News Articles
WA virus cases could hit 10,000 a day
Date of Posting: 13-03-2022
Western Australia could have about 10,000 COVID-19 cases per day in the next week as its Omicron wave peaks. Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson says WA is still in the early stages of its outbreak, with cases forecast to rise significantly from Read More...
More Japanese encephalitis in NSW, Vic
Date of Posting: 13-03-2022
A man in his 60s has contracted Japanese encephalitis in NSW, while Victorian authorities are reporting two suspected cases. NSW Health says the man was treated in hospital after contracting the mosquito-borne virus but has since been discharged a Read More...
Vic signs mRNA vaccine deal with Korea
Date of Posting: 13-03-2022
The Victorian government has signed a deal with a Korean medical institute to work together on mRNA vaccine research. Some of the earliest vaccines approved for use against COVID-19, the Pfizer and Moderna shots, are based on mRNA technology.[subs Read More...
Tasmania eases mandatory mask rules
Date of Posting: 12-03-2022
Tasmania is dropping mandatory mask-wearing requirements for a host of settings but health authorities still strongly recommend they be worn. The state recorded 1129 new COVID-19 infections on Friday, pushing the island's number of active case Read More...
Mental health a post-flood priority
Date of Posting: 12-03-2022
Flood victims in Queensland and NSW will have access to mental health support as the federal government warns of long-term trauma from the disaster. A $31 million mental health package for flood-affected communities will include $10 million for th Read More...
Fears over new Omicron strain in NSW
Date of Posting: 12-03-2022
A new strain of Omicron that's spreading in NSW could see COVID-19 cases double within weeks. Health Minister Brad Hazzard appeared at a budget estimates hearing on Thursday as the state recorded 16,288 new cases, an increase of more than 3000 Read More...
NSW Health staff sent north to flood zone
Date of Posting: 11-03-2022
NSW Health staff from Sydney are being deployed to the north coast to help with the flood crisis and deal with a lack of medical professionals amid growing reports of gastroenteritis. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard told a budget estimates hearin Read More...
Class action against cosmetic surgeons
Date of Posting: 11-03-2022
Patients who say they have suffered injury and losses from cosmetic surgery performed by Daniel Lanzer and his associates have launched a class action against the retired celebrity doctor. Maddens Lawyers this week lodged the case in Victoria' Read More...
SA signs up to mental health package
Date of Posting: 11-03-2022
South Australia has signed up to the federal government's mental health and suicide prevention plan, allowing for combined spending of $128 million to improve services across the state. The SA government will provide $62 million and the common Read More...
Vic posts nine COVID-19 deaths, 7081 cases
Date of Posting: 10-03-2022
Victoria has posted another nine COVID-19 deaths and a further 7081 virus infections. Of the new cases, 4758 were from rapid antigen tests and 2323 were from PCR lab tests, the health department confirmed on Wednesday.[subscribe] The number of Read More...
Encephalitis confirmed in NSW man's death
Date of Posting: 10-03-2022
A NSW man who died last month had Japanese Encephalitis, the mosquito-spread virus recently detected in the state for the first time. NSW Health announced on Wednesday afternoon a post-mortem of the Griffith man in his 70s confirmed he had Japanes Read More...
Most Australians will develop skin cancer
Date of Posting: 10-03-2022
More than two-thirds of Australians will develop common skin cancers with 500 deaths every year, making the country the 'skin cancer capital of the world'. A paper published on Thursday in the journal Public Health Research & Practice, Read More...
Qld probes rheumatic heart disease cases
Date of Posting: 09-03-2022
The deaths of three Indigenous women with rheumatic heart disease who were reportedly given Panadol and sent home by a remote Queensland hospital will be investigated by the state government. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has confirmed Read More...
COVID-19 can cause brain shrinkage
Date of Posting: 09-03-2022
COVID-19 can cause the brain to shrink, reduce grey matter in the regions that control emotion and memory, and damage areas that control the sense of smell, an Oxford University study has found. The scientists said that the effects were even seen Read More...
