Lockdowns hit happiness more than cases
Lockdowns throughout the pandemic affected the mental health of Australians, particularly men, more than hearing rising case numbers, a new study shows.
health
Increase in Victorian euthanasia deaths
The number of voluntary assisted deaths in Victoria increased by about one third in 2021-22 with a report finding the law is operating as intended.
NSW govt’s $500m response to ice inquiry
Drug users in NSW will have more opportunities to get help before ending up in jail, as part of the government's long-awaited $500m response to the ice inquiry.
Major step to booster for young children
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has provisionally approved the Pfizer booster for children aged five to 11, with a decision pending on its rollout.
Vic to trial COVID nasal spray treatment
A COVID-19 nasal spray designed to reduce a person's viral load will undergo a six-month clinical trial in Victoria.
SA and NSW drop masks on public transport
South Australia and NSW have dropped requirements for mask wearing on public transport in the latest easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
Doctors ‘need a carrot’ to stay rural
Rural medical clinics say doctors are leaving to work in urban areas or asking for more money to stay in the bush since the Labor government increased the number of workforce priority areas.
New vaccine facility set for Monash uni
A new mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility will be based in Melbourne under an agreement the prime minister says will safeguard against future health crises.
Study confirms mRNA vax safe in pregnancy
Pregnant women vaccinated with COVID-19 mRNA vaccines reported fewer side effects than non-pregnant women, according to a Canadian study.
Tumour bank helps fight aggressive cancer
Over more than a decade, about 350 samples have been collected and housed in a Queensland brain tumour bank, creating a valuable resources for researchers.
Farm safety focus as study reveals deaths
A study of unintentional farm deaths across Australia shows older men are more likely to have fatal accidents, with vehicles and machines the biggest risks.
COVID-19 nation’s third biggest killer
More people are thought to have died from COVID-19 this year than some of the country's largest killers, such as lung cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Queensland over peak of COVID-19 wave
Pressure on Queensland's health system is beginning to ease after the state passed a peak in COVID-19 hospitalisations much earlier than modelling predicted.
Natural tissue replaces implants in trial
An Australian woman has received a world-first surgery that will pave the way for women requiring breast reconstructions.
The communities fighting for their health
The National Rural Health conference has heard of many communities that have fought to boost their own local health services, including Mallacoota in Victoria.
Burns and injuries treated via video in WA
Telehealth supports remote doctors and patients across Australia's biggest state, a rural health conference focused on innovation and collaboration has heard.
‘Fingers crossed’ Qld over worst of virus
A decline in the number of hospital patients with COVID-19 in Queensland may point to the state passing the peak of the current wave, the premier says.
National response to long COVID in works
About four per cent of Australians report long-term symptoms from COVID-19, but the health minister says that number could be far greater.
Qld to tackle limited abortion access
Queensland's government is looking to expand access to abortion, with many in the state's regions having to travel to Brisbane for a surgical termination.
Not sensible to own quarantine centre: Qld
The Queensland government will mothball the Wellcamp quarantine facility next month, despite having a lease until April.
Campaign’s goal to eliminate hepatitis C
A new public health campaign is aiming to boost hepatitis C testing and treatment rates in Victoria so the virus can be eliminated by 2030.
Newmarch COVID response ‘appallingly bad’
The management of a COVID-19 outbreak at Newmarch House in early 2020 has been described as "appallingly bad" as an inquest into 19 deaths continues.
Queensland quarantine facility to close
Queensland's Wellcamp quarantine facility is to stop accepting guests, with the $200 million complex no longer required amid the changing COVID-19 response.
Keto therapy could treat schizophrenia
Some 100 patients with serious mental health conditions will take part in a trial investigating how changing the body's primary fuel source affects symptoms.
Novovax provisional approval for over 12s
Australian adolescents could soon have access to Nuvaxovid, after the COVID-19 vaccine gained provisional approval from the TGA.
Fury over Newmarch COVID failures
Relatives of residents who died during a 2020 COVID-19 outbreak at Newmarch House were angry and concerned about the aged care home's response to the disease.
Assessing life expectancy uncertain
As euthanasia laws come into affect around Australia, doctors are being given the 'uncertain and imprecise' task of calculating how long a person has to live.
Queensland COVID peak still a month away
The latest modelling points to a caseload of more than 1600 COVID-19 patients in Queensland hospitals when the current wave peaks in late August.
ADF virus help for aged care extended
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says ADF support for the aged care sector has been extended until the end of September amid the winter COVID-19 wave.
Anglicare scrutinised in COVID-19 inquest
Where Anglicare chose to treat COVID-positive residents will be a key focus of an inquest into 19 deaths during an outbreak at Newmarch House in early 2020.
‘Growing pains’ a medical misnomer
Researchers are calling for the term to be shelved after a study found there was no real consistency in what constitutes the pains.