(Formerly known as Central Clinical School)
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| A study by Monash immunologists suggests that booster vaccine doses elicit memory B cells with higher affinity to COVID-19, enabling recognition of VoC. L-R: First author PhD student Gemma Hartley and. senior author Prof Menno van Zelm |
COVID-19 vaccines have been rolled out across the world with great success. However, variants of concern (VoC) now challenge the protection that these vaccines provide.
Third and fourth dose boosters are known to increase protection against VoC, but the immunological basis of this is still unclear.
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| Which people who catch COVID-19 have a higher risk of developing blood clots? A Monash-Baker study investigated. |
New information is emerging on COVID-associated blood clots in people with inherited thrombotic conditions such as the common Factor V Leiden, which affects about in one in every 20 or 25 people in Australia.
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| A/Prof Menno van Zelm in the lab |
A/Prof van Zelm said, "What I suggest is that 'original antigenic sin' - that means that the body's original response to an antigen is remembered and used when a variant antigen is encountered - might be in place, so that it will be a challenge for the immune system to generate new responses on top of the existing (vaccine-induced) memory."
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| Dr Taya Collyer is first author on a study looking at changes in hospital attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic |
In a first comprehensive study of healthcare-seeking behaviour in the context of (relatively) low COVID-19 burden, team of researchers from the Academic Unit, Medicine, Peninsula Clinical School analysed data from approximately 700,000 hospital presentations to investigate the impact of restrictions to movement on hospital activity in Melbourne over two waves of community transmission (1 March to 20 September 2020).
One of the significant anecdotal narratives out of Australia’s COVID-19 nightmare has been the enormous psychological and physical toll on frontline healthcare workers.
The high rates of burnout, depression, and even thoughts of suicide and self-harm. The continual rollercoaster of emotions, self-care struggles, and the doomed juggle between work and home.
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| Experiences of Health Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic was published 22 Feb 2022. See more |
The publisher, Routledge, describes the book:
Experiences of Health Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic shares the stories of frontline health workers—told in their own words—during the second wave of COVID-19 in Australia. The book records the complex emotions healthcare workers experienced as the pandemic unfolded, and the challenges they faced in caring for themselves, their families, and their patients. The book shares their insights on what we can learn from the pandemic to strengthen our health system and prepare for future crises.
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| THRIVE@Monash wants to hear from you! Take the survey |
The survey will help the Monash Thrive team at the Turner Institute identify what additional resources are needed for resilience and adaptive coping throughout the COVID-19 global health crisis, as we continue on our path to COVID normal.
A national survey of COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers found more than half reported mental health symptoms during last year’s pandemic second wave – yet less than one in 10 accessed formal support programs.
The study, published in the journal, General Hospital Psychiatry, was led by Associate Professor Natasha Smallwood, from Monash University’s Central Clinical School and The Alfred hospital, and Professor Karen Willis, from the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Victoria University.
The largest study of the impact of COVID on workplace disruption to front line health care workers has revealed that almost half reported that they had altered paid or unpaid hours, with over one in six being redeployed and one in four reporting changes in work roles. Only 1 percent reported confidence in these new positions. That said, most felt supported by their workplace and this assisted in them having half the risk for severe anxiety, depression, burnout and PTSD than those who did not feel supported by their workplace, a finding the authors argue has relevance to the current crisis.
Read the story here.
by Dr Emily Edwards and Dr Kylie Quinn
Reproduced from The Conversation
Hear them discuss the topic on ABC radio (3 Sept)
A number of countries including the United States and the United Kingdom are moving to make a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine available to people who are immunocompromised.
But why are people with weaker immune systems at the front of the queue for a third dose?
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| See more about the one day free COVID-19 event & register |
COVID-19 has dominated the minds of health professionals and academics around the world, and the pipeline of research to testing to practice has never been as visible to the public and professionals alike.
Devils in the Details – Making sense of COVID-19 is a one-day free conference being held Friday 10 September, featuring thematic sessions from a range of speakers. See more & register.
Monash researchers make the case for investing in development and deployment of decentralised diagnostic devices, most importantly a highly-mobile and swift point-of-care (POC) COVID-19 nucleic acid test.
See full article (9 minute read)
Reproduced from Monash Lens 3 August 2021
Australia’s vaccine rollout has been the topic of much criticism. Having one of the lowest coverages among high socio-economic countries, many have been asking when the marathon will end – although it’s “not a race”.
As Australia grapples with another COVID crisis, we’re once again placed on high alert. What started as a breach from hotel quarantine in NSW has now spread to five other jurisdictions, with most places increasing their level of restrictions in response.
Some, like South Australia, have only reduced household visitor caps and outdoor gathering limits. Others, like Queensland, have introduced stay-at-home orders to ensure the outbreak gets under control.
How do we measure if people are following the orders, and, perhaps more importantly, whether they’re having any effect? See Monash Lens full story
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| Dr Sonika Tyagi, Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Department of Infectious Diseases |
Like turning the bulky CD player into the Apple iPod, Monash University researchers have developed a small device that can perform molecular testing within minutes – making it possible to test people quickly outside traditional laboratories at the point-of-care/need.
Professor Patrick Kwan, from Monash University’s Central Clinical School, and Dr Tuncay Alan, from Monash University’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, have developed an ultra-portable, self-contained, nucleic acid amplification test device.
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| Dr Robb Wesselingh is co-author on the review of neurological complications of COVID-19. BMJ Neurology |
A review published in BMJ Neurology Open describes how the neurological effects of COVID-19 could remain present months after the virus has been shed.
Alfred Health Neurologist and Monash University PhD student Dr Robb Wesselingh said there was evidence for neurological effects of the virus such as stroke, brain fog and persistent headaches being just as likely to impact young people as they are the elderly.
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| Why might COVID-19 cause new-onset diabetes? @SciAm story Image: Willie B. Thomas Getty Images |
