Scientists have produced evidence that the pandemic virus is 'uniquely adapted to infect humans', raising fresh questions over whether its origins were natural or could have occurred in a laboratory.
Where did the Coronavirus 19 Originate from? and anything relative to the virus.
Where did the Coronavirus 19 originate from? and anything relative to the virus.
Coronavirus is 'uniquely adapted to infect humans': Top vaccine scientist says it could only have come from an animal through a 'freak of nature' - and the possibility it leaked from Wuhan lab MUST be investigated
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Australia COVID-19 weekly update 24 February 2023
Australia wide last 7 days — 18,722 new cases; 1,295 in hospital; 36 in ICU; 127 deaths.
• NSW: 6,545 new cases, 818 in hospital, 18 in ICU, 47 deaths.
• VIC: 3,052 new cases, 101 in hospital, 5 in ICU, 33 deaths.
• QLD: 3,950 new cases, 234 in hospital, 8 in ICU, 26 deaths.
• ACT: 525 new cases, 9 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 0 deaths.
• TAS: 489 new cases, 8 in hospital, 1 in ICU, 5 deaths.
• SA: 1,777 new cases, 46 in hospital, 2 in ICU, 14 deaths.
• WA: 2,278 new cases, 74 in hospital, 2 in ICU, 2 deaths.
• NT: 106 new cases, 5 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 0 deaths.
More.
Australia COVID-19 weekly update 3 March 2023
Australia wide last 7 days — 19,500 new cases; 1,314 in hospital; 31 in ICU; 101 deaths.
• NSW: 7,163 new cases, 800 in hospital, 19 in ICU, 29 deaths.
• VIC: 3,016 new cases, 104 in hospital, 4 in ICU, 23 deaths.
• QLD: 4,028 new cases, 278 in hospital, 6 in ICU, 23 deaths.
• ACT: 491 new cases, 8 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 4 deaths.
• TAS: 622 new cases, 17 new in hospital, 1 new in ICU, 1 death.
• SA: 1,700 new cases, 35 in hospital, 1 in ICU, 13 deaths.
• WA: 2,390 new cases, 69 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 8 deaths
• NT: 90 new cases, 3 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 0 deaths.
More.
Australia COVID-19 weekly update 10 March 2023
Australia wide last 7 days — 19,874 new cases; 1,288 in hospital; 33 in ICU; 132 deaths.
• NSW: 7,871 new cases, 808 in hospital, 18 in ICU, 36 deaths.
• VIC: 3,319 new cases, 94 in hospital, 1 in ICU, 33 deaths.
• QLD: 3,335 new cases, 257 in hospital, 8 in ICU, 12 deaths.
• ACT: 395 new cases, 6 in hospital, 1 in ICU, 0 deaths.
• TAS: 609 new cases, 15 new in hospital, 1 new in ICU, 3 deaths.
• SA: 1,712 new cases, 47 in hospital, 4 in ICU, 43 deaths.
• WA: 2,546 new cases, 60 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 4 deaths.
• NT: 87 new cases, 1 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 1 death.
More.
10 March 2023
On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization classified COVID as a pandemic. Three years on, it remains just that. As we enter the fourth year of the pandemic, we must not leave it up to the virus to fix itself.
We cannot assume there will be a natural exit to the pandemic, where the virus reaches some benign endemicity, a harmless presence in the background. In fact, there is little indication anything like that is imminent.
In Australia, since the beginning of January, more than 235,000 COVID cases have been reported, almost as many as in 2020 and 2021 combined. Since the start of January, there have been 2,351 COVID-related deaths, more than twice as many as in the whole of 2020 and around the same as in the whole of 2021.
Labor said Australia's ability to detect and respond to new variants had also improved since January.
Australia COVID-19 weekly update 17 March 2023
Australia wide last 7 days — 22,288 new cases; 1,345 in hospital; 24 in ICU; 107 deaths.
• NSW: 8,905 new cases, 834 in hospital, 13 in ICU, 22 deaths.
• VIC: 3,960 new cases, 114 in hospital, 4 in ICU, 29 deaths.
• QLD: 3,049 new cases, 247 in hospital, 3 in ICU, 17 death.
• ACT: 516 new cases, 14 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 1 death.
• TAS: 722 new cases, 14 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 1 death.
• SA: 2,347 new cases, 59 in hospital, 3 in ICU, 8 deaths.
• WA: 2,625 new cases, 59 in hospital, 1 in ICU, 29 deaths.
• NT: 164 new cases, 4 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 0 deaths.
More.
Australia COVID-19 weekly update 31 March 2023
Australia wide last 7 days — 26,531 new cases; 1,556 in hospital; 34 in ICU; 98 deaths.
• NSW: 9,684 new cases, 891 in hospital, 16 in ICU, 25 deaths.
• VIC: 5,225 new cases, 180 in hospital, 10 in ICU, 35 deaths.
• QLD: 3,650 new cases, 183 in hospital, 2 in ICU, 16 deaths.
• ACT: 526 new cases, 21 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 1 death.
• TAS: 796 new cases, 23 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 2 deaths.
• SA: 3,179 new cases, 138 in hospital, 4 in ICU, 12 deaths.
• WA: 3,246 new cases, 101 in hospital, 2 in ICU, 7 deaths.
• NT: 225 new cases, 19 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 0 deaths.
More.
1 April 2023.
Paxlovid is an oral antiviral medication for people with mild to moderate COVID-19 who have a high risk of developing severe disease The drug has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19.
From today, people in their 60s with one risk factor for severe COVID-19 can get a prescription for Pfizer's oral antiviral treatment, Paxlovid, which was previously only available to people in this age group with two risk factors.
The new measure means people in their 60s with one risk factor will join the following groups on the PBS's COVID-19 antiviral eligibility list:
• people aged 70 years and over
• people in their 50s with two risk factors (or who have previously been hospitalised with COVID-19)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people aged 30 years and over with one risk factor
• immunocompromised people aged 18 years and over.
COVID is 'not over', federal health minister Mark Butler warns.
In recent weeks, COVID-19 cases have begun to climb again after levelling off in February, towards the end of Australia's summer Omicron wave. Mr Butler said antiviral prescriptions had increased by about 40 per cent, and cases in aged care had risen by about 65 per cent, though the latter remained substantially lower than the peak seen during summer.
You can have your flu shot and COVID-19 booster at the same time
