Weekly OSHGroup COVID-19 Report - 20/05/2020
CURRENT INFORMATION
Global number of cases reported – 4.9 Million with 320,000 deaths.
Recovery rates remain high, with 1.6M cases classed as recovered.
The World Health Organization's declares the outbreak of COVID-19 as a Pandemic.
COVID-19 continues to expand across the US. There are over 1.3 Million cases in the US, with nearly 79,500 deaths recorded.
There is a stable rate of new case notifications across Australia (see below).
Australia has conducted 827,000 tests with a positive rate of 0.8%
NEW - (18/5) WA Government COVID restrictions updated. Restrictions have been relaxed for some activities. (LINK).
NEW - (18/5) WA Regional Travel restrictions updated (see below).
(8/5) Federal Goverment Roadmap for COVID recovery announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison (LINK).
(10/5) WA Government Recovery Roadmap announed by Premier Mark McGowan (LINK).
(1/5) Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) - Household Impacts Report released (see below) - (LINK).
(1/5) WA Government announces research trial for COVID-19 with the Telethon Kids Institute (LINK).
(15/4) WA Police G2G Pass system for travel approvals (LINK).
(9/4) Australian Government - JobKeeper Legislation passed https://www.health.gov.au/news/jobkeeper-payment.
(5/4) WA Government implements hard border quarantine control.
(27/3) Australian Government - All travellers entering Australia must isolate in specific quarantine hotels for 14 days upon arrival.
(22/3) Australian Government – Social distancing restrictions applied across the nation.
(22/3) Australian Government – Strict actions implemented, WA, SA and NT borders closed, isolation required on arrival.
(18/3) DFAT Travel Alerts – All other countries - ‘Do not Travel’ .
SUPPORTING EMPLOYERS
OSHGroup has established an advisory team and contact screening service for Clients and Employers, to assess their personnel at risk or with concerns about the COVID-19 – Contact OSHGroup if assistance is required.
Contact the team via email
Key support services being offered are:
High risk worker screening.
Case management.
Workplace risk mitigation design and advice.
Mental health support services for teams and impacted workers.
CORONAVIRUS - BACKGROUND
COVID-19 is caused by a virus from the Coronavirus family. This family of viruses can cause various respiratory illnesses from the common cold to more severe diseases such as the SARS virus.
Until early January 2020 the virus was confined to China and was centered around Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
Mortality (Case-Fatality Rate “CFR”) is reported at 2.3%.
Research published (24/2/20) in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) shows CFR at 2.3% across 72,000 cases. (1)
CFR increases considerably among older patients, to 14.8% in patients 80 yrs+, and 8.0% in patients 70-79 yrs.
For those described as critically ill, the CFR was reported as 49.0%.
81% of reported cases examined, experienced mild symptoms only.
Some reports suggest that the global CFR is approximately 3.5%
GENERAL PREVENTION OF TRANSMISSION
There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection. Everyday preventive actions are recommend to help prevent the spread, including:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Maintain social distancing.
Stay home when you are sick.
Practice cough and sneeze etiquette - Cover your cough or sneeze into your elbow or with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the bin.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.