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The short fallings of Australia’s vaccine rollout are becoming more and more obvious, as new data shows we are ranked dead-last amongst OECD countries. With less than 5% of the population vaccinated, Australia is one of the developed world’s worst performers. Currently, vaccination rates are being led by Israel, Chile, and Iceland, who have 60%, 54%, and 52% respectively of their population fully vaccinated. Despite their large size, even the US has over 45% of their population fully vaccinated. New Zealand, with 7.9% of the population fully vaccinated, is second last.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is urging people to keep wearing masks and social distancing even if they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. With the alarming spread of the Delta variant, it is crucial that community transmission is limited as much as possible. As WHO Senior Advisor Bruce Aylward said, “once you’ve been fully vaccinated continue to play it safe because you could end up as part of a transmission chain.”

As the coronavirus has evolved, common COVID-19 symptoms have been changing. In the UK, where the Delta strain dominates, a self-reporting system has shown that symptoms have changed. The most common symptoms have been headache, sore throat, runny nose, fever and a persistent cough – things most of us would brush off as a ‘winter sniffle’. Loss of smell or taste is no longer particularly common with the Delta variant.

Poor sleep is a widespread problem, but statistics show that some racial and socioeconomic groups are suffering more than others.

Getting to sleep can be a major struggle if you have a sleep disorder, suffer from stress or anxiety or have a busy schedule. You may have heard time and time again that you need to get 7-9 hours of sleep per night, but are still looking for help.

Urgent Product Defect Correction on Specific Philips Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), BiLevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiLevel PAP) devices, and Mechanical Ventilators

New data from the Israel Health Ministry has revealed that the Pfizer vaccine is continuing to work well against the new Delta variant, effectively preventing hospitalizations and serious illness. Israel has had one of the world’s most effective vaccine drives – with around 57% of their population now fully vaccinated. Now, the Delta variant has spread to Israel, allowing us to see how it spreads in a country with high vaccination rates. From June 6 to July 3, the Pfizer vaccine prevented hospitalizations and serious illness with a 93% efficacy rate. However, the Delta variant seems to compromise Pfizer’s efficacy at preventing overall infection – dropping from 94.3% to 64%.

New research suggests the Lambda COVID strain may be more transmissible than the Delta strain ravaging many countries. The Lambda strain has spread to nearly 30 countries in the last four weeks alone. Originally discovered in Peru, it now causes 82% of the countries cases. Furthermore, Peru now has the highest COVID mortality rate in the world, at nearly 10% of recorded cases.

If you think COVID-19 only impacts the elderly, think again. Yesterday, Dr Kerry Chant revealed that of the 37 people currently in hospital with COVID-19, 14 were under 55; 8 of those are under 35. Early research suggests that the Delta strain is more transmissible amongst younger people than previous COVID strains, thanks to some key mutations. This is amplified by the low vaccination rates amongst young Australians due to the current stage of the vaccine rollout.

The Delta variant of the coronavirus is the most contagious version worldwide. Research shows it spreads around 225% faster than the original Wuhan strain, and it is dominating outbreaks around the world. So why is it spreading so fast?

Age significantly affects your sleep needs. Your sleep cycles, stress levels, exercise levels and diet change throughout the years, which all impact your sleep. While sleep habits differ for everyone, sleep experts have specific recommendations for each age group.

Have you ever found yourself getting sick after an all-nighter, or after burning the candle at both ends for too long? There’s a good reason – research shows that a lack of sleep weakens your immune system, making you more susceptible to getting sick. In fact, research even shows sleep deprivation can make vaccinations less effective, as your antibody response can be reduced by 50%.