Country Code
AU

COVID-19, Australia: Epidemiology Report 24 (Fortnightly reporting period ending 30 August 2020)

Cumulatively to 30 August there have been 25,686 case notifications and 577 deaths. The number of new cases reported nationally this fortnight was 1,751, a 61% decrease from the previous fortnight (4,501). On average this represented 125 cases diagnosed each day over the reporting period, a decrease from 322 cases per day over the previous reporting period. 94% (1,640) of all cases were reported in Victoria, with a smaller number of cases reported from New South Wales (86), Queensland (19), Western Australia (5) and South Australia (1).

The effect of COVID-19 public health measures on nationally notifiable diseases in Australia: preliminary analysis

Abstract: Since the introduction of COVID-19-related public health measures, notifications for most nationally notifiable diseases have declined when compared to previous years. Physical distancing, travel restrictions, and emphasis on hygiene are likely to have affected the number of expected notifications, with the greatest reductions observed among disease spread via person-to-person contact such as influenza, and among overseas-acquired infections such as dengue virus and measles.

Horticulture in Queensland Australia, COVID-19 Response. It Hasn’t All Been Bad on Reflection

Australia and with that Queensland have been extremely fortunate with the impact of COVID-19. Queensland has only had 1,067 cases as of June 30, 2020, of which 78% have been overseas acquired. Australia and Queensland acted early to address COVID-19 by putting in place a range of strategies including travel bans (international and domestic), isolation measures, testing regimes, advice to business, economic support, and research funding. Agriculture was designated an essential business and as such has continued operating throughout the pandemic.

Patient care modifications and hospital regulations during the COVID-19 crisis created inequality and functional hazard for patients with orthopaedic trauma

Purpose: The COVID pandemic has decreased orthopaedic fracture operative intervention and follow-up and increased the use of virtual telemedicine clinics. We assessed the implications of this management on future orthopaedic practice. We also surveyed patient satisfaction of our virtual fracture follow-up clinics. Method: We prospectively analysed 154 patients during two weeks of ‘lockdown’ assessing their management. We surveyed 100 virtual fracture clinic follow-up patients for satisfaction, time off work and travel.

After “The China Virus” Went Viral: Racially Charged Coronavirus Coverage and Trends in Bias Against Asian Americans

On March 8, 2020, there was a 650% increase in Twitter retweets using the term “Chinese virus” and related terms. On March 9, there was an 800% increase in the use of these terms in conservative news media articles. Using data from non-Asian respondents of the Project Implicit “Asian Implicit Association Test” from 2007–2020 (n = 339,063), we sought to ascertain if this change in media tone increased bias against Asian Americans.

How socio-economic and atmospheric variables impact COVID-19 and influenza outbreaks in tropical and subtropical regions of Brazil

COVID-19 has been disturbing human society with an intensity never seen since the Influenza epidemic (Spanish flu). COVID-19 and Influenza are both respiratory viruses and, in this study, we explore the relations of COVID-19 and Influenza with atmospheric variables and socio-economic conditions for tropical and subtropical climates in Brazil.

Previous psychopathology predicted severe COVID-19 concern, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms in pregnant women during “lockdown” in Italy

Italy was the first COVID-19 pandemic epicenter among European countries and established a period of full “lockdown”, consisting of travel bans, mandatory staying at home, and temporary closure of nonessential businesses. Similar measures are known risk factors for psychological disturbances in the general population; still, little is known about their impact on pregnant women’s mental health during COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental health impairment triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample population of German students

Due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lockdown including limitation of activity and restrictions of non-essential travel was imposed on March 21, 2020 in the State of Bavaria, Germany. The implementation of activity restrictions not only strongly affects the economy but will possibly also impact the mental and physical health status of the general population. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore psychological effects of the COVID-19 crisis on a sample of Bavarian students.In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 1943 voluntary subjects from Bavarian universities.