Amy Maguire, University of Newcastle e Bin Li, University of Newcastle
Australia’s Biosecurity Act gives the government power to detain and isolate people who are suspected of being infected, with potentially harsh penalties for those who fail to comply.
Medical workers in health crisis zones need access to research evidence to inform decisions. Above, workers at a temporary hospital for COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China on Feb. 21, 2020.
Chinatopix via AP, File
In a health crisis, decisions about treatment and containment must be made quickly. It’s crucial those decisions be based on research evidence, but fast and easy access is not always available.
Local residents’ committees control urban governance in China, meaning lockdown measures do not feel imposed from outside.
U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Jerome M. Adams, center, demonstrates hand-washing to U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, left, and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, right, in Rocky Hill, Conn., March 2, 2020.
AP Photo/Jessica Hill
As the coronavirus spreads, public health officials stress the importance of hand washing. But can it really make that much of a difference? A microbiologist explains why.
A county executive in Washington state addresses the media after a death from COVID-19, which results from the coronavirus.
Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images
COVID-19 has now been confirmed in New Zealand in one case, but as yet, there is no evidence of transmission to others. Pandemic planning is focused on keeping the novel coronavirus out.
Prime Minister Scott Morrision delivers a coronavirus update on Tuesday.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Unemployment insurance could soften the blow if the COVID-19 outbreak takes hold in the US. But the system currently isn’t designed to help workers in a pandemic.
The coronavirus has moved to a new stage in Australia, with the first two cases of local transmission of the disease, affecting the economy, and inspiring legislative action.
By providing users with pertinent and reliable disaster-related information, Twitter has the potential to reduce the impact of a disaster. So why aren’t public organizations using it properly?
There are three phases to Australia’s response plan. The ‘Initial Action’ stage, the ‘Targeted Action’ stage, and finally, the ‘Standdown’ stage. Right now, we’re in the first.
Ebola posters in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Olivia Acland / Barcroft Media via Getty Images /
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand