COVID: What The World Needs to Learn to Tackle Future Pandemics

The Quint  

The costly lesson from COVID: why elimination should be the default global strategy for future pandemics Getty Images Imagine it is 2030. An upgraded pandemic response to eliminate at source The process by which the WHO currently decides whether to declare a public health emergency of international concern has drawn criticism for being too slow. Elimination makes sense for other …

Hospitals should stop mass testing for Covid, says influential panel of infectious disease experts
2 years ago

Hospitals should stop mass testing for Covid, says influential panel of infectious disease experts

Daily Mail  

An influential panel of infectious disease experts recommended hospitals stop testing all new admissions for Covid, which they argue is coming at too high a cost for patients and providers. An influential panel of experts, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, are now discouraging hospitals from burdensome testing which adds to hospital wait times and crowding as well as the …

Facing COVID surge, China expanding hospitals, ICUs
2 years ago

Facing COVID surge, China expanding hospitals, ICUs

Associated Press  

BEIJING — Facing a surge in COVID-19 cases, China is setting up more intensive care facilities and trying to strengthen hospitals as it rolls back anti-virus controls that confined millions of people to their homes, crushed economic growth and set off protests. A Cabinet meeting called Thursday for “full mobilization” of hospitals including adding staff to ensure their “combat effectiveness” …

Facing COVID-19 surge, China expands hospitals, ICUs as Beijing rolls back anti-virus controls
2 years ago

Facing COVID-19 surge, China expands hospitals, ICUs as Beijing rolls back anti-virus controls

Firstpost  

President Xi Jinping’s government is officially committed to stopping virus transmission, the last major country to try. But the latest moves suggest the Communist Party will tolerate more cases without quarantines or shutting down travel or businesses as it winds down its ‘zero-COVID’ strategy Beijing: Facing a surge in COVID-19 cases, China is setting up more intensive care facilities and …

Facing COVID surge, China expanding hospitals, ICUs
2 years ago

Facing COVID surge, China expanding hospitals, ICUs

LA Times  

Facing a surge in COVID-19 cases, China is setting up more intensive care facilities and trying to strengthen hospitals as it rolls back anti-virus controls that confined millions of people to their homes, crushed economic growth and set off protests. A Cabinet meeting called Thursday for “full mobilization” of hospitals including adding staff to ensure their “combat effectiveness” and increasing …

Guidelines issued to help patients recover
2 years, 1 month ago

Guidelines issued to help patients recover

China Daily  

Documents detail rules for quarantine, roles of neighborhoods and hospitals Health authorities on Thursday issued two guidelines in tandem to help COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms recover at home and to properly monitor their health with test kits. To reduce cross-infections, the rules recommended separate rooms for homebound patients, who are encouraged to take recommended drugs based on their symptoms, …

Guidelines issued to help patients recover
2 years, 1 month ago

Guidelines issued to help patients recover

China Daily  

Documents detail rules for quarantine, roles of neighborhoods and hospitals Health authorities on Thursday issued two guidelines in tandem to help COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms recover at home and to properly monitor their health with test kits. To reduce cross-infections, the rules recommended separate rooms for homebound patients, who are encouraged to take recommended drugs based on their symptoms, …

COVID-19 updates: Mandatory isolation comes to an end as Australia enters new phase of pandemic — as it happened
2 years, 2 months ago

COVID-19 updates: Mandatory isolation comes to an end as Australia enters new phase of pandemic — as it happened

ABC  

*Sigh* — It looks like I'll be wearing an N95 for the foreseeable future. I haven't had covid yet and don't appreciate that people will be forced to work when sick as they won't receive paid leave- for their sake and for mine! Matthew Pickett — Absolutely crazy - look at what is happening in Europe and the USA now …

Fight to end virus pandemic takes place on UN’s sidelines
2 years, 3 months ago

Fight to end virus pandemic takes place on UN’s sidelines

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — In four days of fiery speeches over war, climate change and the threat of nuclear weapons, one issue felt like an afterthought during this year’s U.N. General Assembly: the coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gathered with World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and others to discuss equitable access …

Lancet Commission criticises WHO for acting ‘too slowly’ in controlling COVID-19 pandemic
2 years, 3 months ago

Lancet Commission criticises WHO for acting ‘too slowly’ in controlling COVID-19 pandemic

The Hindu  

The Lancet Commission on lessons for the future from the COVID-19 pandemic published in the journal on September 14, has issued a set of recommendations for future plans and has also castigated the World Health Organization for acting “too cautiously and too slowly” on several important matters. This staggering death toll is both a profound tragedy and a massive global …

Coronavirus Today: Who’s dying of COVID-19 now?
2 years, 3 months ago

Coronavirus Today: Who’s dying of COVID-19 now?

