Posts Tagged ‘COVID-19’
Why ventilation is important & the role of air filtration units
In this week’s article, our Clinical & Scientific Director, Dr. Phillip Norville, discusses the role of ventilation in mitigating the risk of SARS-CoV-2, alternative technologies to improve air hygiene and our latest innovation in air filtration, Rediair. What is ventilation? Put simply ventilation is a process which moves outdoor air into a room or building, diluting…
Read MoreOmicron: why all the fuss?
In today’s article we share the latest advice on the new COVID-19 variant of concern (VOC), Omicron. We discuss where it first emerged, whether it’s more transmissible than other variants and if vaccinations are effective against it. You may have heard that there’s a new COVID-19 variant of concern (VOC) on the block: it’s called Omicron and…
Read MoreIs asymptomatic transmission the major driver of the COVID-19 pandemic?
In this week’s research article, we discuss whether asymptomatic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is the major driver of the COVID-19 pandemic. The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread readily during close contact. The extent to which asymptomatic infection (that is, an infection without symptoms) drives transmission is important but not clear. Evidence suggests that…
Read More28 Australian Societies provide consensus on COVID-19 guidelines
Sourcing up-to-date reliable information on COVID-19 management and treatment can be difficult. There are so many different sources of information, from peer-reviewed journals, mainstream media, social media, peers, media statements and ‘preprints’ – or non-peer reviewed journal articles. What makes this even more complicated is the potential bias associated with some of these sources of…
Read MoreLet’s not forget MRSA and the risk from contaminated surfaces
There’s been understandably a huge amount of discussion about the possible role of contaminated surfaces in the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. But let’s not forget the important and established role that contaminated surfaces play in the transmission of other important pathogens. There’s strong evidence that MRSA transmission dynamics can include contaminated…
Read MoreEnvironmental contamination risk from asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection
There is emerging evidence that contaminated surfaces play a role in the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. This is in line with the diverse transmission routes of other respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV-1 and influenza. One of the key features of SARS-CoV-2 is the documented spread from people with asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic infection. A new study has identified…
Read MoreModelling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 from surfaces in clinical settings using a DNA marker
The principle transmission route for the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 is through respiratory droplets. Indirect transmission of these droplets to a susceptible person through contaminated surfaces may play an important – and underplayed – role in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. A study from scientists at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) uses a DNA marker…
Read MoreFace masks, face shields, and preventing the spread of COVID-19
The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 is primarily spread by respiratory droplets, although other routes of transmission (including contact with contaminated people and surfaces) play a role too. One of the most important ways to prevent the spread of the respiratory droplets that transmit SARS-CoV-2 is through physical distancing. Where this is not possible, respiratory…
Read MoreAssessing the risk of hospital transmission of COVID-19
As hospitals move past the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of hospital-transmission looms large. Elective services will reopen and patients who have not been exposed to COVID-19 as a result of the broadly successful lockdown will come into hospitals and risk exposure to patient (and staff) with COVID-19 infections. How big is this…
Read MoreCoronavirus: a lecture by Martin Kiernan
This lecture was given to staff at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust on 26th March 2020 as part of Martin’s role back in the NHS. The below vidoes are directly linked to their YouTube channel. The origins of coronavirus Find out how COVID-19 compares with SARS and MERS, and how the UK compares with…
Read More