The UK recorded 49,156 cases on Monday – the highest figure seen since the end of the lockdown. Cases have been steadily rising over the past few weeks, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson is not looking at reimposing any restrictions yet. High rates of COVID-19 amongst schoolchildren are playing a driving factor in the outbreak.
In a recent interview, Health Minister Greg Hunt has revealed data showing how effectively vaccinated Australians are protected against COVID-19. Currently, COVID-19 has a mortality rate of 1.06% in Australia, but the risk of hospitalisation for fully vaccinated people is ‘almost nothing’ according to Mr Hunt.
On the cusp of being 70% fully vaccinated, Victoria will lift its lockdown on Thursday. The state recorded 1,903 cases today. With cases so high as lockdown lifts, the Burnet Institute modelling has shown that a second peak will likely occur around mid-December with cases at around 4,000. It also suggested there could be around 200 people in ICU and 1000 people in hospital with COVID-19 for the remainder of the year.
Melatonin is a key hormone involved in sleep and is produced naturally in the brain. Melatonin supplements are a popular way to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep, however there are plenty of melatonin-rich foods that you can add to your diet to do the trick:
A healthy diet, exercise and controlling your blood pressure can all reduce the risk of having a stroke – however your sleep quality also plays an important role.
Australia’s medical regulator has official approved the first COVID-19 self-testing kits for use in Australia. The rapid antigen test kits can be supplied around Australia from November 1. Home testing will form another layer of protection for Australians as we continue to reopen.
Many Australians are nervously waiting for NSW COVID-19 case numbers to surge after reopening on Monday. Singapore has served as a grim warning – with 3000 cases a day despite having higher vaccination rates than Australia open reopening. However, experts have explained that NSW is unlikely to face the same fate.
After favourable results in an American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) trial, Pfizer has now begun the process to get its vaccine approved for children aged 5-11. According to a spokeswoman, the trial results showed a favourable safety profile and a robust antibody response to two doses of the vaccine. The dose size for children aged 5-11 is around one-third of the standard dose size.
One of the most heavily vaccinated countries, Singapore, has seen a significant rise in cases. From 29 cases on August 22, it has now risen to 3700 cases on October 9. However, there is a silver lining. 98.5% of all local infected cases over the past 4 weeks were asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, showing that the vaccine is still saving lives.
