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Drugs – 4 essential reads on how they’re made, how they work and how context can make poison a medicine

<p>Pandemics and disease outbreaks put a spotlight on the hurdles researchers face to get a drug on the shelves. From finding prospective drug candidates to balancing time and financial pressures with ensuring safety and efficacy, there are many aspects of drug development that determine whether a treatment ever makes it out of the lab.</p> <p>Broadening the definition of “medicine” and where it can be found, however, could help expand the therapeutic options available for both researchers and patients.</p> <p>Here are four facets of how drugs are developed and how they work in the body, drawn from stories in The Conversation’s archive.</p> <h2>1. Matching drug to target</h2> <p>The most effective drugs are, in a sense, the product of good matchmaking – they bind to a specific disease-causing receptor in the body, elicit a desired effect and ideally ignore healthy parts of the body.</p> <p>Drugs <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-drugs-know-where-to-go-in-the-body-a-pharmaceutical-scientist-explains-why-some-medications-are-swallowed-while-others-are-injected-182488" target="_blank" rel="noopener">travel through the bloodstream</a> to reach their targets. Because of this, most drugs circulate throughout the body and can bind to unintended sites, potentially causing undesired side effects.</p> <p>Researchers can increase the precision and effectiveness of a drug by designing different ways to take it. An inhaler, for example, delivers a drug directly to the lungs without its having to travel through the rest of the body to get there.</p> <p>Whether patients take drugs as prescribed is also essential to ensuring the right dose gets to where it needs to be often enough to have a desired effect. “Even with all the science that goes into understanding a disease well enough to develop an effective drug, it is often up to the patient to make it all work as designed,” writes pharmaceutical scientist <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas-Anchordoquy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tom Anchordoquy</a> of the University of Colorado Anschutz.</p> <h2>2. Searching for drug candidates</h2> <p>Researchers have discovered a number of drugs by chance, including <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/the-real-story-behind-the-worlds-first-antibiotic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">penicillin</a> for bacterial infections, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200928-how-the-first-vaccine-was-born" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vaccines for smallpox</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2017.172" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warfarin</a> for blood clots. While serendipity still plays a role in modern drug discovery, most drug developers take a systematic approach.</p> <p>Scientists typically start by identifying a particular molecular target, usually receptors that trigger a specific response in the body. Then, they look for chemical compounds that react with that target. Technology called <a href="https://theconversation.com/discovering-new-drugs-is-a-long-and-expensive-process-chemical-compounds-that-dupe-screening-tools-make-it-even-harder-175972" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-throughput screening</a> allows researchers to quickly test thousands of potential drug candidates at once. Compounds that match screening criteria advance to further development and refinement. Once optimized for their intended use, compounds go on to safety and efficacy testing in animals and people.</p> <p>One way to ease the search for optimal drug candidates is to work with compounds that are already optimized to work in living beings. <a href="https://theconversation.com/nature-is-the-worlds-original-pharmacy-returning-to-medicines-roots-could-help-fill-drug-discovery-gaps-176963" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Natural products</a>, derived from organisms like microbes, fungi, plants and animals, share similar structures and functions across species. Though not without their own development challenges, they could aid the search for related compounds that work in people.</p> <p>“There are thousands of microorganisms in the ocean left to explore as potential sources of drug candidates, not to mention all the ones on land,” writes medical chemist <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8_T1ueYAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ashu Tripathi</a> of the University of Michigan. “In the search for new drugs to combat antibiotic resistance, natural products may still be the way to go.”</p> <h2>3. A drug by any other name may be just as effective</h2> <p>Existing drugs can find a second (or third, fourth and fifth) life through repurposing.</p> <p>Most drugs <a href="https://theconversation.com/many-medications-affect-more-than-one-target-in-the-body-some-drug-designers-are-embracing-the-side-effects-that-had-been-seen-as-a-drawback-184922" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have many functions</a> beyond what researchers originally designed them to do. While this multifunctionality is often the cause of unwanted side effects, sometimes these results are exactly what’s needed to treat a completely unrelated condition.</p> <p>Sildenafil, for example, failed to treat severe chest pain from coronary artery disease, but proved to be potent at inducing erections as Viagra. Similarly, thalidomide, a compound that caused birth defects in thousands of infants around the world as a morning sickness drug, found redemption as a cancer treatment.</p> <p>Because drugs inherently have more than one function in the body, <a href="https://theconversation.com/repurposing-generic-drugs-can-reduce-time-and-cost-to-develop-new-treatments-but-low-profitability-remains-a-barrier-174874" target="_blank" rel="noopener">repurposing existing drugs</a> can help fill a gap where pharmaceutical companies and other developers cannot or will not. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=iDKZaA4AAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gregory Way</a>, a researcher at the University of Colorado Anschutz, uses artificial intelligence to predict the various effects a drug can have and believes that this lack of specificity is something to explore rather than eliminate. Instead of trying to home in on one specific target, he suggests that scientists “embrace the complexity of biology and try to leverage the multifaceted effects drugs can offer.”</p> <h2>4. Poison as medicine</h2> <p>If so many drugs can have toxic effects in the body, be it through side effects or taking the wrong dose or for the wrong condition, what determines whether a drug is a “medicine” or a “poison”?</p> <p>Biomedical scientists evaluate drugs based on their active ingredient, or a specific compound that has a specific effect in the body. But reducing medicines to just a single molecule ignores another important factor that determines whether a drug is therapeutic – the context in which it is used. Opioids treat intractable pain but can lead to debilitating and lethal addiction when improperly administered. Chemotherapy kills tumors but causes collateral damage to healthy tissues in the process.</p> <p>Another pharmaceutical paradigm, <a href="https://theconversation.com/poison-or-cure-traditional-chinese-medicine-shows-that-context-can-make-all-the-difference-163337" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traditional Chinese medicine</a>, has historically acknowledged the malleability of drugs through the use of poisons as therapeutics.</p> <p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4q0hYSwAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yan Liu</a>, a medical historian at University of Buffalo who studies this practice, notes that ancient texts did not distinguish between poisons and nonpoisons – rather, Chinese doctors examined drugs based on a continuum of potency, or ability to harm and heal. They used different processing and administration techniques to adjust the potency of poisons. They also took a personalized approach to treatment, aware that each drug works differently based on a number of different individual factors.</p> <p>“The paradox of healing with poisons in traditional Chinese medicine reveals a key message: There is no essential, absolute or unchanging core that characterizes a medicine,” Liu writes. “Instead, the effect of any given drug is always relational – it is contingent on how the drug is used, how it interacts with a particular body and its intended effects.”</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/drugs-4-essential-reads-on-how-theyre-made-how-they-work-and-how-context-can-make-poison-a-medicine-192590" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> and is a roundup of of articles from The Conversation’s archives.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Surprise move after Covid outbreak on Aussie cruise ship

