NSW residents over the age of 60 can now access Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as well as the AstraZeneca vaccine. Nearly all states and territories have now opened the mRNA vaccines to those over 60. More than half a million people aged 60-69 are yet to have a single jab, and there is hope this move could encourage more to get vaccinated.
Australia is now set to surpass America’s vaccination rate thanks to increasing vaccine uptake. Even though Americans have had access to abundant vaccine supplies since January, only around 63.5% of the total population has had at least 1 dose. By comparison, around 62% of Australians have now received their first dose, despite issues with vaccine supply. And that number continues to rise quickly, soon to surpass the US.
Many people have been waiting for home rapid antigen tests to be made available in Australia, given their use in other areas like the UK. However, Deputy Secretary John Skerritt from Australia’s medical regulator has revealed that they are still waiting for the federal government to give the green light to begin the approval process. Professor Skerritt said, “They have to make a decision, you know, when is it less of a big deal to start missing some positive cases, because we know these rapid antigen tests are pretty good, but they’re not as good as the gold standard PCR test.”
Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced the federal government is eager to roll out rapid antigen tests for home use as soon as regulatory approval is given. Mr Hunt said, “Subject to effectiveness against Delta, we would like to see these available by Christmas if not well before.”
Teenagers are stereotypically known for being tired and grouchy in the mornings – but research suggests there is a scientific reason behind this.
A new antibody treatment for COVID-19, sotrovimab, is showing early success in preventing serious illness. The monoclonal antibody treatment is being offered to patients who meet criteria in major hospitals across Sydney. Clinical trials have found that a single dose reduced the risk of hospitalisation or death by 79%.
A new study presented early this month has revealed that those with sleep apnea on Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy have a much higher chance of living longer. The study of 176,000 people with sleep apnea over 3 years found that patients using CPAP treatment were 39% more likely to survive than OSA patients who didn’t. The survival rate gap still remained significant when accounting for age, overall health, pre-existing conditions, and causes of death.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has stressed the need for rapid antigen testing across Australia as ACT testing rates have dropped. As more people become fully vaccinated, the likelihood of cases being asymptomatic increases. By using quick tests to screen people, there is hope we can weed some of these asymptomatic cases out.
New modelling from the University of Melbourne suggests that even with 80% of the adult population vaccinated, we may still need to endure long lockdowns. They estimate that people will need to be in lockdown 58% of the year to keep deaths below 1000 a year and infections below 320 a day.
