What's That Rash? - TopPodcast.com

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Can Victoria get it done in three more weeks? Aug 24, 2020

Show notes

Melbourne is now halfway through its stage 4 lockdown, and if the daily case numbers are anything to go by, the restrictions are clearly working.

At the start of the month, Victoria recorded more than 700 cases in a single day. Daily cases are now down to the low 200s.

But is three more weeks of hard lockdown enough to get the number to where it needs to be? And what else could be standing in the way of the city coming out of stage 4?

On today's show:

* Is three more weeks enough to get Melbourne's numbers down?

* What about by Christmas?

We have a few updates and clarifications regarding testing times and the story about which COVID-19 symptoms come first (on average).

If that's not enough, we also have a quick fire round on vaccines!

* How is an unvaccinated person a threat to a vaccinated person?

* How will the vaccine be distributed?

* Is there enough evidence to suggest that it is safe?

* Will it be safe for pregnant women?

* Who will be getting the vaccine first?

Could aged care and hospitals keep Victoria locked up? Aug 21, 2020

Show notes

New coronavirus cases in Victoria have been falling nicely this week, but if you look a little closer there are still some concerning numbers.

A large number of healthcare workers are still being infected.

And cases from aged care still appear to be making up large parts of the daily totals.

So could the Government's struggle to rein in infections in aged care and hospitals be holding Victoria back?

On today's show:

* Is the drop in Victorian case numbers due to lower testing?

* But didn't the Victorian Health Minister say only 10-15 percent of health workers are catching it at work?

* What are the chances that aged care and hospital transmissions will keep Victoria in lockdown?

* Can you tell me more about the Oxford vaccine? How does it work?

* Will the vaccine work for people with weak immune systems?

* Would Norman and Tegan personally take it?

And we put the call out yesterday to see how long coronavirus tests are taking around the country. We've had a huge response, so thank you! We'll break down the numbers, but no prizes for guessing which state has the longest waiting time.

Why make a vaccine mandatory? Aug 20, 2020

Show notes

When Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he'd like to see any COVID vaccination be as "as mandatory as you can possibly make it", he put the idea of compulsory vaccines on the table.

Yesterday he announced the Government had signed a "letter of intent" with a British pharmaceutical giant for access to a coronavirus vaccine if it is successful in clinical trials.

So assuming the vaccine is proven to be safe and effective, what are some scientific reasons behind a mandatory rollout of mass vaccination?

On today's show:

* Are there any scientific reasons for mandatory vaccination?

* What are the ethics of mandatory vaccination?

* Are there any ways to speed up getting test results back?

And Norman has some research about COVID symptoms and what, on average, comes first, second, third and fourth, and why it shows testing regimes should be expanded.

Are hotels the best way of managing quarantine? Aug 19, 2020

Show notes

Governments in Australia and New Zealand are scrambling to find out more about recent coronavirus cases that appear to have escaped from hotel quarantine.

NSW Health is looking into how a security guard became infected with coronavirus while working at a hotel quarantine facility in early August.

And in New Zealand, a maintenance worker at a hotel managed isolation facility has been infected by a returned traveller from the USA, but no obvious person-to-person connection has been identified.

And don't forget the huge problems in Victoria.

So it raises the question: are hotels the best way of managing COVID quarantine?

On today's show:

* With new possible hotel quarantine breaches in NSW and New Zealand, are hotels the best way to manage quarantine?

* Isn't it inevitable that when humans are close together, the virus will find a way eventually?

* Why are we still talking about superspreaders when we should be talking about superspreading environments?

* Why are we still talking a lot about washing hands when it seems the main source of infection is aerosols?

* Can you please clarify about valve masks?

* How does a pandemic end? Everyone gets infected? Vaccine?

* Why don't we do a lockdown every year for the flu?

Will Australia have access to a vaccine if/when it is discovered? Aug 18, 2020

Show notes

While scientists are yet to come through with a proven coronavirus vaccine, it hasn't stopped governments around the world signing up for some of the most promising candidates.

The Australian Government is reportedly in "advanced negotiations" with a range of different companies and close to a deal that would allow production in Australia.

But what happens if the deals are for vaccines that end up not working? And is Australia at risk of missing out?

