New South Wales’ COVID-19 cases peaked in early September with over 1,600 cases, before dropping rapidly to around 200-250 new cases a day now. By contrast, Victoria’s cases peaked in mid-October at 2,200 cases, but have plateaued around 1000 cases now. So why did Sydney’s cases drop further and faster than Melbourne’s?
New data from the ZOE COVID study in the UK shows that the most common COVID-19 symptoms amongst the fully vaccinated are almost indistinguishable from a common cold. The most common COVID-19 symptoms in vaccinated people are a headache (73%), runny nose (73%), sneezing (60%), sore throat (49%), and cough (49%).
Children aged 5-11 are unlikely to receive a COVID-19 vaccination before the end of 2021 according to Health Minister Greg Hunt. The United States has approved the Pfizer vaccine for this age group, but Australia’s medical regulator is still reviewing the health and safety data. According to Mr Hunt, the final approval will most likely happen early next year.
Despite a high vaccination rate (94%), Singapore is facing a new spike in COVID-19 cases since restrictions lifted in August. Australian infectious disease expert and advisor to the WHO, Dale Fisher, has warned that Australia could see a similar wave next year after a ‘summer honeymoon’.
With international travel opening back up, many of us are bound to experience jet lag again. Thankfully, there are several ways to stop this from occurring – here’s how:
Sleep is important for our body’s growth and repair. It can also help to reduce the risk of many health conditions – including Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and diabetes.
More than 270 schools and 300 childcare centres in NSW have closed due to COVID-19 cases in the past month alone. Children have been forced to quarantine and miss more school, prompting calls for rapid testing to be rolled out as an alternative solution.
As the northern hemisphere heads into winter, more European countries are having to reintroduce COVID-19 restrictions as cases spike. Countries that were hailed as ‘COVID-19 success stories’ with high vaccination rates are being inundated with cases, including Denmark, Germany, Norway, and the Czech Republic. Germany’s national health minister has warned the spike represents a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
The Singaporean government has announced they will no longer be covering the medical costs of COVID-19 patients who are ‘unvaccinated by choice’. Previously, the government covers any Singaporean citizen, permanent resident or holder of a long-term worker pass who is sick with COVID-19. Now, COVID-19 medical costs will only be covered for those who are vaccinated or are ineligible for vaccination.
