What's That Rash? - TopPodcast.com

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Can we do better at protecting health care workers? Aug 10, 2020

Show notes

One of the startling figures from the Victorian coronavirus wave is the number of healthcare workers who are getting sick.

Nearly 1000 Victorian healthcare workers currently have COVID-19, a number that has doubled in less than a fortnight.

When coronavirus hit China and Italy, we saw terrible numbers of healthcare workers getting really sick and sometimes dying.

So as the numbers continue to rise, what could happen in Victoria?

On today's show:

* How many healthcare workers could die?

* Norman talks about a study that looks at antibodies in health care workers in New York, which also reports some encouraging information about the accuracy of coronavirus tests.

* Numbers are slightly down in Victoria over the weekend. Is Norman going to do a victory lap about his prediction?

* Physiotherapists and other allied health professionals must now wear eye protection. This even applies in clinics treating only non-symptomatic people, with everybody wearing masks. I don't understand this rule, unless you can catch the virus via aerosol through your eyes? Can you?

* What's happening on the vaccine front? Are we going to get jabbed soon?

What happens next in Victoria depends on its mystery cases Aug 07, 2020

Show notes

Norman Swan made a big call in predicting that Victoria will start to see a reduction in coronavirus cases by next week, but not everyone agrees with him.

Some health experts say it's more likely that the state will experience a wide curve, rather than a sharp decline.

Ultimately, it'll come down to how many unknown mystery cases there are in the community.

So is Norman sticking by his prediction?

On today's show:

* How sure is Norman about his big prediction?

* What did we learn from SARS-CoV-1? Can we apply any knowledge from that?

* Can you get COVID-19 multiple times within a short time frame?

* If I can smell cigarette smoke and if I inhaled it from someone who was infected could I get sick?

* What is "pool testing"? Why don't we use it in Australia?

* Does UVC light effectively kill airborne coronavirus?

When will stage 4 restrictions start to shift the needle? Aug 06, 2020

Show notes

There's been another grim round of record-breaking coronavirus numbers in Victoria: the highest daily tally, the highest death toll and Australia's youngest victim – a man in his 30s.

It's now been almost a month since the state was placed into stage 3 lockdown, and a few days since they were ratcheted up to stage 4.

Today on Coronacast, some predictions on when numbers will finally start falling.

Also on the show:

* What happens with lockdowns if a vaccine never arrives?

* What's the success rate on most vaccines?

Have we been too easy on rule breakers? Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

The Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced that all COVID positive cases will be doorknocked multiple times, as authorities continue to tighten restrictions in Melbourne.

Complying with rules to isolate and quarantine has been a major problem in Victoria.

Recent figures show as many as one in four people who were supposed to be isolating at home, were not.

So why has it taken this long to crack down on rule breakers? Or is the punitive approach more harmful in the long term?

On today's show:

* How do you stop people from breaking the rules?

* What do you do about people who continue to refuse to follow the rules?

* The head of the World Health Organisation says there might not be a COVID silver bullet. How long could this all go on?

* What's the point of Melbourne's curfew?

* Is the cooler weather in Melbourne playing a part in the sudden rise in cases?

* Is there any point checking people's temperatures? Or is it a waste of time?

* I have hay fever and a constant runny nose. Should I keep getting tested for COVID, just in case?

Why stage 3 lockdowns were successful, but not quite enough Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

More than 250,000 workers in Melbourne will be forced to stay home to try and stop the spread of coronavirus.

Yesterday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews ordered the closure of thousands of shops, factories and offices in an attempt to not only flatten the curve but force it downwards.

So as the Victorian Government ratchets down restrictions even further, you'd be forgiven for thinking 'what was the point of stage 3?'

So today, why stage 3 lockdowns were successful, but not quite enough.

On today's show:

* What's the point of the new restrictions that are closing businesses across Melbourne?

* Were stage 3 restrictions a failure?

* Other parts of the country are increasing restrictions too. Are they a bit spooked?

* Are children really not that infectious? New research seems to challenge that idea and finds they are actually carrying a lot of virus.

