The NSW government was finally forced to call a total lockdown on the weekend, as cases continue to soar and spread out to regional areas. Unfortunately, the soft lockdown approach may have come at enormous cost. If a two-week total lockdown had been called when the Delta variant first appeared in Bondi, it would’ve cost less than $3 billion, if successful. Currently, the restrictions and lockdowns in NSW are estimated to have cost $17 billion, and counting.
Sleep apnea is very common, affecting approximately 34% of middle-aged men and 17% of middle-aged women. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) – being the most common type - is linked to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes. However a recent article published by the American Heart Association has found it can also damage key blood vessels leading to accelerated vascular ageing.
As we age, our quality of sleep often deteriorates causing daytime sleepiness. This is especially common in the elderly with prevalence rates of up to 50%. The most common reason for declined sleep quality is sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) – a disruption of normal breathing during sleep.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced plans to reopen New Zealand’s borders in early 2022 – without changing their COVID-19 elimination strategy. A risk-based system based on country and vaccination status will offer different travel pathways for people coming into New Zealand. Vaccinated travellers from high risk countries will still need to quarantine for 14 days, but vaccinated travellers from low risk countries can expect to avoid quarantine all together.
As of the 11th of August, there have been 357 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital in NSW, with 60 people admitted to ICU. As the Delta outbreak continues, it’s important to understand what severe COVID-19 is actually like.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has provisionally approved the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for use in Australia, with millions of doses expected over the upcoming months. So how does the Moderna vaccine work, and how is it different to the Pfizer?
Well-known epidemiologist Dr. Larry Brilliant has warned that the pandemic is far from over, saying, “I think we’re closer to the beginning than we are to the end…” Currently, only 15% of the world population has been vaccinated, although over 100 countries have less than 5% of people vaccinated. Dr Brilliant warns, “unless we vaccinated everyone in 200 plus countries, there will still be new variants,” which will continue to drive the pandemic like the Delta variant has. Dr Brilliant was part of the World Health Organisation’s team that helped eradicate smallpox, and is now the founder of a pandemic response consultancy.
The Delta variant is putting young, healthy people at risk of fatal cardiac complications. Professor Jason Kovacic, from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, explained that the Delta variant appears to be causing more serious infections and complications in young people. Myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), and blood clots are some of the most concerning side effects seen with Delta. Prof Kovacic predicts, “It may be inevitable that more young people die as this outbreak is set to get worse, but hopefully it’s a very, very, very low number.”
New modelling from the Burnet Institute shows that NSW could exceed 500 daily cases as early as Friday, despite the lockdown. The modelling, based on data from Melbourne’s second outbreak, shows that whilst cases in South Western Sydney are decreasing, cases throughout the rest of Sydney are doubling every 4-5 days. The experts behind the model are therefore calling for stricter restrictions across all Sydney. “Not only is this the equitable approach, but epidemiologically sound.” Even with these restrictions, it could take until the end of September to reach a 7 day average of 5 cases a day.