<p>A Covid outbreak has infected around 100 passengers and crew on the Coral Princess cruise liner which docked in Brisbane on Sunday July 10.</p> <p>According to Queensland authorities, a Covid outbreak on a cruise ship was expected. This led to Princess cruises offering refunds to the more than 2000 passengers – however, most refused the offer and decided to remain on board.</p> <p>Over 2,300 guests and crew on the ship were headed to NSW. Of the 100 positive cases, only a small number of guests disembarked in Brisbane. Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said that Covid protocols were in place on the ship before the outbreak.</p> <p>Some passengers are isolating at home or in separate accommodation while authorities help staff manager infected staff on board.</p> <p>"This was always going to happen, just like the rest of the community,” Ms D’Ath said.</p> <p>"The virus is everywhere and there's no escaping that, but I do want to acknowledge that the public health units, along with the cruise line, are doing all the right things and following the protocols in place."</p> <p>A Princess Cruises spokesperson says they were doing everything possible to enable guests and crew to stay safe alongside COVID-19.</p> <p>"We have also been open and transparent with guests on the effectiveness of our protocols and this has led to some recent media coverage," the spokesperson said.</p> <p>"We are adhering to comprehensive protocols that were agreed in conjunction with federal and state authorities and we are confident that they are working effectively."</p> <p>The spokesperson said protocols included regular testing of crew, who must all be fully vaccinated, and isolation if they test positive.</p> <p>"In answer to media inquiries at the weekend, we noted that fewer than 20 guests on the previous cruise had tested positive," they said.</p> <p>"The health and well-being of our guests and crew remain our main priority and the protocols being followed on board are working."</p> <p>A Queensland Health spokesperson said the cases on the cruise ship were expected and they were prepared to manage them.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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How to deal with mould outbreaks this winter

<p dir="ltr">The recent downpour of rain mixed with humid temperatures has led to nation-wide mould outbreaks in many homes. </p> <p dir="ltr">Toxic mould can take a toll on your health, and hijack hidden corners of your home without you even realising. </p> <p dir="ltr">In order to reproduce, mould produces tiny particles called spores that are carried in the air and may cause health problems if inhaled by people who are sensitive or allergic to them, <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/mould.aspx">NSW Health advises</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Experts have shared how to spot mould in your home, as well as how to clean it and prevent it from coming back. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>What exactly is mould?</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/mould.aspx">Mould</a> is a type of fungi, an organism from the same group that includes yeast and mushrooms, which is present virtually everywhere both indoors and outdoors.</p> <p dir="ltr">When airborne mould spores land on damp spots indoors, they may begin to grow and spread.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mould thrives in moist areas that are not adequately ventilated, with rooms such as laundries, bathrooms most at risk, as well as walls and ceilings that don’t receive direct sunlight. </p> <p dir="ltr">Wet weather, increased humidity, and flood damage have seen households across the country battling recent mould outbreaks in their homes.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>How do I stop mould from growing in my house?</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Experts say that prevention is much more effective than mould removal, with the key being to keep your home dry and dust-free.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Fix any structural damage</span></p> <p dir="ltr">Leaks in roofs, full gutters and leaky appliances are all things that will bring mould into your home. </p> <p dir="ltr">Fixing these issues as soon as they arise is vital, as you want to aim to keep the main structure of your home free of any spontaneous leaks.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you do notice any leaks, get on top of that immediately because dried mould can still become easily airborne,” consultation microbiologist Dr Cameron Jones told <a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/mould-is-coming-back-with-a-vengeance-heres-how-to-tackle-the-outbreak-c-6840176">7News</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s how people can become quite ill from mould which has dried inside roof voids and dried on insulation - and then it enters into the home around the perimeters and downlights.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ventilation is key</span></p> <p dir="ltr">Keeping your home well ventilated is your best bet when preventing the growth of mould. </p> <p dir="ltr">Jones says that for good ventilation in the home, you can try, “opening windows, and making sure that ceiling fans in wet areas like laundries and bathrooms are on and working.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“As soon as the weather is good, you should start opening your windows and get some ventilation through,” Institute for Infectious Diseases Professor Dee Carter told 7News.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Drying things out is really key or it’ll just come back.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Some air conditioners have a handy dry mode, while portable dehumidifiers also work to draw in extra moisture from the air.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cut condensation</span></p> <p dir="ltr">Use extractor fans in the kitchen while cooking, and in the bathroom and laundry while washing.</p> <p dir="ltr">Reducing the condensation in your home can also be as simple as popping a lid on your saucepan when boiling water, and opening windows when you’re creating steam within the house.</p> <p dir="ltr">If you see condensation building on walls and inner windows, wipe it up before it has the chance to encourage growth of mould.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Getting rid of mould</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">For a routine clean-up of mould, NSW Health suggests using mild detergent or vinegar.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bleach can be used on non-porous surfaces such as tiles and in bathrooms but is not recommended for materials like wood or drywall.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mould has roots that it sends deep into porous materials, so antibacterial agents work best to attack the roots as well as the surface of the fungi.</p> <p dir="ltr">If you see a spot of mould in one particular place, it’s always best to do a clean sweep of the entire room to see if it is hiding anywhere else. </p> <p dir="ltr">Move all your furniture away from the wall and check hidden crevices. </p> <p dir="ltr">There’s nothing worse than thinking your cleaning job is done and then finding a huge mouldy patch behind your lounge or bed frame. </p> <p dir="ltr">In order to stop your furniture being attacked by pesky mould, try to keep your furniture an inch or two out from the wall. </p> <p dir="ltr">This will stop the mould transferring from walls to surfaces such as fabric that are harder to clean. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Can mould be killed permanently?</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Even if you successfully get rid of mould in one area, you’ll need to maintain the conditions of your home continuously to discourage regrowth.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Mould can grow wherever there is moisture source, the correct temperature, and something to grow on,” Jones said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Cellular debris and the food and liquid waste” are also used as a food source by “the pathogens, which are normally around us all the time”, Jones said.</p> <p dir="ltr">If mould grows in a spot once, it can grow there again. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Is mould harmful to humans?</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">A 2018 inquiry by the University of Melbourne recommended that the Department of Health undertake further research into the potential health effects of mould exposure and its prevalence in the built environment.</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.mouldlab.com.au/">MouldLab</a> defined biotoxins at the time as including “toxic chemicals found on spores, fine or ultrafine fragments of mould or fungus … that are able to be released into the air”.</p> <p dir="ltr">They stated that some people are “genetically susceptible” and may develop inflammation and chronic illness after coming into contact with these biotoxins.</p> <p dir="ltr">Reported <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/black-mold-exposure#symptoms">symptoms of mould exposure</a> include coughing, wheezing, stuffiness, red or itchy eyes, skin rashes, and a sore throat.</p> <p dir="ltr">These symptoms can be more severe if you have an allergy to mould.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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"Like India": Epidemiologists warn about Delta outbreak

