Contact tracers are among the many unsung heroes of our public health efforts to control the coronavirus, in Victoria and beyond. But they need help.
A lifeguard keeps watch over a packed beach in Huntington Beach, Calif., on June 28, when the number of new cases of COVID-19 in the state have been climbing.
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Deborah Williamson, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity; Allen Cheng, Monash University, and Sharon Lewin, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
Saliva testing is less sensitive than a nasal swab. But in the midst of a public health crisis, in some cases a test with slightly reduced sensitivity may be better than no test at all.
Bruce Aylward, team lead of the WHO-China joint mission on COVID-19, speaks to the media about COVID-19 after returning from China, on Feb. 25, 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Keystone via AP, Salvatore Di Nolfi
Canada’s goal of increasing immigration to drive economic growth could be hampered if borders remain closed due to COVID-19. How then can the country attract the best and brightest workers to Canada?
Sherry Brewer, a teacher at the Galloway Children’s Center, watches over children as they enjoy snacks after a pre-Fourth of July parade in Jackson, Mississippi, June 26, 2020.
AP Photo/Rogilio V. Solis
This is the first Fourth of July in which Americans must deal with the coronavirus pandemic. One of the nation’s premier infectious disease experts explains why it’s important to take special care.
The first floating offshore wind turbine “floatgen” is pictured off La Turballe, western France on September 28 2018.
Sebastien Salom Gomis/AFP
Can Europe’s response to the Covid-19 health crisis put its economy on a greener path? To help answer this question, the recent GEM Energy Barometer polled around 100 energy experts in France.
Eventually: members of the UN Security Council pass a resolution calling for a global cesefire on July 1.
UN Web TV
António Guterres, the UN secretary general, called for a global ceasefire in late March. Three months later, the UN security council has only just agreed to back it.
Pooled testing is most efficient when applied in settings of low virus prevalence.
Situated on a plateau and surrounded by mountains, Mexico City – seen here in a haze on May 20, 2018 – is a ‘bowl’ that traps smog and dust.
AP Photo/Marco Ugarte
The Aztecs had a shining city on a lake, with canals, causeways and aqueducts – until the Spanish came. Mexico City is still suffering the consequences of their bad public health decisions.
Getting the right information during the pandemic has been a matter of life and death.
FivosVas via Shutterstock
A survey of 1,268 people has found that the BBC is popular across all age groups. But all media needs to pay more attention to devolved and local news.
Screening multiple samples with a single test gets more people diagnosed using fewer supplies. Two health policy researchers explain how it works and how it could help the US.
Worried you won’t be understood while wearing a mask? Don’t be. We studied how people sound while talking through fabric and the results are encouraging.
Australia’s island identity and attitude to border security was forged from handling pandemics since the time of federation. Here’s what we’ve learned along the way.
As compulsory testing and more restrictive quarantine rules are being considered, it is critical these measures are properly communicated and used with restraint.
Either the state government’s measures will wrest back control of the outbreak, or unbridled community transmission could mean infection rates get totally out of control.
John Quiggin, The University of Queensland; Elise Klein, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, and Troy Henderson, University of Sydney
As debate grows over what should happen to JobSeeker Payment, a ‘liveable income guarantee’ turns the idea of an unemployment benefit on its head.
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne