What's That Rash? - TopPodcast.com

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While the world fights variants, we have a border problem Mar 22, 2021

Show notes

The UK and Europe are vaccinating people in their millions but the scale of the pandemic there means they're still in catch up mode.

Experts have warned that variants that may not be fully covered by our current vaccines are continuing to emerge and spread.

So on today's Coronacast, while here in Australia we're still sitting relatively pretty with very few cases, what does this mean for our ability to reopen borders anytime in the foreseeable future?

Does the vaccine cure long COVID? Mar 19, 2021

Show notes

For those with symptoms of COVID months after being infected, there could be good news on the horizon.

People with long COVID report being fatigued and unable to concentrate after contracting the virus.

Now a study - which has not yet been peer-reviewed - has found that some long COVID sufferers report feeling significantly better in the days after receiving a coronavirus vaccine.

On today's Coronacast, what could this study mean for people suffering from long COVID and what does it tell us about COVID-19?

Also on today's show:

* What could Europe's Astra pause mean for the global rollout?

* What do reports of blood clotting mean for people who've had strokes or clots in the past?

* A baby of vaccinated mother born with antibodies

The vaccine rollout has growing pains Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

The government has been urging Australians to embrace covid vaccines but now that phase 1b is just days away, the infrastructure underpinning this is being put to the test.

About 6 million Aussies fall into the coming phase, and about 1000 GP clinics are part of the rollout plan.

But many people, keen to get the vaccine and trying to book appointments, are being told clinics listed on the government website aren't part of the rollout, or that they haven't yet received vaccines and don't know when they will.

On today's Coronacast, why is it so hard for Australia to scale up its vaccination rollout? And do these early delays risk putting people off getting their shots?

Also on today's show:

* A look at why Germany may have halted the AstraZeneca rollout

Here's what we know about the blood clots reports Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

Australian health authorities and regulators have assured the public that there is currently no evidence to suggest the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine is not safe or is causing blood clots.

It's come in response to several European countries pausing the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout amid blood clot concerns.

The European Medicines Agency is currently investigating reports, and is due to report back on Thursday, and as such the Australian rollout will continue.

So on today's Coronacast, what we know and what we don't about this whole story about blood clots.

What's the hold up with the vaccine rollout? Supply or delivery? Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

It's now several weeks into Australia's vaccine rollout, and while people are being immunised daily, there hasn't exactly been a massive ramp up.

165,000 people have been immunised so far, which is behind what the Federal Government had hoped to achieve.

The target was 4 million people initially set for early April, which is only a few weeks away.

So on today's Coronacast, what's the hold up with the vaccine rollout? Supply or delivery?

Also on today's show:

* Astra effective against 1.351 and B117 (in Syrian hamsters)

* Queensland worried about coronavirus wave in PNG

* A bit more on the NSW security guard who tested positive for COVID-19, despite being vaccinated

That damn virus slips out once again! Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

Coronavirus has slipped past our infection control systems once again, with health authorities in two states again chasing down the virus.

In NSW, the hotel quarantine system seems to have been breached with a vaccinated security guard testing positive over the weekend.

And in Queensland, a doctor has been infected after assessing a known COVID positive patient in hospital.

So on today's Coronacast, can we expect this to happen less once the vaccine is further rolled out to frontline workers or is something we have to keep living with?

Also on today's show:

* Please tell us about the stories saying that the Astra-Zeneca vaccine is causing blood clots

* A survey shows more people want to get vaccinated than in December 2020

The vaccines weren't developed as quickly as you think Mar 12, 2021

Show notes

When public figures talk about the coronavirus vaccine, you might hear that it's amazing that it was developed so quickly.

While many are keen to talk up the amazing efforts of scientists, the statement that the vaccine was developed quickly can actually cause many people to worry.

And in reality, the coronavirus vaccines being rolled out in Australia were NOT developed all that quickly, and were approved via exactly the same process as every other drug you've ever taken.

So on today's Coronacast, the story behind the development of COVID vaccines and why it seems they popped up so fast.

Also on today's show:

* What does 100 percent more deadly even mean?

* And it's time for Quick Fire Friday and we actually get through quite a few today.

The pandemic is officially a year old. We've learnt so much. Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

A year ago today, the World Health Organisation officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a "pandemic".

In reality, it'd been clear for some time that the SARS-CoV-2 virus wasn't going to go away anytime soon.

Cases outside China had been growing fast and Italy was going into its first big lockdown.

So on today's Coronacast, a look back to what we've learnt and how far we've come.

Also on today's show:

* Adelaide's water keeps throwing up coronavirus alerts

* Getting local vaccine into bottles

* What if the vaccines don't work on the new variants?

Cancer patients and the vaccine. What do we know? Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

In the scramble to get the coronavirus vaccines through rigorous safety and dosage clinical trials, many types of people weren't included in the studies.

One massive group are people who are affected - or have been affected - by cancer.

People with cancer are more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 and have a higher risk of suffering severe disease, so a vaccine is a vital part of their health care.

So on today's Coronacast, what do we know about how the vaccine works with people who have cancer?

Also on today's show:

* Norman and Tegan discuss a new study looking at how the Pfizer vaccine responds to the so-called Brazilian variant

* More on convergent evolution and swimming kangaroos

What if we vaccinated everyone in poorer countries first? Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

The global effort to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible is gathering pace, but new variants have thrown a few curve balls.

Australia has secured enough vaccines to immunise everyone several times over, but would a better long-term public health strategy be to vaccinate those in surrounding poorer countries first?

The idea behind this is that large COVID-19 affected populations are more likely to throw off new variants, which might be worse than what we're currently dealing with.

So on today's Coronacast, since Australia has very little virus, why not send what we've got overseas?

Also on today's show:

* Is there a limit to the number of variants that usually arise from a virus like coronavirus?

* We've heard a lot about the so-called South African and UK variants, but what do we know about the Brazil variant?

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