Victorian man dies from encephalitis
Date of Posting: 09-03-2022
A Victorian man has died from encephalitis as Australians are warned to take the risk posed by the condition seriously. The state Department of Health said the man, aged in his 60s from northern Victoria, died on February 28 and an autopsy reveale Read More...
China seeing new surge in cases
Date of Posting: 08-03-2022
China is seeing a new surge in COVID-19 cases across the vast country, despite its draconian "zero tolerance" approach to dealing with outbreaks. The mainland on Monday reported 214 new cases of infection over the previous 24 hours, with Read More...
Vic posts 5645 virus cases, two deaths
Date of Posting: 08-03-2022
Victoria has reported 5646 new COVID-19 infections and another two deaths. Of the new cases reported by the Health Department on Sunday, 4254 were self-reported from rapid antigen tests and 1391 from PCR lab tests.[subscribe] The number of Vict Read More...
SA adds historic deaths to COVID-19 tally
Date of Posting: 08-03-2022
South Australia has added 23 deaths to its COVID-19 toll along with 1577 new infections. SA Health says the deaths occurred between December 31 and March 3 and have come to light following the latest release of information from births, deaths and Read More...
Getting urgent medicines in a flood zone can be a life or death challenge
Last Updated: 08-03-2022
I’m writing this from the flooded far north coast of New South Wales, where all around me people are contending with the awful and unexpected consequences of a catastrophic flood. I have worked in rural health for a long time and this Read More...
Torn between worlds, Ukrainian Australians are feeling the mental health impacts of war
Last Updated: 08-03-2022
Australians of Ukrainian heritage are bearing witness to heartbreaking scenes and ongoing uncertainty about the safety of family and loved ones. European agencies are warning of an impending humanitarian crisis. Although communications can be Read More...
Australia is failing marginalised people, and it shows in COVID death rates
Date of Posting: 08-03-2022
Newly released Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data show people living in poverty or disadvantage are three times more likely to die from COVID than the wealthy. This statistic is alarming, but it gets worse when we begin to loo Read More...
Even mild COVID can cause brain shrinkage and affect mental function
Last Updated: 08-03-2022
Most of what we know about how COVID can affect the brain has come from studies of severe infection. In people with severe COVID, inflammatory cells from outside the brain can enter brain tissue and spread inflammation. There may be changes to blo Read More...
Australian obesity attitudes exposed in new poll
Last Updated: 08-03-2022
The birth of Mandy Strickland's first son was one of the happiest moments of her life, but a throwaway remark from a midwife about her weight tainted it. The Bendigo woman had always struggled with her weight before she gave birth to a 4.54 10 Read More...
NSW records 9017 COVID-19 cases, 5 deaths
Date of Posting: 07-03-2022
NSW has recorded 9017 new COVID-19 cases and another five virus-related deaths as primary school staff and childcare workers no longer have to wear masks. There are 1066 COVID patients in hospital, 43 of them in ICU and 15 are on ventilators.[subs Read More...
Qld records one virus death, 3,677 cases
Date of Posting: 07-03-2022
One person has died with COVID-19 in Queensland as the state records 3,677 new virus cases following the scrapping of mask rules. A total of 267 patients are in hospital with the virus, 20 of whom are in ICU.[subscribe] The state now has 30,557 Read More...
Job ads jumped as Omicron wave receded
Date of Posting: 07-03-2022
Demand for workers spiked after the COVID-19 Omicron wave receded, pointing to an even lower unemployment rate in the months ahead. The ANZ job advertisement series jumped 8.4 per cent in February to be 31.5 per cent higher than a year earlier.[su Read More...
NT mask mandate ends, one COVID-19 death
Date of Posting: 07-03-2022
A man in his 60s is the latest person to die with COVID-19 in the Northern Territory, as the toll since the start of the pandemic climbs to 29. The Darwin man suffered from underlying health conditions and died at Royal Darwin Hospital, NT Health Read More...