<p>Australian infectious disease experts are warning that the country "could end up with a situation like India" if the Delta variant of COVID-19 is allowed to run throughout the community.</p> <p>This comes after NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard suggested that the state might never control its current outbreak and will have to live with the virus "for good".</p> <p>Mr Hazzard said if people don’t do the right thing over the coming days, “then at some point we’re going to move to a stage where we’re going to have to accept that the virus has a life which will continue in the community”.</p> <p>Raina Macintyre from the Kirby Institute said that letting the virus continue would be "really risky".</p> <p>“I think for Australia, for NSW, that’s a different proposition to countries that have high vaccination rates and high levels of disease. We’ve got virtually no immunity in the community because very few people have been fully vaccinated, and very few people have been infected,” she said to<span> </span><em>ABC Breakfast</em>.</p> <p>“So we are absolutely susceptible. If we let it spread in Sydney, it could impact the whole country and we could end up with a situation like we saw in India in March and April.</p> <p>“We can’t afford to relax until we’ve got the vaccination rates high.”</p> <p>Ms Macintyre said there would be at least a three-month wait until vaccine supplies in Australia became “adequate”.</p> <p>“It would be really risky to throw it all away without waiting that three months and doing everything that we can to crush this outbreak and to prevent further leaks from hotel quarantine and the international borders by mitigating airborne transmission more comprehensively than we have done,” she said.</p>

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Alarming new way the Vic outbreak is spreading

<p>Victorian authorities say people are becoming infected with COVID after just "brushing past" strangers with the virus.</p> <p>Testing Commander Jeroen Weimar said at least four of the state's 54 locally transmitted cases have come from "fleeting" contact between Victorians,</p> <p>“What we’re seeing now is people are brushing past each other in a small shop, they are going to a display home, they are looking at photos in a Telstra shop,” he said.</p> <p>“This is relatively speaking, relatively fleeting. They do not know each other’s names, and that is very different from what we have been before.</p> <p>“This is stranger to stranger transmission.”</p> <p>He said the ease with which the virus is spreading may be a feature of the Indian variant.</p> <p>“We are used with previous variants, we are more used to transmission roccurring in the home, in the workplace, where people know each other already, not all of those big social settings,” he said. “These are quite different.”</p> <p>“We have seen transmission in these places with very fleeting contact. We have transmission in places like the Telstra store in South Melbourne, JMD Grocers, the display home we talked about a few days ago, I’d add Craigieburn Central shopping centre.</p> <p>“They are all examples of transmission with very limited contact. With previous variants, we are more used to transmission occurring in the home, in the workplace, where people know each other already, not at all of those big social settings. These are quite different.”</p> <p>If anyone has been to any of the following sites in the past two weeks, they should come forward and get tested:</p> <p>• Craigieburn Central</p> <p>• Bay Street shops in Port Melbourne</p> <p>• Clarendon Street in the South Melbourne</p> <p>• Pacific Epping, also known as the Epping Plaza</p> <p>• The Epping North shopping centre</p> <p>• Broadway Reservoir</p>

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Patient zero of Sydney's latest outbreak revealed as restrictions are extended

<p>The Sydney COVID-19 patient dubbed "BBQ man" after he visited multiple BBQ stores around the city while infectious has been named, finally providing an explanation for his shopping spree.</p> <p>Investment company Apollo Global Management managing director Tom Pizzey has been identified by the Australian Financial Review as the man linked to Sydney's latest COVID-19 scare.</p> <p>Mr Pizzey is understood to have the "double mutant" Indian strain of the virus, with his wife also testing positive to COVID-19.</p> <p>AFR reported Mr Pizzey is still dealing with symptoms of the virus, with Apollo confirming it is assisting NSW Health in relation to a positive virus case.</p> <p>“The employee has not travelled outside Australia this year,” an Apollo spokesperson told<span> </span><em>AFR</em>.</p> <p>Mr Pizzey, who is one of Apollo's only two full-time employees in Australia, is understood to be the mystery COVID-19 case who visited multiple venues on May 1 while unknowingly infectious, including multiple BBQ stores.</p> <p>He visited two different Barbecue Galore stores as the chain is in its early stages of auction.</p> <p>Mr Pizzey was checking out the stores for Apollo, with reports the company is considering acquiring the chain.</p> <p>In the same day, Mr Pizzey also visited Joe’s Barbeques &amp; Heating in Silverwater, Tucker Barbecues in Silverwater and The Meat Store in Bondi Junction</p>

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Lisa Wilkinson questions COVID outbreak timing: “What is it about outbreaks and public holidays?”