LA Times  

I’m Karen Kaplan, and it’s Tuesday, Sept. 20. At a time when vaccines, boosters, medications and antibody treatments are plentiful, when hospitals have the bandwidth to care for patients who are seriously ill, and when, as White House COVID-⁠19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said, “most COVID-19 deaths are preventable,” you’ve got to wonder: Who is dying of COVID-19 now? …

Explained | Is there any end of the COVID-19 pandemic in sight?
2 years, 3 months ago

Explained | Is there any end of the COVID-19 pandemic in sight?

The Hindu  

The story so far: “We are not there yet, but the end is in sight.” At a press conference on September 14, World Health Organization director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Last week, the number of weekly reported deaths from COVID-19 was the lowest since March 2020. We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic.” The …

End of COVID pandemic ‘is in sight’, WHO chief says
2 years, 3 months ago

End of COVID pandemic ‘is in sight’, WHO chief says

Al Jazeera  

WHO urges countries to keep up their efforts to fight the disease, with lowest level of recorded cases since March 2020. “We are not there yet, but the end is in sight.” Newly reported cases of the disease, which has killed millions and infected 606 million since appearing in late 2019, last week fell to the lowest level since March …

Government urged not to fall behind with pandemic response
2 years, 4 months ago

Government urged not to fall behind with pandemic response

Dutch News  

Government advisers have urged ministers to step up preparations for a potential resurgence of coronavirus in the autumn. A joint report by 14 organisations, led by the Scientific Council for Government Policy, criticised ministers for putting off decisions on controversial measures such as compulsory vaccination and access passes for venues. The temporary law expired in June when the Senate voted …

Government urged not to fall behind with pandemic response
2 years, 4 months ago

Government urged not to fall behind with pandemic response

Dutch News  

Government advisers have urged ministers to step up preparations for a potential resurgence of coronavirus in the autumn. A joint report by 14 organisations, led by the Scientific Council for Government Policy, criticised ministers for putting off decisions on controversial measures such as compulsory vaccination and access passes for venues. The temporary law expired in June when the Senate voted …

WHO warns of covid transmission, hospitalisation risks in coming months
2 years, 4 months ago

WHO warns of covid transmission, hospitalisation risks in coming months

Live Mint  

World Health Organisation on Thursday sounded a COVID warning stating that virus transmission and hospitalisation risks are likely to rise again in the coming months. We cannot live with inequitable access to vaccines and other tools,” WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “This is completely unacceptable when we have all the tools to prevent infections and save lives.” …

Hospitals bring back Covid restrictions on patients and visitors
2 years, 5 months ago

Hospitals bring back Covid restrictions on patients and visitors

Daily Mail  

Hospitals in New South Wales are already implementing their own Covid mandates despite no official orders from government. Dr Ashford said the current situation is 'more serious now than ever' and urged the government to move quickly on implementing new measures There is also widespread outrage over the federal government's decision to scrap pandemic leave payments and free RAT tests …

Confusion prevails over covid protocols as public fears wane
2 years, 6 months ago

Confusion prevails over covid protocols as public fears wane

Live Mint  

We’re now in a weird phase of the covid pandemic. Danish social scientist Michael Bang Petersen of Aarhus University told me that familiarity with covid is changing people’s attitudes. And that means it’s hard to adapt our behaviour to the situation—the way public health officials urged us to do during previous waves. “We know from research that social isolation is …

Western Australia's COVID-19 cases in hospital surge past 300 amid calls for restrictions to be reintroduced
2 years, 7 months ago

Western Australia's COVID-19 cases in hospital surge past 300 amid calls for restrictions to be reintroduced

