As Victorian officials struggle to contain an outbreak of a dangerous mutant COVID-19 strain, serious questions are mounting over the major mistake that led to the cluster. The number of cases linked to the Holiday Inn quarantine hotel in Melbourne has grown to 13, prompting fears the city could be forced into another harsh lockdown. The first case in the new cluster was detected on Sunday after an Authorised Officer at the hotel tested positive to COVID-19. Health authorities were confused as to how she had contracted the virus as her role required her to have minimal contact with quarantine guests.
A nebuliser a medical device that turns a liquid into a fine mist, typically to deliver inhaled medication may have spread the coronavirus in Melbourne’s hotel quarantine.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said earlier today this was the “working hypothesis” to explain why three people became infected at the airport’s Holiday Inn hotel.
How could this have happened? And what are the implications for people who use nebulisers outside hotel quarantine, such as those with asthma?
What is a nebuliser?
A nebuliser creates a fine mist from a liquid, usually using compressed air or oxygen, or via ultrasonic vibration. A nebuliser is different to a vaporiser, which uses heat to produce a mist.
Phage therapy offers hope in fight against antibiotic resistance and superbugs
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TueTuesday 19
JanJanuary 2021 at 4:09am
Scientists Ali Khalid and Ruby Lin collect samples from the sewage system at a nursing home.
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Fishing for samples from a raw sewage pond isn t terribly pleasant work, but Ruby Lin hopes what she collects here will help avert a medical catastrophe.
Key points:
Phage therapy involves the use of specific viruses to target bacterial infections
Some doctors hope it will play a major role in stopping deaths caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria
There have been promising results in clinical trials in Sydney, but the therapy has its drawbacks