<p>Lisa Wilkinson couldn’t help but bring attention to an interesting point during The Project on Thursday night.</p> <p>Her comments followed after Waleed Aly revealed the latest Sydney COVID outbreak, saying there are struggled that will come with it restrictions being on Mother’s Day weekend.</p> <p>“Here we are again. The Mother’s Day thing is interesting. Indoor is the main issue with COVID,” Aly said.</p> <p>“We know that from experience. And the weather in Sydney over the weekend is meant to be wet, which means Mother’s Day will probably be inside. Which does increase the risk. It’s not a great situation.”</p> <p>Lisa then brought up her own point, asking: “The other thing with this virus, what is it about outbreaks and public holidays?”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841113/lisa-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/13dbe0a2c9004647a97c3d5adf45ac5a" /></p> <p>“We got Mother’s Day coming up, Christmas was a disaster in Sydney... Anzac Day in Perth, Easter we had a problem, Valentine’s Day...”</p> <p>Interestingly enough, a large number of COVID outbreaks have coincided with big public holidays.</p> <p>On Thursday, NSW Health released an updated list its list of exposure sites, placing a new public health alert.</p> <p>The list of venues has expanded to 21 and NSW Health is urging anyone who has or will visit these sites to get tested and possibly isolate.</p> <p><strong>• Bondi Trattoria, Bondi Beach:</strong><span> </span>April 29, 12.45 pm to 1.30pm</p> <p><strong>• Fratelli Fresh, Sydney:</strong><span> </span>April 27, 1.15 pm to 2.15pm</p> <p><strong>• The Stadium Club, Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park:</strong><span> </span>May 3, 11.30 am to 12.30pm</p> <p><strong>• Azure Cafe, Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park:</strong><span> </span>May 3, 12.pm to 1.00pm</p> <p><strong>• The Royal Sydney Golf Club, Rose Bay:</strong><span> </span>May 3, 5.30 pm to 9.00pm</p> <p><strong>• Rug Cleaning Repairs Hand Rug Wash, Brookvale:</strong><span> </span>May 4, 12.30 pm to 1.00pm</p> <p><strong>• Alfresco Emporium, Collaroy:</strong><span> </span>May 4, 1.00 pm to 1.30pm</p> <p>•<strong><span> </span>Smith Made, Balgowlah:</strong><span> </span>May 4, 2.30 pm to 2.45pm</p> <p><strong>• Chemist Warehouse, Double Bay:</strong><span> </span>May 4, 3.45 pm to 4.00pm</p> <p><strong>• Woolworths, Double Bay:</strong><span> </span>May 4, 3.45 to 4.00pm</p> <p><strong>• District Brasserie, Sydney:</strong><span> </span>April 30, 11.00 pm to 12.00pm</p> <p><strong>• HineSight Optometrist at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth:</strong><span> </span>April 30, 12.00 pm to 1.00pm</p> <p><strong>• Barbetta, Paddington:</strong><span> </span>April 30, 1.30 pm to 2.30pm</p> <p><strong>• Screening of The Courier at Event Cinemas, Westfield Bondi Junction:</strong><span> </span>April 30, 6.00 pm to 8pm</p> <p><strong>• Figo Restaurant, Rushcutters Bay:</strong><span> </span>April 30, 8.45 pm to 11.00pm</p> <p><strong>• Joe’s Barbecues &amp; Heating, Silverwater:</strong><span> </span>May 1, 1.30 pm to 2.30pm</p> <p><strong>• Tucker Barbeques, Silverwater:</strong><span> </span>May 1, 1.00 pm to 1.45pm</p> <p><strong>• Barbecues Galore, Annandale:</strong><span> </span>May 1, 2.00 pm to 3.00pm</p> <p><strong>• Barbecues Galore, Casula:</strong><span> </span>May 1, 4.00 pm to 5.00pm</p> <p><strong>• BP, Mascot:</strong><span> </span>May 1, 4.30 pm to 5.00pm</p> <p><strong>• The Meat Store, Bondi Junction:</strong><span> </span>May 2, 3.00 pm to 4.00pm</p>

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Gladys Berejiklian reveals key new case in Sydney COVID outbreak

