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Off-season RSV epidemics in Australia after easing of COVID-19 restrictionsHuman respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important cause of acute respiratory infection with the most severe disease in the young and elderly. Non-pharmaceutical interventions and travel restrictions for controlling COVID-19 have impacted the circulation of most respiratory viruses including RSV globally, particularly in Australia, where during 2020 the normal winter epidemics were notably absent.
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Breastfeeding in a COVID-19 worldThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the birthing and postnatal experience of women. This review highlights how policy changes have affected pregnant and breastfeeding women, the evidence for continued breastfeeding and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines, and how the pandemic's unexpected consequences have affected these women's wellbeing.
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Who suffered most? Parental stress and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in GermanyThis study examines gender and socioeconomic inequalities in parental psychological wellbeing (parenting stress and psychological distress) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Background: The dramatic shift of childcare and schooling responsibility from formal institutions to private households during the pandemic has put families under enormous stress and raised concerns about caregivers’ health and wellbeing.
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The increase in medical admissions with anorexia nervosa during the COVID-19 pandemic in Western AustraliaA comparative study to describe the increase in medical admissions of children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) in Western Australia in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and 2020 (peri-pandemic).
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A modular approach to forecasting COVID-19 hospital bed occupancyMonitoring the number of COVID-19 patients in hospital beds was a critical component of Australia's real-time surveillance strategy for the disease. From 2021 to 2023, we produced short-term forecasts of bed occupancy to support public health decision-making.
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Use of high-resolution fluorescence in situ hybridization for fast and robust detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNAsEarly, rapid, and accurate diagnostic tests play critical roles not only in the identification/management of individuals infected by SARS-CoV-2, but also in fast and effective public health surveillance, containment, and response. Our aim has been to develop a fast and robust fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) detection method for detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNAs by using an HEK 293 T cell culture model.
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International Pediatric COVID-19 Severity over the Course of the PandemicMultiple SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged over the COVID-19 pandemic. The implications for COVID-19 severity in children worldwide are unclear. The objective was to determine whether the dominant circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) were associated with differences in COVID-19 severity among hospitalized children.
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Exploring indoor and outdoor dust as a potential tool for detection and monitoring of COVID-19 transmissionThis study investigated the potential of using SARS-CoV-2 viral concentrations in dust as an additional surveillance tool for early detection and monitoring of COVID-19 transmission. Dust samples were collected from 8 public locations in 16 districts of Bangkok, Thailand, from June to August 2021.
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A single blinded, phase IV, adaptive randomised control trial to evaluate the safety of coadministration of seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines (The FluVID study)We evaluated the frequency of moderate and severe adverse events following coadministration of seasonal influenza vaccine (SIV) versus placebo with COVID-19 vaccines among adults to support practice guidelines.
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Prolonged Grief Disorder, but Not Death From COVID-19, Elicits Public Stigma: A Vignette-Based ExperimentWe investigated the effects of cause of death (COVID-19 with an underlying medical condition vs. without) and prolonged grief disorder status (PGD present or absent) on participants' reported public stigma towards the bereaved.