Widespread mask wearing in Victoria’s schools could save dozens of lives each month, recent modelling shows. covid19 masks pandemic
Last month was the state’s deadliest month since the pandemic began, with 737 COVID-19 deaths reported. New Victorian hospitalisation data shows that the number of people aged 75 and above needing hospitalisation has jumped dramatically since the Delta and Omicron waves.
During the Delta wave in September and October last year, just 17.3 per cent of those hospitalised with COVID-19 in Victoria were aged 75 or older. That has since increased to almost 50 per cent, based on data from late June to late July.Sutton said this could be linked to the infectiousness of the BA.4 and BA.5 variants, as well as increased mixing, in which older people were starting to socialise again.
“Clearly, our older populations have protected themselves very well over the last two and a half years. But that also means that they haven’t had previous infections; they remain vulnerable to transmission.Health authorities believe more than half of Victorians with COVID-19 do not know they are infected, aren’t testing or aren’t registering their positive rapid tests.Because of this, vulnerable people, including those over 69 years, could also be missing out on antiviral medications.
“If you’re in a vulnerable or frail age group or with pre-existing illness, taking those oral therapies can make a big difference to keeping you out of hospital,” Sutton said.as COVID-19 numbers appear to be falling nationwide.
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