As Melbourne returns to lockdown, the evidence suggests routine mask-wearing - as seen in many countries but not so far in Australia - could be a valuable tool to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
It has been described as a once-in-a-century pandemic, but COVID-19 will cause a permanent shift in the way the world operates at the social, political and economic level.
Test, trace, maintain social distance, and keep travel bans and quarantines in place. These measures will help Australia keep the coronavirus in check as we gradually emerge from lockdown hibernation.
At a high-security lab at UNSW Sydney, scientists are working around the clock to develop treatments and therapies to manage COVID-19. Here’s what their days look like.
Investigating the virus’ lifespan, creating safe virus lookalikes, and studying immunotherapy solutions are just some of the collaborative research projects happening in a high-level containment lab at UNSW Medicine’s Kirby Institute.
Current advice for COVID-19 health workers is based on the assumption that droplets bearing the virus travel no further than 2 metres and do not remain in the air. The body of published evidence suggests otherwise.
Biosecurity expert Raina MacIntyre says healthcare workers are concerned about dwindling supplies of personal protective equipment, and need to be aware of existing evidence to make an informed choice.
