#covid-19

Covid-19 Lastest Information: NSW Government Health | World Health Organisation | Australian Governement Health | US Centre for Disease Control

A lot has been said about the stark difference between the China and the West in relation to what we can do to tackle #COVID-19. In making decisions for Australia, we need to remember that we are heading into winter (the flu season), while the northern hemisphere heads into summer.

What is social distancing and why is it important?

Social distancing includes ways to stop or slow the spread of infectious diseases. It means less contact between you and other people.

Social distancing is important because COVID-19 is most likely to spread from person-to-person through:

• direct close contact with a person while they are infectious or in the 24 hours before their symptoms appeared
• close contact with a person with a confirmed infection who coughs or sneezes, or
• touching objects or surfaces (such as door handles or tables) contaminated from a cough or sneeze from a person with a confirmed infection, and then touching your mouth or face.

So, the more space between you and others, the harder it is for the virus to spread. 

What can I do?
If you are sick, stay away from others – that is the most important thing you can do.
You should also practise good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene:

• wash your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
• cover your cough and sneeze, dispose of tissues, and use alcohol-based hand sanitiser, and
• if unwell, avoid contact with others (stay more than 1.5 metres from people).

As well as these, you can start a range of social distancing and low cost hygiene actions now.

These simple, common sense actions help reduce risk to you and to others. They will help to slow the spread of disease in the community – and you can use them every day – in your home,workplace, school and while out in public.

More at https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-information-on-social-distancing

20 March Australian Prime Minister Update: 

"All leaders reiterated the importance of Australians strictly adhering to social distancing and self isolation requirements, in particular for those who are unwell and for returned travellers. Not adhering to self isolation requirements when you are unwell puts the lives of your fellow Australians at risk."... https://www.pm.gov.au/media/update-coronavirus-measures-0

Bear in mind Australia is concerned we are going into the flu season
while Northern Hemisphere is coming out of it.
https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/health/dreaded-duo-australia-will-likely-hit-peak-coronavirus-cases-around-flu-season

Social Support

20 Mar 2020:Bruce Bradbury and Peter Whiteford

So far, Australia’s help for people displaced, self-isolating or ill has been far from generous...

https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/general/social-protection-and-viral-recession

Testing

 SEOUL - In late January, South Korean health officials summoned representatives from more than 20 medical companies from their lunar New Year celebrations to a conference room tucked inside Seoul’s busy train station.... Special Report, Reuters, March 19, 2020 / 5:13 AM https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-testing-specialrep/special-report-how-korea-trounced-u-s-in-race-to-test-people-for-coronavirus-idUSKBN2153BW

Looking for a Cure

Noting Cuba is renowned for its health system, according to this London School of Economics blog  they are leading the way in the fight against #covid-19...Cuba and coronavirus: how Cuban biotech came to combat COVID-19, London School of Economics Blog, March 18th, 2020 https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/latamcaribbean/2020/03/18/cuba-and-coronavirus-how-cuban-biotech-came-to-combat-covid-19/

Schools

Q: Will Singapore close schools to limit the spread of the virus?
Mr Wong: The evidence on schools is not so clear at this stage.
Based on what experts have presented to the task force, it is quite unusual in this particular Covid-19 experience compared with the normal influenza season, where many children would be infected.
What is not clear is whether it's fewer because their symptoms are so mild that we are not picking them up, or whether it's because somehow this is different from the normal influenza and the children are not as prone to being infected for some reason which we don't quite understand yet"...On holding events like NDP and whether schools will close",Mar 14, 2020, 5:00 am SGT https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/no-plans-to-close-schools-for-now-says-education-minister-ong-ye-kung

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pandemic/Publications/hand-wash-poster-printer-friendly.pdf