What's That Rash? - TopPodcast.com

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Trump's growing White House coronavirus cluster Oct 05, 2020

Show notes

By now you've probably heard the news that the most powerful man on the planet has tested positive for coronavirus.

US President Donald Trump is part of a growing cluster of cases popping up in the White House, Republican Senators and the Republican National Committee.

How did it happen? And what will Trump's course of treatment mean for the rest of his coronavirus journey?

Are we doing contact tracing the wrong way? Oct 02, 2020

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One of the main tools in our belt to fight coronavirus is contact tracing.

That is, when you identify someone who is positive for COVID-19, you isolate them and then try and find out all the people they've come in contact with.

The way we do contact tracing in Australia hasn't changed much since the beginning of the pandemic, but in other parts of the world it has.

So on today's Coronacast, are we doing contact tracing the wrong way and what can we learn from countries like Japan?

How can we safely reopen international borders? Oct 01, 2020

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As the number of COVID cases continues to drop in Australia, there's suddenly a whole lot more talk again about travel bubbles and increasing international arrivals from "safe" coronavirus countries.

The Prime Minister Scott Morrison is talking up an idea to let travellers from countries where there are low caseloads do their 14 days quarantine at home rather than in a hotel.

While mismanagement of the hotel quarantine system in Victoria led to a large outbreak, in other states and territories it has protected the country.

So how could we safely reopen international borders?

Also on today's show:

* What's the latest with healthcare worker statistics in Victoria?

* My husband is still convinced that flu has a higher mortality rate than COVID-19

* Is there any news on how successful or not the Russian vaccine has been?

And Norman has some interesting research about cats and dogs and if they can get coronavirus.

Why 1 million coronavirus deaths is only just the beginning Sep 30, 2020

Show notes

Coronavirus has now claimed the lives of more than a million people around the world and it's not showing many signs of slowing down.

Countries pummelled by the first wave of the pandemic are now experiencing a second one, while lower income countries are starting to see their infection rates take off.

And 1 million deaths is only the official recorded figure, so how much higher could the death toll be?

Also on the show:

* What is rapid testing and why isn't it more commonly used?

* How are Norman's gains after he returned to the gym?

What ever happened to saliva testing for coronavirus? Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

By now many of us would have been subjected to a coronavirus test.

A swab is shoved up your nose and jiggled around a bit, then it's shoved down your throat for another jiggle.

While it's incredibly important to keep coronavirus at bay, it's not exactly the most fun you'll ever have.

So what's happened to the promise of non-invasive saliva testing?

On today's show:

* Whatever happened to saliva testing for coronavirus?

* Is it okay to go back to swimming in a public swimming pool?

* Is it still worth wearing a mask in NSW?

* If you show symptoms of coronavirus, should you get tested straight away?

As Melbourne relaxes restrictions, can it keep cases down? Sep 28, 2020

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Melbourne has taken its first big step out of restrictions, with 127,000 more people allowed to head back to work today.

The number of active cases has fallen below 400 for the first time in nearly three months and the number of unknown mystery cases is also dropping.

And in positive news, the Premier Daniel Andrews says the city is about a week ahead of where they hoped to be.

So as restrictions are slowly lifted, can Melbourne keep numbers down?

On today's show:

* How cautious is the Victorian Government being as it moves out of lockdown?

* How useful is sewage testing for monitoring community spread of SARS-CoV-2?

* Any new information about climate and COVID?

* Can sniffer dogs detect coronavirus?

How often are people getting coronavirus twice? Sep 25, 2020

Show notes

With coronavirus still raging around the world, there have been plenty of opportunities for people to get COVID-19 twice.

The good news is that it seems to be incredibly rare for a person to contract the disease twice.

But in less good news, it seems when someone does get reinfected, it can be more serious the second time round.

So what does this mean for any vaccine?

On today's show:

* Why has there not been much discussion about possible treatment and therapies for coronavirus?

* What are the top three countries that get "the gold star" in dealing with the pandemic?

And it's time for Quick Fire Friday!

* How do you determine what percentage of infections in the community is required for herd immunity?

* If COVID 19 can cause inflammation to the brain and cause Parkinson's, what other sickness can do the same?

* How safe are choirs now?

* Who will be Norman's co-host next week?

Here's who you think should get a vaccine first Sep 24, 2020

Show notes

When it finally comes time to roll out a coronavirus vaccine, the reality is that some people will have to go first.

And then difficult decisions have to be made. Do you pick the most vulnerable or do you pick the people most likely to spread it?

In the results of a survey out today, Australians have indicated that they'd pick healthcare workers and carers to be first, and lawyers and farmers to have to wait a bit longer.

So who would you pick?

On today's show:

* Who would you pick to be vaccinated first?

* Is Sweden the success story it's cracked up to be?

* Does Sweden have herd immunity yet? Is it close?

* Are the UK's new restrictions likely to work?

* Is Melbourne much further along that the averages would suggest?

All of a sudden, things are looking much more positive Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

What a difference a little bit of time can make.

A month ago today, it was bleak. Melbourne was already several weeks into stage 4 lockdowns and posted more than 200 new cases of coronavirus.

But now it's looking much better. In Melbourne yesterday, the vast majority of cases were connected to aged care outbreaks with only four under investigation.

And states and territories are slowly reopening their borders, allowing us to travel far more freely once again.

So if internal borders are coming down, what can we hopefully look forward to next?

On today's show:

* With all the second waves cropping up globally are we getting more information on how people who had COVID-19 in the first wave are immune to infection the next time around?

* I have had a cough, sore throat, fatigue and breathlessness. I had the COVID-19 test which was negative. What's going on?

And Tegan talks about concerns that COVID-19 could lead to a pandemic of Parkinson's disease in the years ahead.

Why the wait for a vaccine might be longer than you think Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

There are several potential vaccines for coronavirus currently in phase 3 trials, but large scale safety and efficacy testing is far from the only hurdles the vaccines face.

The first round of vaccines could have complicated transportation and temperature requirements, and may have limited effectiveness and side effects.

So are the first available vaccines for COVID-19 the ones we'll have to just deal with forever? Or could the second round of vaccines be even better?

On today's show:

* Why would a second round COVID vaccine be more effective than a first round COVID vaccine?

* Why could it be another year before we all get vaccinated?

* I live in Melbourne and I am swimming each day in the bay. Does swimming in the sea help kill coronavirus?

* What is your take on electric hand-dryers in toilets? Should they be turned off for good?

* My baby turned one in lockdown in Melbourne. Most of her babyhood has passed in lockdown. What could be the developmental consequences of this for her?

* Why does Norman say "COVID" differently than everyone else? Surely it's not accent related since it's a new word?