* What's going on with rapid testing? The UK are rolling out tests that give results in 90 minutes. Can we have these in Australia too?

Melbourne's lockdown pain. How do we make it worth it? Aug 03, 2020

Show notes

Melbourne has spent its first night under curfew, imposed to try and halt the spread of coronavirus.

Yesterday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced Melbourne would move to stage 4 restrictions for six weeks.

Reasons to leave your house, education, ceremonies, travel and the number of people allowed to gather have all been tightened.

It's going to be a tough month and half, so how do we make sure it's all worth it?

On today's show:

* How do we make sure these stage 4 restrictions are worth it?

* What should we hope for when we come out the other side?

* When will it all end? By Christmas?

* I'm in Queensland and want to wear a mask when I go out but have a one year old. I would feel terrible protecting myself while leaving her exposed. Would wearing a mask offer us both any protection?

Another record :( Melbourne’s case number rollercoaster Jul 31, 2020

Show notes

Australia has smashed its daily coronavirus record, with Victoria recording around 700 new infections yesterday.

The state's second surge has been a rollercoaster ride of new peaks and falls – but what's concerning everyone is that the overall trend for Victoria is still on the rise.

On today's Coronacast, Norman Swan tells Tegan Taylor where he thinks all of this could be heading for Victoria, as well as surrounding states.

Also on today:

* Another record day in Victoria. It's been a rollercoaster of cases, and emotions.

* Why is Victoria waiting until Monday to impose mandatory masks statewide?

* How do we combat community coronavirus fatigue?

* Regarding the episode about COVID-toes, it's likely describing chilblains.

Is Queensland overreacting by banning Sydneysiders? Jul 30, 2020

Show notes

The daily coronavirus tallies in Queensland and New South Wales are nowhere near as high as Victoria, but health experts are warning that both states are now on a knife's edge

From early Saturday morning, Queensland will block all Sydneysiders from crossing its border, declaring the whole city a hotspot.

The New South Wales Government is so far still resisting any talk of another lockdown.

So is banning Sydneysiders fair enough? Or an overreaction?

On today's show:

* Is Queensland overreacting by banning Sydneysiders?

* Why does Queensland have concerns about Sydney?

* Why aren't other countries that are coming out of lockdown experiencing outbreaks?

* Do I have COVID toes and should I get a test?

And Coronacast looks at a new study that examines whether a 14-day quarantine is really long enough for coronavirus.

Coronavirus or terrifying hallucinations? Aged care's stark choice Jul 29, 2020

Show notes

When it comes to coronavirus, there is probably no one more vulnerable to the disease than an elderly resident at an aged care facility.

With 769 active cases relating to outbreaks in more than 60 Victorian aged care homes, you may think the solution could be evacuating those residents and putting them in hospital until the worst is over.

But on today's Coronacast, Norman Swan tells Tegan Taylor that while a change of location might protect an elderly resident from COVID-19, it could put them at risk of a terrifying medical condition known as delirium.

Also on the show:

* Norman has previously said that coronavirus can survive for days on some surfaces. So why shouldn't I worry about groceries?

* How should I clean the gym and do anti-bacterial wipes kill the virus?

Here's why Victoria's spike isn't going down just yet Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

When you think of a coronavirus outbreak on a graph, you probably imagine a big peak and then a swift downward curve as lockdown measures bring the number of infections under control.

But Victoria's recent spike looks pretty different. A record-breaking daily tally is followed by a fall in cases before infections suddenly rise again.

And also, why has this happened in Victoria? Is it just unlucky or could there be more to it?

Health reporter Tegan Taylor has been speaking to some epidemiologists about Victoria's unusual spike and fills in Norman Swan on what they think is going on here.

On today's show:

* Another day, another massive amount of cases in Victoria. Why isn't it going down?

* Why is it different from the first time we were in lockdown?

* If coronavirus is on playground equipment, will the rain wash it off?

* Do we really need to wash the groceries? It takes one hour to buy them and another two hours to wash and dry them.

* Since March, people have been arguing that the mortality rate is much lower than the documented case mortality rate by a factor of five to 10 times. What do we know about the mortality rate of COVID-19?

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