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Scientists from Mater Research Institute at UQ, in collaboration with the UQ Queensland Brain Institute, have shown that the virus behind COVID-19 does not integrate into the host’s DNA. The researchers refute claims that COVID-19 or vaccines can enter a person's DNA, saying that the claims have led to "scaremongering" and people should not hesitate to be vaccinated.

September 13 is World Sepsis Day but despite significant effort, many Queenslanders still don’t know what sepsis is or its symptoms. That’s why Clinical Excellence Queensland (CEQ) has launched a comprehensive website for both clinicians and patients, with a wide range of downloadable resources, from posters and infographics, to videos and sample text that can be shared among your colleagues and networks.

More support needs to be put in place for hospital workers, especially nurses, dealing with the COVID pandemic after a global review of studies found high levels of depression, PTSD, anxiety and burn-out amongst frontline staff. 

The emergence of the delta strain of SARS-CoV-2 (which causes COVID-19) earlier this year was not a surprise, and has resulted in an additional increase in morbidity and mortality across the world. Studies indicate a high effectiveness of many vaccines designed for the previously dominant alpha strain. But scientists are still waiting for the full story on the delta variant, and research results need to be viewed with caution.

While cases of pericarditis or myocarditis temporally linked to COVID-19 vaccination remain rare, they may happen more often than reported, according to a large review of electronic medical records (EMR).

The Queensland map of dengue-receptive areas should be updated to include the broad geographic area from Townsville south to Rockhampton, following an outbreak of dengue virus serotype-2 (DENV-2) in Rockhampton. Research published in the MJA detailed the outbreak and response by the Central Queensland Public Health Unit.

To protect themselves from the potential harms of low value care, patients must take an active role in clinical decision making, according to the authors of a perspective article published by the Medical Journal of Australia.

In countries like Australia, that have avoided large-scale COVID-19 epidemics, lockdowns were not associated with large numbers of deaths. Although lockdowns are undoubtedly associated with health harms, their impact on health is unlikely to be worse than the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic itself, concludes a review published in the online journal BMJ Global Health.

Sepsis is a leading cause of preventable death and disability in children, and is a top priority for statewide paediatric patient safety. The Queensland Paediatric Sepsis Program (QPSP) have now released a new website to support families and clinicians caring for children across the state. Hosted by Children’s Health Queensland, the website is a ‘one stop shop’ for clinicians, researchers, families and communities around Queensland.

Supporting clinicians to practice rurally is complex and should be part of a multifaceted strategy to provide more health care in the bush, according to the authors of a supplement and accompanying editorial published by the Medical Journal of Australia.