ABC  

Peak medical groups have renewed their calls for the West Australian government to reinstate public health measures, warning of a "system collapse" from the state's current trajectory of COVID-19 hospitalisations. Key points: Western Australia's number of COVID-19 hospital cases remains manageable, according to the Health Minister Western Australia's number of COVID-19 hospital cases remains manageable, according to the Health Minister …

‘Brutal’ NHS pressures stop Covid testing
2 years, 8 months ago

‘Brutal’ NHS pressures stop Covid testing

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Overstretched hospitals are stopping routine Covid tests for new patients as …

I Was A COVID Doctor. Here's The One Thing I Refuse To Do As We 'Get Back To Normal.'
2 years, 9 months ago

I Was A COVID Doctor. Here's The One Thing I Refuse To Do As We 'Get Back To Normal.'

Huff Post  

A nurse gives medication to a patient with COVID-19 in the medical intensive care unit at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center on April 24, 2020, in New York City. Health care workers are not OK. As the transition back to “normal” begins, our clinics — echoing the rest of the nation — are moving toward a new stage of the …

2 years into pandemic, world takes cautious steps forward
2 years, 9 months ago

2 years into pandemic, world takes cautious steps forward

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Ore. — With COVID-19 case numbers plummeting, Emily Safrin did something she hadn’t done since the pandemic began two years ago: She put her fears aside and went to a concert. “Everyone was supposed to be vaccinated or have a negative test, and I said, ‘What the heck, I’m just gonna live my life,’” Safrin said of her concert …

Covid-19: How to repair the pandemic’s damage to cancer care
2 years, 10 months ago

Covid-19: How to repair the pandemic’s damage to cancer care

Hindustan Times  

In the pandemic’s third year, we are beginning to discern the total picture of Covid-19’s damage. Cancer patients are among the most vulnerable to catching Covid, and if exposed they’re much more likely than other people to end up in the hospital or to die. What’s more, the waves of infections put pressure on hospitals and their employees, disrupted routine …

COVID-19 'let loose' in nervy pandemic experiment
2 years, 10 months ago

COVID-19 'let loose' in nervy pandemic experiment

China Daily  

A street in Cologne, Germany, is packed on Saturday as cases of the Omicron variant were reported in the city. Denmark's Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said the novel coronavirus will no longer be characterized as a "socially critical disease", while Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said her country is "moving into a new phase". Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store …

Immunocompromised and disabled people ‘abandoned’ by end of Covid restrictions
2 years, 10 months ago

Immunocompromised and disabled people ‘abandoned’ by end of Covid restrictions

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Government is lifting restrictions without a plan to protect immunocompromised people, for who …

As COVID curbs are lifted, experts call for clear messaging
2 years, 10 months ago

As COVID curbs are lifted, experts call for clear messaging

Al Jazeera  

The Netherlands, Germany, South Africa and the United Kingdom are among several countries which have announced plans to lift the majority of COVID restrictions, despite the continuing spread of the highly contagious Omicron coronavirus variant. The raft of announcements, including plans to scrap COVID self-isolation for those who test positive in England and an end to social distancing rules in …

Impact of Covid on cancer care: Unaddressed problem and the possible solutions
2 years, 11 months ago

Impact of Covid on cancer care: Unaddressed problem and the possible solutions

Hindustan Times  

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic impact on cancer care. A study done in England showed a substantial increase in avoidable cancer-related deaths as a result of the impact of an ongoing pandemic on cancer care. Increased incidence of advanced-stage disease and increased cancer-related mortality have been noticed in CMC Vellore, a leading cancer care centre in South India. …

This is how the COVID-19 health emergency could be over this year, WHO says
2 years, 11 months ago

This is how the COVID-19 health emergency could be over this year, WHO says

LA Times  

John Nkengasong, left, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and moderator Julia Chatterley during a remote panel on vaccine equity at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday. Dr. Michael Ryan, speaking during a panel discussion on vaccine inequity hosted by the World Economic Forum, said “we may never end the virus” because such pandemic viruses “end …

As we attempt to live with Covid, a class of vulnerable people is emerging: the new excluded
2 years, 11 months ago

As we attempt to live with Covid, a class of vulnerable people is emerging: the new excluded

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Rejoice again, I tell you, for …