Burnout and abuse rife among GPs
Date of Posting: 07-03-2022
GPs are burning out, their staff are copping abuse, and patients are waiting weeks for an appointment due to changing rules governing the employment of doctors in regional areas, a Senate inquiry has been told. The inquiry into GP services heard s Read More...
Global COVID-19 death toll nears 6 million
Date of Posting: 07-03-2022
The official global death toll from COVID-19 is on the verge of eclipsing six million - underscoring that the pandemic, now in its third year, is far from over. The milestone is the latest tragic reminder of the unrelenting nature of the pandemic Read More...
Record private health sign-up to beat wait
Date of Posting: 06-03-2022
Australians are signing up to private health insurance in record numbers to avoid hospital waiting lists. Six consecutive quarters of membership growth has resulted in almost 55 per cent of the population - 14.12 million people - having some level Read More...
Vics take lead on virus variant research
Date of Posting: 06-03-2022
Victoria has taken the lead on attempting to anticipate the next step in the fight against COVID-19, asking people awaiting booster doses to donate blood to aid research. Innovation Minister Jaala Pulford says up to 1500 donors are being sought.[s Read More...
Free tampons and pads for NSW students
Date of Posting: 06-03-2022
NSW public schools will begin providing free tampons and pads for students. The state wide rollout, due to be completed by the end of June at a cost of $30 million, comes after a trial in 31 schools across south west Sydney and Dubbo.[subscribe] Read More...
Australians urged to get their flu jab
Date of Posting: 06-03-2022
While Australians may be tired of rolling up their sleeves for COVID vaccines, there is another jab they should get this year. Influenza case numbers hit record lows in 2020 and 2021 as lockdowns limited movement and international borders remained Read More...
Half of eligible NSW population boosted
Date of Posting: 06-03-2022
More than half the eligible population in NSW have received booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as the state reports 10,017 new cases and 10 virus-related deaths. The number of positive cases is up by 551 from Friday when 9466 people tested posi Read More...
Latest on worldwide spread of coronavirus
Date of Posting: 06-03-2022
WASHINGTON, D. C., RAW - EUROPE * COVID-19 cases in Sweden are falling sharply, even as nearly all pandemic-related restrictions were lifted less than a month ago.[subscribe] * France will on March 14 lift rules requiring people to show a vacci Read More...
Vic calls for COVID biobank blood donors
Date of Posting: 05-03-2022
Victorians awaiting their third COVID-19 vaccine are being asked to donate blood to aid research, as the state posts 5721 virus infections and 24 deaths. Of those deaths reported by the Health Department on Saturday, only four occurred in the past Read More...
Aust bolsters Japanese encephalitis plan
Date of Posting: 05-03-2022
Australia's chief medical officer has beefed up the nation's response to the Japanese encephalitis virus as NSW reports its first case. Acting Chief Medical Officer Sonya Bennett on Friday declared the mosquito-borne virus a Communicable D Read More...
Qld to ditch mask mandates, density limits
Date of Posting: 05-03-2022
Queenslanders will ditch indoor face masks and density limits from 6pm as the state records another seven deaths and 5446 cases. The mandatory requirement for masks at indoor workplaces and workplaces will be officially scrapped from 6pm Friday.[s Read More...
Victoria reports 26 COVID-19 deaths
Date of Posting: 05-03-2022
Victorian health authorities have confirmed 18 newly-reported COVID-19 deaths actually occurred in January. The state reported 26 new deaths on Friday, with the health department later clarifying most happened two months ago.[subscribe] Four de Read More...
Austrian health minister resigns
Date of Posting: 05-03-2022
Austrian Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein has resigned, the second top official to step down within a year under the strain of tackling the coronavirus pandemic. Mueckstein, a member of the Greens party that is junior partner to Chancellor Karl Read More...
