What's That Rash? - TopPodcast.com

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So where's all this heading by Thursday? Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Over the last few days in Victoria, there have been low numbers of new COVID cases - but every new case is not the same.

Recently, many of them are people already in quarantine, which shows that contact tracers have successfully found and isolated people before they can infect more people in the community.

But others, like two cases to be announced today, are slightly more problematic: they're another health care worker and aged-care resident.

And then there's the cluster that no one saw coming: the discovery of a different variant not known to be circulating in the community.

So on today's Coronacast, how's it looking for Victoria's hopeful reopening this Thursday?

Also on today's show:

* If the vaccines only stop severe illness and do not stop spread, how is herd immunity possible?

* Are the Delta and Kappa variants covered by the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines?

* I've been donating plasma, but now that I'm vaccinated I'm feeling a bit selfish about giving away my newly made antibodies. Should I be concerned?

Is the Kappa variant really more infectious? Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

The situation in Victoria improved slightly yesterday, with only a few cases and all being linked to people already in quarantine.

Residents of Melbourne and health authorities will be hoping that the worst is behind them, and it'll be smooth sailing from here.

But as we know by now, you should never underestimate a virus that'll exploit every weakness it can.

So on today's Coronacast, is the variant currently in Melbourne better at exploiting weaknesses than what we've seen before?

Also on today's show:

* Why Melbourne?

* How should I try to convince people that are willing to get the Pfizer vaccine to be also ok with the AstraZeneca vaccine?

* If I'm vaccinated and get COVID, because I may have no symptoms, will I be able to give it to people without me knowing?

And it's Friday, which means it's time for Quick Fire Friday (Friday edition!)

Seven days in, seven more to go Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

The initial seven day lockdown in Melbourne has not been enough to get control of the outbreak in the city.

As a result, Melbournians will need to do at least another seven days to give health authorities more time.

They've also revealed that the plan is to get the state back to zero spread - or eradication of community spread.

So on today's Coronacast, what'll they have to do to get there?

Also on today's show:

* We've had heaps of questions over the past several weeks on blood clotting from the AstraZeneca vaccine, so we've got Dr Tim Brighton, a haematologist in Sydney and member of Thrombosis and Haemostasis society of Australia and New Zealand in to answer your questions.

GUEST:

Dr Tim Brighton, haematologist in Sydney, member of THANZ (Thrombosis and Haemostasis society of Australia and New Zealand)

How casual can a contact be? Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

Health authorities in Victoria sounded slightly more upbeat yesterday, thanks to no new cases being posted from the aged care sector.

But worryingly, there are still mystery cases to sort out and what's even more concerning is said to be acting differently than it has with previous outbreaks.

Authorities have described the behaviour as "fleeting", saying it is showing remarkable ability to infect people in settings with only very brief contact.

So on today's Coronacast, with at least four transmissions occurring this way so far, how casual can a contact be?

Also on today's show:

* And it's Wednesday, so it's time for Quick Fire... Friday?

How could we let an aged care outbreak happen again? Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

The second wave in Victoria in 2020 revealed aged care to be a major vulnerability in Australia's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Of the many hundreds of deaths from the second wave, the majority were in private aged care homes.

And, sadly, COVID-19 has once again made it back into aged care - with coronavirus currently in two facilities in Melbourne.

So on today's Coronacast, wasn't aged care supposed to be protected by now?

Also on today's show:

* When does a cluster become a wave?

* What research has been done on shortening the gap between 1st and 2nd doses?

* Why can't we just vaccinate people on day 1 of hotel quarantine?

But vaccination is a race, isn't it? May 31, 2021

Show notes

As Melbourne entered its third day of lockdown, the news came that many were dreading: coronavirus had made it back into an aged care facility and it was a mystery case.

The health care worker and roughly 70 percent of residents had been vaccinated with their first shot.

It came as senior Federal Government ministers insisted that the vaccine rollout is not a race, saying it needs to be systematic.

But on today's Coronacast, the systematic approach had aged care residents to be vaccinated within a month and a half as part 1a - so what happened?

Also on today's show:

* Weren't all aged care residents supposed to be vaccinated by now?

* What's going on in the UK? Why are numbers rising again?

* What are the known risk factors to AstraZeneca blood clots?

18 seconds into hell May 28, 2021

Show notes

Victoria is back where it least wanted to be: in lockdown. And this time it'll last for seven days.

Perhaps a bit lost among the debate over vaccinations and contact tracing is the fact that an entire state is in lockdown because of another failure of hotel quarantine.

A recent pre-print study on Australia's hotel quarantine system has found that for every 172 COVID positive returned travellers, there's a leak and 57% of the time, it results in a lockdown.

So on today's Coronacast, a look into the last quarantine leak, which could have happened in just 18 seconds.

Also on today's show:

* Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation updates the risk of clotting post AstraZeneca vaccination

* If I am unlucky and do get blood clots from the AstraZeneca immunisation what is the treatment? Can this be treated in country areas?

* Why do some people after a COVID-19 vaccination get symptoms like shivers, aches and pains, headache, sore arm, etc and others don't?

Australia's been caught with its pants down May 27, 2021

Show notes

It often takes a crisis to expose all the weak points in a system, and this week's coronavirus outbreak in Melbourne has done just that.

The whole thing started with yet another breach of hotel quarantine. Then there's the slowness of the vaccine rollout, which has left millions of eligible people exposed.

Add to that the state issues of lacklustre QR code usage, and a testing system that is groaning under huge demand.

With herculean efforts by contact tracers and a bit of luck, Victoria mightn't suffer too much damage. Or maybe the virus will get away. It's still too early to know.

But on today's Coronacast, did it have to be like this?

Also on today's show:

* We had our 1st AstraZeneca shot a month ago. We have decided to have the 2nd dose in 8 weeks, rather than 12. What do you think? Also, is clotting risk present with the 2nd shot?

* If I have AstraZeneca for doses 1 and 2, with both shots completed by August, could I have a Pfizer shot in December? Would this provide better protection or could it be harmful?

* I received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine 10 days ago. Can you tell me if I'm less likely to catch COVID-19?

The urgent search for Melbourne's missing link May 26, 2021

Show notes

What started with just four coronavirus cases in Melbourne a few days ago has now more than doubled, as close contacts are tracked down, isolated and tested.

While cases are being linked to each other, how they relate back to a hotel quarantine breach in South Australia is still unclear.

The other big challenge facing health authorities will be making sure every case is tracked down, but that's a job that gets harder with every new positive case.

So on today's Coronacast, what are we hoping for in the days ahead?

Also on today's show:

* The TGA allows more flexibility for storing Pfizer vaccine

* What information is there on how the vaccine works for people with blood disorders?

* A few of your vaccination stories

Melbourne's outbreak and the coming winds of winter May 25, 2021

Show notes

Several cases of community transmission of coronavirus have been detected in Melbourne, as authorities rush to identify exposure sites and close contacts.

While we brace for more cases, much is still unknown, such as where the virus came, its genomic information and how many missing links there might be.

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says it's a concern as we head into the winter months, as people are more indoors where we know the virus is far more likely to spread.

Also on today's show:

* More on the British vaccine and data that were discussed yesterday. It seems Astra might not be as effective as hoped, but could mixing it with a Pfizer booster shot make it better?

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