South Australia opens specialist long COVID-19 clinics to boost treatment and support

The South Australian Government has launched dedicated long COVID-19 clinics at four major hospitals to provide targeted treatment and support to the growing number of people battling lingering effects from the virus. People experiencing long-term symptoms can now access special clinics at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Flinders Medical Centre. The […]

CALD communities lack support to protect health during COVID-19

Migrants, refugees and Australians born with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds may have difficulty keeping up with constant changes in COVID-19 public health alerts, a new study has found. Conducted by Flinders University, the research suggests a failure to engage and communicate clearly with individual members of CALD communities can put people’s protective health […]

What we know about ‘Long COVID’ or, post Covid-19 condition in 2022

Post-COVID condition or ‘Long COVID’ can be characterised by ongoing symptoms following acute COVID-19 illness. Evidence and understanding of the condition are still emerging, however those who have experienced prior severe COVID-19, are of older age, female sex, and with pre-existing physical and mental health disorders appear most at risk. The most often reported symptoms […]

COVID-19 death toll four times higher in lower-income countries than rich ones

Three million people have died since the Omicron variant emerged, shattering perceptions that the pandemic is over according to a report published by Oxfam on behalf of the People’s Vaccine Alliance. According to the report the COVID-19 death toll has been four times higher in lower-income countries than in rich ones. While the pandemic has […]

Pandemic health measures helped reduce Australian deaths in 2020, study finds

Public health measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic led to a drop in overall Australian deaths in 2020, including from the coronavirus, a new study from the University of Sydney has revealed. The research found there were fewer than expected deaths in 2020 compared to 2015-2019, even accounting for deaths from COVID, suggesting […]

Aged care workers missing out on promised RAT tests forcing them to source their own

Nurses and carers in aged care are being forced to pay for their own rapid antigen tests (RATs) to work in the sector which is being devastated from COVID-19. The findings were made by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) who are currently conducting a national survey on the experiences of nurses, midwives, and […]

Aged care nurses in moral distress and burning out

As the Omicron wave spreads through private aged care facilities aged care nurses across the country are in moral distress and are burning out because of dangerously low staffing levels, a national survey has revealed. The survey, being conducted by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), has so far found there was not enough […]