<p><span>A traveller has tested positive for COVID-19 – and on the same floor as a security guard who contracted the virus a week before.</span><br /><br /><span>NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the news to reporters Wednesday morning, saying this new case could be the “missing link” health authorities need.</span><br /><br /><span>“Health believes they (new case) acquired (COVID) when they went into the hotel and we’re being very upfront about that,” Ms Berejiklian said.</span><br /><br /><span>“They are an overseas traveller but they didn’t have the virus when they came into the hotel … health believes that because of the timing they contracted the virus.”</span><br /><br /><span>The Premier confessed that investigators and health officials may “never find the link…. similar to the Avalon cluster; we still don’t know.</span><br /><br /><span>“As always during a pandemic we ask all of our citizens to be on high alert and follow health advice,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>“Fortunately the person is already in quarantine … health will be making further investigations, it could be very much the missing link between the overseas traveller and the guard.”</span><br /><br /><span>The security guard is believed to have contracted the virus while working on the 11th floor at the Sofitel in Wentworth.</span><br /><br /><span>Officials are still yet to determine how, however an extensive look at CCTV footage shows he did not breach any protocols.</span><br /><br /><span>A previous returned traveller at the hotel has also tested positive, but the link between them and the guard continues to be a mystery to investigators and health officials.</span><br /><br /><span>“It’s not surprising the case is on the same floor as the security guard and the traveller that had the original case,” the premier said.</span><br /><br /><span>“There is no cause for us to be alarmed in the community.”</span><br /><br /><span>Ms Berejiklian said the case would not impact an expected easing of restrictions later on Wednesday.</span><br /><br /><span>“At this stage there’s no cause for us to change any of that,” she said.</span><br /><br /><span>“But of course, as I say every day the pandemic is evolving, and if we have to adjust any of our settings we will.”</span><br /><br /><span>The guard was the state’s first coronavirus case in 55 days and had received one dose of the Pfizer vaccine earlier in March.</span><br /><br /><span>NSW Health revealed that the 47-year-old man caught the virus while he worked across two Sydney quarantine hotels, Sofitel Wentworth in Sydney’s CBD and the Mantra hotel at Haymarket.</span><br /><br /><span>Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant told reporters that the man had a full-time office job and worked in the hotels over weekends.</span><br /><br /><span>“(He was) was infectious while doing a shift and we have contacted around 130 people who worked from 7 pm on Friday night to 7 am on Saturday, overlapping that March 12 to March 13 (window),” she said at the time.</span><br /><br /><span>“We are asking those individuals to immediately self-isolate and get a test. Basically, that allows us time to work through and ascertain the nature of interaction that this security guard had with those quarantine workers.”</span></p>

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NSW acting premier hints at tighter measures after bottle shop outbreak

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Two employees infected with the coronavirus served thousands of customers at a BWS in Berala, which has prompted fears that the cluster is set to explode.</p> <p>Anyone who visited the bottle shop over the festive period is being considered a close contact and must get tested for coronavirus and isolate for 14 days.</p> <p>Acting Premier John Barilaro said that Sydney wouldn't hesitate to enforce a "Northern Beaches-style lockdown."</p> <p>“Yeah, absolutely,” he replied to<span> </span><em>Sunrise</em>.</p> <p>“We never take anything off the table.”</p> <p>He's also urged other states to step up when it comes to quarantine.</p> <p>“We, as a state, have had 105,000 passengers through Sydney, [we are] doing the heavy lifting,” he said.</p> <p>“[And] 45 to 50 per cent of those citizens returning to Australia belong to other states.</p> <p>“It’s like we’re the dry cleaner or car wash - we clean them up and send them off clean to other states.</p> <p>“What we do need is other states to start lifting their game and taking more people directly into their states rather than NSW being the laundromat,” Barilaro said.</p> <p>This comes after a south-western Sydney venue operator was fined for a major breach of public health orders as the venue allowed up to 700 guests to attend a wedding.</p> <p>Between 600 to 700 people attended the wedding in Fairfield, double the amount of patrons allowed at the venue under the NSW coronavirus restrictions.</p> <p>The operator will be fined $5,000 for the "high level" breach, according to a livid NSW Police Minister David Elliott.</p> <p>"The police will ensure he gets the $5000 (fine)," Mr Elliott told Today.</p> <p>"He can challenge that and risk himself six months in jail."</p> <p>"It is baffling that somebody would breach it (the public health order) so badly," Mr Elliott said.</p> <p>"This isn't one or two people coming from an area in lockdown or, you know, this isn't a dozen people that turned up unannounced, this is twice the amount of people that were allowed to attend that wedding reception in an area not far from Berala."</p> <p>"It is not about the fines or the punishment, this is about compliance, and people need to realise the police are enforcing a law to keep them healthy," Mr Elliott said.</p> <p>"We don't want to go back into lockdown. That's why we have introduced these Public Health Orders and I'm very disappointed that the Fairfield police area command has had to go through that over the last 48 hours.</p> <p>"It is time that western Sydney needs to be well and truly on its game when it comes to complying with Public Health Orders. This just does not make sense."</p> <p>He said there was now "potentially 700 people that have to monitor their own health and probably go get a COVID-19 test".</p> <p><em>Photo credits: Today</em></p> </div> </div> </div>

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"We kind of forgot": Lisa Wilkinson responds to NSW outbreak

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>With 28 new cases linked to the Northern Beaches cluster, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has urged all northern beaches residents to "not leave your home" as NSW works quickly to get on top of its cluster.</p> <p>She's told the NSW community that as soon as she gets information about affected venues, she'll tell the community.</p> <p>"As soon as NSW Health gets that information about that venue or that someone has acquired the disease, you will get it in real time, the same time as I do," she said.</p> <p>"But to avoid confusion, we will be doing one daily update at 11 am on the numbers."</p> <p>This comes after Lisa Wilkinson warned that NSW was getting "complacent".</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Contact tracers are working hard tonight to confirm the source of Sydney’s new COVID cluster, with the number of cases increasing and testing queues lengthening just eight days from Christmas. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheProjectTV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheProjectTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/uuY1iBpyaD">pic.twitter.com/uuY1iBpyaD</a></p> — The Project (@theprojecttv) <a href="https://twitter.com/theprojecttv/status/1339483075542212608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>Wilkinson is a Sydney resident herself and said on Thursday night's episode of<span> </span><em>The Project</em><span> </span>that NSW "kind of forgot" we are in a pandemic.</p> <p>“In NSW, because we never went through what Victoria did or South Australia... we’ve just been sort of rolling along, thinking, ‘Gee, haven’t we done well,’” she said.</p> <p>“Well, it turns out it is very definitely still out there and obviously people who are asymptomatic that are passing it on. We are in a pandemic and we kind of forgot.”</p> <p>Epidemiologist and public health specialist Tony Blakely joined<span> </span><em>The Project</em><span> </span>and said that "the real truth will come in the next few days".</p> <p>"This is serious," he urged the audience.</p> <p>The Premier has said that there is "absolutely" no reason people should not be wearing masks when they're unable to social distance, especially on public transport.</p> <p>The outbreak has also spread to other areas, including Cronulla RSL after it confirmed a positive coronavirus case visited the establishment.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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NSW experiences COVID-19 outbreak just days before Xmas