Editorial: Officials have been relaxing some COVID protocols, leaving the public dazed and confused
2 years, 11 months ago

Editorial: Officials have been relaxing some COVID protocols, leaving the public dazed and confused

LA Times  

Even as COVID-19 cases spiked last month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cut in half the amount of time that people should remain in isolation after infection if they are without symptoms — and eliminated the recommendation that they get a negative test before they start interacting with other people. We’re told that our old loose-fitting cloth …

Abcarian: It's looking like we all might get COVID someday
3 years ago

Abcarian: It's looking like we all might get COVID someday

LA Times  

Over the last few weeks, you’ve probably had the same conversation I’ve been having: “We’re all going to get it, aren’t we?” “Yep.” Call it fatalism. “I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that everybody will get COVID-19,” UCLA infectious disease expert Otto Yang told the “Today” show last month. “Endemic is now often used to describe the point where …

Reduced COVID-19 isolation for NSW healthcare staff a 'catch-up' measure to stop system 'collapsing'
3 years ago

Reduced COVID-19 isolation for NSW healthcare staff a 'catch-up' measure to stop system 'collapsing'

ABC  

Tired and overworked healthcare workers in New South Wales were left with no choice but to support reducing the isolation rules for staff with no symptoms who had been deemed close contacts of COVID-19 cases. Key points: Expert says reducing isolation for asymptomatic healthcare staff made complete sense President of the doctors union says patients will not be put in …

Extra Covid restrictions could be needed ‘at pace’ as NHS prepares for surge
3 years ago

Extra Covid restrictions could be needed ‘at pace’ as NHS prepares for surge

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Chris Hopson chief executive of …

Government is working on long term plan for living with coronavirus: Telegraaf
3 years ago

Government is working on long term plan for living with coronavirus: Telegraaf

Dutch News  

The cabinet and a group of 150 people from the cultural, sports, hospitality and other sectors are working to devise a long term plan for living with coronavirus, the Telegraaf said on Thursday. That means, the paper said, family reunions in the summer, low key theatre shows in winter and education at home during lockdowns. This week 150 people from …

Government is working on long term plan for living with coronavirus: Telegraaf
3 years ago

Government is working on long term plan for living with coronavirus: Telegraaf

Dutch News  

The cabinet and a group of 150 people from the cultural, sports, hospitality and other sectors are working to devise a long term plan for living with coronavirus, the Telegraaf said on Thursday. That means, the paper said, family reunions in the summer, low key theatre shows in winter and education at home during lockdowns. This week 150 people from …

UK health boss: COVID-19 rules could tighten by Christmas
3 years ago

UK health boss: COVID-19 rules could tighten by Christmas

Associated Press  

LONDON — Britain’s health secretary has refused to rule out imposing tougher COVID-19 restrictions before Christmas amid the rapid rise of infections and continuing uncertainty about the omicron variant. The British Medical Association is warning that almost 50,000 doctors, nurses and other National Health Service staff in England could be off sick with Covid-19 by Christmas Day unless additional measures …

Tougher Covid rules needed urgently to prevent ‘considerable pressure’ on NHS, Sage experts warn Johnson
3 years ago

Tougher Covid rules needed urgently to prevent ‘considerable pressure’ on NHS, Sage experts warn Johnson

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Tougher Covid restrictions are needed before the new year to prevent …

Next pandemic may be worse, says scientist behind UK's Covid-19 vaccine
3 years, 1 month ago

Next pandemic may be worse, says scientist behind UK's Covid-19 vaccine

India Today  

One of the scientists behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is warning that the next pandemic may be more contagious and more lethal unless more money is devoted to research and preparations to fight emerging viral threats. In excerpts released before a speech Monday, Professor Sarah Gilbert says the scientific advances made in fighting deadly viruses “must not be lost” because …

Relatives of virus dead question Japan’s stay-at-home policy
3 years, 1 month ago

Relatives of virus dead question Japan’s stay-at-home policy

LA Times  

Kaori Takada poses with her brother’s photo in front of her family altar at her home in Matsubara, south of Osaka, Japan. Takada and another woman whose family member died at home while sick with COVID-19 have formed a group to protest the Japanese government’s policy of having infected people recuperate at home. He was among hundreds of people who …

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