All posts by Thea van de Mortel
Does picking your nose really increase your risk of COVID?
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. Picking your nose is linked to an increased risk of COVID, according to a study out today. The study was conducted in health workers. This raises two main questions. One, were these health workers washing their hands at…
Flu or COVID? You can now test for both at home with a single swab. Here’s what you need to know
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. If you have respiratory symptoms as we head towards winter and flu season, could it be COVID or the flu? Or something else entirely? Now, we have a range of home tests that can distinguish between flu and…
Is my RAT actually working? How to tell if your COVID test can detect Omicron
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. You’ve tested negative for COVID using a rapid antigen test (RAT), but are a close contact of a positive family member and have symptoms. So you might be wondering if you’re really COVID-negative or if the test is…
Here’s another type of COVID test to get your head around. But is this new home kit worth the cost?
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. A new type of COVID test is set to be available from November for Australians to use at home. It promises an alternative to rapid antigen tests (RATs), which we’re familiar with. It also promises a faster and…
Masks are ‘strongly suggested’ by health authorities as the winter COVID wave hits. Here’s how effective they are
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. Health departments are predicting another COVID surge related, in part, to more easily transmitted new variants and waning immunity. Given COVID cases are rising and likely underestimated, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has strongly suggested people wear masks…
When RAT-testing for COVID, should you also swab your throat?
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. We’re now pretty used to swabbing our nose to test for COVID when we have a scratchy throat or new cough. But should we also be using our rapid antigen test (RAT) to swab our throat, as some…
Can you use rapid antigen tests in children under 2 years old?
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. As we head into winter, you may have a sniffly child under two years old at home. Is it just a cold? Or could it be COVID? You may be tempted to reach into the cupboard for a…
Want to cut your chance of catching COVID on a plane? Wear a mask and avoid business class
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. A Florida court recently overturned mask mandates on planes in the United States, saying the directive was unlawful. That decision is now under appeal. Before that, Australian comedian Celeste Barber told her social media followers a passenger sitting…
Why do I (and my kids) get so many colds? And with all this COVID around, should we be isolating too?
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. As we head towards winter, the likelihood of picking up a pesky cold increases. But COVID changes how we approach sore throats and runny noses. If you have cold symptoms and return negative rapid antigen tests, isolating isn’t…
How to get the most out of your N95 mask or other respirator
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. Although mask mandates are lifting in some states, many people will continue to wear masks to protect themselves and others from the more transmissible Omicron variant. For instance, they might be visiting a loved one in hospital, travelling…