<p>NSW is racing to bring a handful of mystery cases under control just eight days before Christmas.</p> <p>The state has six locally acquired cases, which haven't been traced, with five in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney and one in Sydney's southwest.</p> <p>Sydney was on high alert as a 45-year-old man who transports international aircrew from the airport tested positive to the virus.</p> <p>A few hours later, a couple from Avalon in their 60s and 70s tested positive to the coronavirus.</p> <p>NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant are urging people who have visited hot spots to get tested.</p> <p>Hazzard also implored journalists to ensure that privacy of infected people remained intact, despite naming the band that the initial case took from the airport.</p> <p>"The gentleman from Frenchs Forest – I have to say the tracing and tracking of our health teams is just incredible – just in the last few hours, they've taken histories and managed to work out that this particular person has been working in a band," Mr Hazzard said.</p> <p>"The band is called Nothing Too Serious. Certainly from our point of view, I wouldn't say it's exactly how we feel, because it obviously is serious.</p> <p>"We are making every effort to do what New South Wales does extremely well, and that is to keep in the perspective and deal with what is coming our way at the moment."</p> <p>"We need to respect people's privacy as far as possible so they can actually feel confident in coming forward," he said.</p> <p>"Look, there have been circumstances. In fact, I wish I hadn't actually named that band now because some of you will be rushing out. I want to hear that band when they're well but we need to respect their privacy as far as humanly possible."</p> <p>A self-isolate order has been issued for anyone who attended the venues below, which means people must seek testing and remain in isolation for 14 days.</p> <p>The locations where people need to go into isolation are:</p> <ul> <li>Avalon RSL Club – December 11 all day until close</li> <li>Penrith RSL Club – December 13 from 1 pm to 6pm</li> <li>The Kirribilli Club – December 14 from 12 pm to 3pm</li> </ul> <p>Avalon currently has a new pop-up testing COVID-19 clinic at the Avalon Recreation Centre, which is open from 8 am to 10 pm Monday to Sunday so that people are able to get tested.</p> <p>“It is critical that anyone who was at the [Avalon] RSL club gets tested,” Chant said.</p> <p>“Our working hypothesis is that someone at the [Avalon] RSL club was potentially the source of infection for a number of subsequent cases.”</p> <p>Chant also admitted that one of the cases came forward for testing after realising they had been at a high-risk venue.</p> <p>"That person did not have any symptoms. That person was tested because of our advice around coming forward for testing if you have been at any sites," she said.</p> <p>"Remember, for those sites we say even if you had symptoms or not, get tested.</p> <p>"The reason for that is that if you're in that presymptomatic period, we know you can be infectious for 24-48 hours before symptoms develop. It gives us that time.</p> <p>"That person potentially did work and we are working with the residential facility on that, obviously the residents as well may well have gone to other venues.</p> <p>"I'm aware some residents also get out and about and that some of them – a small number of them – have also attended some of the other venues at the times where we have got interest. We are working with that facility."</p>

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"We are going in hard, early": How SA are tackling the newest outbreak

<p>South Australia has recorded just one new case of coronavirus overnight, linked to the family cluster at the centre of the fresh outbreak.</p> <p>The update was issued at 7 am on Tuesday in what seems to be great news as health authorities scramble to take control of emerging COVID-19 cases.</p> <p>There is concern the state may go through a second wave of the highly infectious virus.</p> <p>All international flights to Adelaide have been suspended while the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland have closed their borders to the state.</p> <p>New South Wales will remain open and Victoria, too, despite deeming SA a "hotspot".</p> <p>New restrictions have also been put in place, coming into effect at midnight. </p> <p>Premier Steven Marshall said the restrictions are set to be put in place for two weeks.</p> <p>"Of course, if we can remove them earlier, we certainly will."</p> <ul> <li>Pubs, clubs and restaurants now have a 100-person limit; private functions are capped at 50 and there is to be no stand-up drinking. The four</li> <li>Recreation centres, play centres and gyms are now closed — though with outdoor boot camps permitted, some are moving classes outside.</li> <li>Community sports fixtures and training have been temporarily suspended, for both indoor and outdoor sports.</li> <li>Funeral are capped at 50 people; church services are limited to 100 people; wedding guests must register with the communicable diseases control branch.</li> <li>Home gatherings are limited to 10 people.</li> <li>Masks must be worn by beauty providers, and are encouraged for clients.</li> </ul> <p>Those who can work from home are encouraged to, and people have been asked to avoid unnecessary travel, and wear a mask where social distancing is not possible.</p> <p>Schools will remain open.</p> <p>"To everyone who has gone to get tested and acted on advice to self-isolate, thank you," Marshall said in a statement <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/158532174266173/posts/3400590756726949" target="_blank">shared on social media</a> last night.</p> <p>"As we've seen interstate and overseas, this virus has the ability to spread thick and fast. It's a nasty virus and it's not going to go away until we have a vaccine. That's why we can never get complacent.</p> <p>"Social distancing, hand hygiene, getting tested and respecting restrictions are our strongest line of defence.</p> <p>"We are not waiting. We are going in hard, early. This cluster won't define us. It won't ruin all the hard work we've done if we continue to work together."</p>

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Carers at Epping Gardens break silence over deadly outbreak