On today's show:

* Will Australia have access to a vaccine if/when it is discovered?

* What happens to production of vaccines if they are shown not to work?

* Can the outbreak in New Zealand be traced back to hotel quarantine? What about Victoria?

* How's the are of the virus coming in via cold storage looking?

Did coronavirus slip into NZ by cold freight? Aug 17, 2020

Show notes

As the coronavirus outbreak in New Zealand continues to grow, theories are circulating about how the virus snuck back into the country.

While the most likely explanation is it came in via a human, there are a few other suggestions.

One is that it never left and has been circulating silently for months, though health authorities say that this is unlikely.

Another is that it slipped back into the country on imported cold meats.

So how likely is it?

On today's show:

* Are the numbers in Victoria getting better? Are health workers still a concern?

* How did coronavirus make it back into New Zealand?

* Has SARS-CoV-2 mutated so that it's now more contagious?

And Norman and Tegan discuss a fascinating pre-print study about a fishing trip where nearly everyone on board got infected, except three people. What could that mean for vaccine development?

NZ's cases grow. What's the point of going for elimination? Aug 14, 2020

Show notes

The number of coronavirus cases in New Zealand has continued to grow, as health authorities desperately try to track down and stop the outbreak.

Prior to the coronavirus being found in the community, New Zealand had more than 100 days of zero community transmission.

But as they've just found out, keeping it that way seems impossible.

So if the virus is going to make it into your community eventually, what's the point of trying to eliminate spread?

On today's show:

* Victoria's numbers are falling nicely now. Is zero cases still something to aim for?

* New Zealand's cases of community transmission are on the rise again. What does it teach us about trying to eliminate the COVID-19 virus?

* We've had a lot of questions about a possible treatment for COVID-19, with a mix of the drugs ivermectin and doxycycline (also zinc). Why are some people suggesting it should be studied?

It's also time for another Quick Fire Friday!

Is the Russian vaccine dodgy, a game changer, or both? Aug 13, 2020

Show notes

Russia's announcement that its new coronavirus vaccine has been approved and is ready to be rolled out has been attacked by vaccine experts, describing it as reckless.

No reliable evidence has so far been released to show that it is effective.

And more dangerously, no large scale safety trial has been completed.

So what now for the Russian coronavirus vaccine? And what could it mean for the rest of the world's efforts?

On today's show:

* Could Russia's vaccine actually be effective?

* If it is effective, what is the problem then?

* What are coronavirus vaccines actually attempting to do? Stop the infection or just stop the disease?

* Victoria's numbers are up again. What's the latest?

* And what on earth is happening in New Zealand?

As Melbourne recovers, regional Victoria is struggling Aug 12, 2020

Show notes

The stage 4 lockdown in Melbourne has been successful so far in pushing down the number of cases in metro areas, but regional Victoria risks being left behind.

While the number of cases in regional areas are far smaller, centres like Bendigo and Geelong are struggling to get things under control.

So is there a possibility that Melbourne will get on top of things but regional Victoria will still have problems?

On today's show:

* Are cases increasing in regional Victoria and what could happen if they don’t start falling?

* Do some regional areas need stronger restrictions?

* On healthcare workers, how do we stop them getting sick?

* What about negative pressure rooms in hospitals?

* In NSW, clusters seem to be getting bigger, especially around schools. Weren’t they supposed to be lower risk?

* Should NSW go into tighter lockdown?

* Everyone is making sock masks. Aren’t they going to be too leaky?

When will Victoria's death count stop rising? Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

The tragic reality of so many people being infected with coronavirus over the past month has started to play out in Victoria.

Yesterday a record number of Victorians died of coronavirus in a single day.

So while the number of daily cases seems to have started to fall, when will the death rate also start to go down?

On today's show:

* It seems that while new daily cases have started to fall, sadly the death rate is up. Why are we only seeing it now?

* NSW says it's halfway through its critical phase. What does that mean?

* How did New Zealand get to zero spread?

* Does Australia still have a chance to get there?

* How are vaccines distributed in pandemics? Who gets it first?

And Norman has a correction and clarification from comments in a previous episode about swine flu and Victoria.

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