GPs given advice on mental health, PPE and vulnerable patients Senior health department officials have answered GPs’ pressing questions about Australia’s COVID-19 response.
Do not use hydroxychloroquine for COVID: National Taskforce The strengthened recommendation stems from studies that show a lack of efficacy and potential harmful side effects.
Young children carry more virus – but seem to transmit less than adults or older children Children under five have far more SARS-CoV-2 in their nasopharynx, but do not transmit significantly in childcare or schools, according to new studies.
Victoria has strengthened PPE requirements for aged care – should other states follow suit? GPs in aged care must now wear surgical masks and goggles at all times, while N95 masks are required for treating suspected COVID-19 cases.
GP20 call for abstracts now open The RACGP’s annual conference will be going fully digital in 2020, bringing GPs from across the country together online.
GPs have embraced telehealth, survey finds RACGP survey results from July show GPs and patients are seeing the benefits of telehealth consultations – but there is room for improvement.
Tower lockdown ‘confusion and distress’ could have been prevented: GP Nine Melbourne public housing towers may have emerged from hard lockdown, but the focus must remain on residents’ mental health.
RACGP Foundation awards new grants for COVID research The two grants have been awarded to GP researchers for their studies on different impacts of COVID-19 on general practice.
Inquiry finds GPs sidelined during pandemic Major shortfalls in Victoria’s COVID-19 response were highlighted just one day before the state announced its worst ever 24-hour case total.
School COVID clusters are rare – so what can we learn from the Al-Taqwa outbreak? Close them when community transmission is high, open cautiously when it is low, according to epidemiologists.