We have to balance the risk of transmission with the mental health challenges of lockdowns. A bubble system could alleviate loneliness while minimising infection risk.
It's easy to judge people who escape from quarantine as not doing their bit. But if we use some basic principles from behavioural science, we might stop people wanting to escape in the first place.
Just because someone isn't wearing a mask doesn't mean they don't want to. They might have a disability or medical condition you can't see that makes wearing a mask difficult or distressing.
A survey of 1420 Australians conducted at the height of the pandemic shows the majority changed their behaviour to be socially responsible, even when the threat seemed low.
A UNSW Medicine Professor and advisor to the World Health Organisation says the WHO’s updated mask advice, released today, is timely news for Australia, too.