With the latest Covid variant coming down from Singapore, to pay us a visist, XBB, with a sprinkling of BQ.1, Queensland medical technocrats have recommended another round of face masks in certain settings, and some are proclaiming that the death counts will rise, although Singapore health Minister Ong Ye Kung said: "XBB is demonstrating characteristics that it is dominating over all other sub-variants. It has been detected in many parts of the world but in Singapore is rising very fast – within three weeks from nothing, it is now over half of all the daily cases." There is no evidence he said that the new variant leads to more severe outcomes. Another Covid storm in a tea cup, or is it, syringe?
It seems that the Australian Covid establishment have trouble letting go, and have nostalgia for the good old lockdown days.
“Top doctors have told Australians it's time to move on from Covid panic, despite Queensland introducing 'ridiculous' new mask advice and the national broadcaster bombarding the country with endless messages about the latest wave of the virus.
The country is entering its fourth wave of Covid with sub-variants BQ.1 and XBB slowly taking over BA.5 and becoming the dominant strain.
Queensland changed its Covid traffic light system from green to amber on Thursday recommending face masks be worn in some settings, while the ABC's health guru Dr Norman Swan says deaths will rise.
But the latest developments have prompted a swift response from Australia's top doctors, who are calling for calm from residents urging residents to continue life as normal.
Former deputy chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth has declined to talk about the latest wave because it is time to 'move on' from the pandemic, while Deakin University epidemiology chair Catherine Bennett said 'being fearful isn't the answer'.
'Get on and do your normal things,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
'Panic never helps is my view. Being aware of risk changing and responding to that, and managing it, is the best thing you can do.'
Professor Bennett acknowledged residents should be mindful of the latest wave.
'We are seeing numbers, particularly hospitalisations, push up across country,' she said.
'We know from data from overseas, adding Covid variants into the mix, pushes up transmission rates. What it means for individuals is that their exposure risk goes up.'
Professor Bennett said it was important residents listened to the advice from health professionals, received their booster, but not to make drastic changes to their lives.”