OzSAGE

Media Releases & Advice Documents

We urgently need better masks (respirators)

Australia is an outlier in not yet recommending or providing high-quality face coverings that provide filtration- respirators (N95/P2/KF94/FFP2) to the community. The Covid-19 virus is transmitted through breathing in small particles known as ‘aerosols’ that contain the virus. These small particles are produced by breathing, talking, and coughing, and they float and linger in the […]
Working Group: All Advice Documents, Community Masks
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“Living with COVID-19” requires governments to resource Rapid Antigen Tests

COVID-19 infections – and the diagnosis and recording of infections as ‘case numbers’ – will always matter. However with the collapse in testing, test positivity rates soaring, PCR restricted to a small fraction of people and rapid antigen tests (RATs) largely unavailable and unaffordable, case numbers are no longer informative. Trends can only be reliably […]
Working Group: All Advice Documents, omicron
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Maintaining Ambulance Service Capacity During COVID-19

During the Omicron surge, ambulance services are experiencing increased patient numbers, emergency department ramping, shortages of supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE), and staff absences resulting from staff being furloughed, awaiting testing, becoming infected or as a result of exhaustion and burn-out. As a result, we are now seeing the predicted overwhelming of ambulance […]
Working Group: All Advice Documents, ICU and Health System, Paramedicine and Ambulance
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Major COVID course correction immediately required

Australian governments must immediately take action to tackle the present COVID crisis by delaying the return to face-to-face schooling, and reinstating necessary infection mitigations and financial supports.   The health system is under immense strain, businesses are shutting due to sick staff. Consumer spending estimates show Australians are in a shadow lockdown already. Mass workplace […]
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