<p>A group of aged care workers who came under fire for holding an “unauthorised” baby shower at their facility days before a deadly outbreak occurred have finally broken their silence. </p> <p>Heritage Care, owner of aged cared facility Epping Gardens, referred six of its carers to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency over the baby shower on July 16, claiming it was unauthorised.</p> <p>The first case of COVID-19 at the facility was found days later.</p> <p>The cluster ended up taking the lives of 38 residents.</p> <p>But the carers claim management knew of the baby shower as well as a birthday celebration that took place at the facility two days later.</p> <p>Appearing on A Current Affair, the carers made a series of allegations saying a COVID-19 outbreak was inevitable.</p> <p>Only two nurses were on duty at Epping Gardens when the Australian Defence Force took over in late July.</p> <p>Speaking to ACA reporter Christine Ahern, the carers who chose to stay anonymous painted a picture of confusion, chaos and a lack of infection control before the virus took place.</p> <p>And most seriously, one carer, Renee* alleges that she was required to continue working as she waited for the results of a COVID-19 test.</p> <p>"They say, 'you are waiting, you can work'," Renee* said.</p> <p>Jade* another carer was also told she needed to continue working after coming into contact with a COVID-positive resident.</p> <p>"They said to me, 'do you have symptoms?' And I said, 'no, I don't have symptoms.' And they said, 'don't worry, you have to go upstairs, you have to work today'."</p> <p>Jade* refused to work and tested positive the following day.</p> <p>She hasn't been back to Epping Gardens since.</p> <p>Renee* was also told to stop wearing a mask because it was scaring the residents.</p> <p>"(The manager said) 'just throw your mask in the bin… you're scaring the consumers and they think we're sick'," Renee* said.</p> <p>Heritage Care CEO Greg Reeve declined to comment when contacted by A Current Affair.</p> <p>*Carers names have been changed.</p>

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Masked Singer Australia suspended after COVID-19 outbreak

<p>Production of <em>The Masked Singer Australia</em> has been halted after several crew members have tested positive for coronavirus.</p> <p>The show is filmed in Melbourne, which is currently experiencing a spike of infections and residents are following strict lockdown rules.</p> <p>Some lockdown rules include a night-time curfew, the closure of restaurants and gyms and no travel further than 5kms from home.</p> <p>The show announced its immediate suspension in a tweet on Sunday.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEMBW74Dqti/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEMBW74Dqti/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Thanks for all the love and support fam! We've still got plenty of episodes of The Masked Singer ready to go so we'll see you 7.30 Monday and Tuesday on 10.</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/themaskedsingerau/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> The Masked Singer Australia</a> (@themaskedsingerau) on Aug 22, 2020 at 3:13am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>“The health and safety of the community, and our staff and production partners is our number one priority,” the show wrote on Twitter.</p> <p>“The entire production team, including the masked singers, the host and panellists are now in self-isolation.</p> <p>“They are all being monitored closely and are in constant contact with medical authorities.”</p> <p>This shows that the show's host Osher Gunsberg and judges including singer Dannii Minogue and comedian Dave Hughes are being isolated.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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City of Sydney declared COVID hotspot after multiple outbreaks

<p>Sydney is now officially a coronavirus hotspot according to NSW Health.</p> <p>The Local Government Area encompassed by the City of Sydney stretches from Circular Quay to East Lakes.</p> <p>After a rise in COVID-19 cases, it was added to a list of hotspot LGAs by the health authority on Monday.</p> <p>The move may have been prompted due to multiple outbreaks in Potts Point.</p> <p>37 cases have been linked to the Thai Rock Restaurant and at least 28 with the Apollo Restaurant, both in Potts Point.</p> <p>Sydney Girls High School in Surry Hills, near Moore Park, also had a student test positive over the weekend.</p> <p>On Monday, New South Wales confirmed seven new cases.</p> <p>The state is “on a knife-edge”, Berejiklian says, in the battle against community transmission.</p> <p>“That is a big concern because ... Melbourne didn’t get worse because of the number of cases they had,” she said on Monday.</p> <p>“They had undetected community transmission which then unknowingly got to a stage where it … formed a number of different clusters and we certainly don’t want that to happen here.”</p>

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Crossroads hotel cluster linked to Victorian outbreak

<p>Another southwestern Sydney pub has been forced to shut its doors after a patron infected with COVID-19 visited over the weekend.</p> <p>The Macarthur Tavern in Campbelltown is the latest venue to be closed after a person who was carrying the disease paid a visit to the tavern on the evening of Saturday, July 11.</p> <p>A staff member confirmed the news this morning, saying the patron was a contact of someone who became infected as a result of the Crossroads Hotel cluster.</p> <p>Those who visited the venue on Saturday are being told they do not need to self-isolate, but to instead get tested and stay home if they develop symptoms.</p> <p>Premier Gladys Berejiklian praised the “really smart” physician from NSW Health who connected the dots between two separate cases in the community and first linked the outbreak to the Crossroads pub – protecting the state from a catastrophic spike in community transmission.</p> <p>“I’m not sure if this has been discussed in public but I want to congratulate the really smart physician who found the initial link between two cases in very different suburbs who were then linked to the Crossroads Hotel,” Berejiklian said.</p> <p>“That was really smart detective work in a matter of hours who allowed us to then take the action we have. This is the kind of detective work that goes on every day in New South Wales,” she said.</p> <p>“If you don’t get to one person and that creates a new strain and that pops up somewhere else in a month, that could also result in thousands of new cases.”</p> <p>Australia has reached a tragic milestone of 10,000 coronavirus cases, with only 4 per cent of cases this week coming from overseas.</p> <p>Yesterday, 284 new cases were recorded, with close to 44,500 tests conducted in the 24 hour period.</p> <p>Berejiklian said we have to accept that virus cases will continue to increase.</p> <p>“Are we going to have more cases as restrictions have eased? Of course we are,” Berejiklian said.</p> <p>“We need to know we are living with this for a long time, and cumulatively cases will increase,” she said.</p>

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NSW outbreak: Sydney pub-goers ordered to self-isolate

<p>All the people who visited a pub in Sydney’s southwest over an eight-day period have been told to self-isolate regardless of their COVID-19 test result after authorities confirmed nine coronavirus cases linked to the establishment.</p> <p>An 18 year-old staffer from the Crossroads Hotel in Casula and a close contact in her 50s, along with a woman in her 40s and a Victorian man in his 20s, are the latest to test positive for the virus.</p> <p>NSW Health has urged anyone who entered the Crossroads Hotel in Casula between July 3 and 10 to self-isolate for 14 days.</p> <p>“Even if you get a negative test, that does not mean you are out of the woods and hence we are asking that you isolate yourself for 14 days since you were last at the Crossroads Hotel,” said NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant.</p> <p>“A negative result does not mean you can breach self-isolation.”</p> <p>About 1,600 customers have been tested at the pop-up testing clinic at the hotel since Friday, <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/8-day-infection-period-pub-goers-told-to-self-isolate-regardless-of-covid-test-result-c-1160653">7News</a> </em>reported.</p> <p>Federal Labor MP Anne Stanley was among the patrons who dined at the pub. In a Facebook post, she said she has been tested for coronavirus and is entering self-isolation for 14 days.</p> <p>The outbreak highlighted <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/12/crossroads-hotel-thousands-told-to-isolate-for-two-weeks-as-sydney-cluster-grows">the importance of businesses recording the contact details of sit-down customers</a>, Chant said.</p> <p>“When you do go into cafes, restaurants and other facilities, there is a reason we ask you for those details,” she said.</p> <p>“Please use correct numbers [and] write legibly because this will be in your best interest.”</p> <p>The Planet Fitness Gym, which is located hundreds of metres from the pub, has also closed its doors after one of its employees tested positive for the virus.</p> <p>Anyone who visited the gym on July 9 or 10 has been advised to be tested for coronavirus immediately.</p> <p>On Sunday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced travellers returning to the state will be charged for their fortnight hotel quarantine starting next week.</p> <p>The first adult in each party will be charged $3,000. Additional adults will be billed a further $1,000 and children over three years old $500.</p> <p>“Cost hasn’t been the main challenge for us, it has been making sure we get the logistics right,” Berejiklian said.</p> <p>“New South Wales is still processing more than six or seven times what other states are processing and, on that basis, we want to make sure we are putting resources where they are needed.”</p> <p>The premier said the next four weeks would be critical in the fight to contain COVID-19.</p> <p>“We have the chance now to really clamp down on community transmission or else unfortunately we’ll go down the track of what Victoria is going through.”</p>

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Frozen food contamination fears as Beijing market outbreak grows

<p><span>The coronavirus outbreak which traced to a food market in the Chinese city of Beijing continues to grow as authorities spark fears of frozen food contamination.</span></p> <p><span>The outbreak, first detected at the Xinfadi wholesale market last week, has infected at least 158 people in China’s biggest resurgence since the initial outbreak was brought under control in March.</span></p> <p><span>The city reported 21 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, down from 31 on Wednesday.</span></p> <p><span>City officials are now attempting to trace all possible cases as quickly as they can, with testing and prevention measures being taken.</span></p> <p><span>Fresh meat and seafood in other parts of the country are also being inspected for precautionary reasons.</span></p> <p><span>In the neighbouring Tianjin Municipality, there has been a first local case in months.</span></p> <p><span>The new case was a hotel worker who handled frozen seafood, according to the local health commission.</span></p> <p><span>The infected 22-year-old man had been working in the kitchen of the Conrad Tianjin Hotel since May 30 – washing dishes and occasionally cleaning frozen seafood.</span></p> <p><span>The man had not left Tianjin in the 14 days prior and had not been in contact with a confirmed case.</span></p> <p><span>The case is currently being investigated, as concerns grow of widespread contamination.</span></p> <p><span>One expert told the </span><em>Global Times</em><span> that the man was more likely to have been infected by frozen food, or the ice around it, as, if contaminated, it could survive for weeks.</span></p> <p><span>“The frozen seafood touched by the Tianjin patient could be of the same batch with those shipped to Beijing Xinfadi,” Wuhan University virologist Yang Zhanqiu said.</span></p> <p><span>Yang urged residents not to eat raw food and exercise caution when eating processed frozen food.</span></p> <p><span>The first reported cases of the global pandemic emerged from a Wuhan wildlife wet market in December 2019.</span></p>

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Egg alert: NSW eggs suspected in salmonella outbreak

<p>At least three people have gotten salmonella food poisoning after purchasing eggs from a well-known supermarket.</p> <p>The infection is believed to have come from eggs bought in the Melbourne suburb of Werribee.</p> <p>According to<span> </span><em>The Weekly Times</em>, the eggs were supplied from farms in New South Wales.</p> <p>However, a spokesman for the NSW Department of Primary Industries disputed those claims.</p> <p>“There is no evidence to suggest the reported illnesses in Victoria are connected to NSW eggs, or even eggs. The matter is an active investigation being undertaken by Victorian authorities.</p> <p>“There are no current recalls of eggs in NSW and no warnings with regards to eggs.”</p> <p>Since 2012, 12 farms have been identified to be contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis bacteria and have been working to eliminate the infection.</p> <p>Once bacteria affects poultry, it can be difficult to eradicate as it infects hens’ ovaries, where it is then excreted into their eggs as they are formed.</p> <p>The infection spread rapidly between the farms as the farmers buy and sell eggs from each other.</p> <p>Most infections were discovered in 2019 and the majority of the farms have had their hens removed, but the NSW DPI is still clearing three properties.</p> <p>There are still salmonella cases in humans in NSW which are linked to a yet-to-be-identified farm.</p> <p>Salmonella poisoning occurs when salmonella bacteria is ingested which is carried in the faeces of infected animals.</p> <p>It is most commonly transmitted through eating undercooked foods or poor hygiene practices, and can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, chills, throwing up and an upset stomach.</p>

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