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Do blue-light glasses really work? Can they reduce eye strain or help me sleep?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-downie-1469379">Laura Downie</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Blue-light glasses are said to <a href="https://www.baxterblue.com.au/collections/blue-light-glasses">reduce eye strain</a> when using <a href="https://www.blockbluelight.com.au/collections/computer-glasses">computers</a>, improve your <a href="https://www.ocushield.com/products/anti-blue-light-glasses">sleep</a> and protect your eye health. You can buy them yourself or your optometrist can prescribe them. But <a href="https://mivision.com.au/2019/03/debate-continues-over-blue-blocking-lenses/">do they work</a>? Or could they do you harm? We <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD013244.pub2/full">reviewed</a> the evidence. Here’s what we found. <h2>What are they?</h2> Blue-light glasses, blue light-filtering lenses or blue-blocking lenses are different terms used to describe lenses that reduce the amount of short-wavelength visible (blue) light reaching the eyes. Most of these lenses prescribed by an optometrist decrease blue light transmission by <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/opo.12615">10-25%</a>. Standard (clear) lenses do not filter blue light. A wide variety of lens products are available. A filter can be added to prescription or non-prescription lenses. They are widely marketed and are becoming <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/opo.12615">increasingly popular</a>. There’s often an added cost, which depends on the specific product. So, is the extra expense worth it? <h2>Blue light is all around us</h2> Outdoors, sunlight is the main source of blue light. Indoors, light sources – such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and the screens of digital devices – emit varying degrees of blue light. The amount of blue light emitted from artificial light sources is much lower than from the Sun. Nevertheless, artificial light sources are all around us, at home and at work, and we can spend a lot of our time inside. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549210/original/file-20230920-16-tsb23b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Blue light-filtering lenses block some blue light from screens from reaching the eye" /></a><figcaption>Screens emit blue light. The lenses are designed to reduce the amount of blue light that reaches the eye. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/blue-light-blocking-ray-filter-lens-2286229107">Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> Our research team at the University of Melbourne, along with collaborators from Monash University and City, University London, sought to see if the best available evidence supports using blue light-filtering glasses, or if they could do you any harm. So we conducted a <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD013244.pub2/full">systematic review</a> to bring together and evaluate all the relevant studies. We included all randomised controlled trials (clinical studies designed to test the effects of interventions) that evaluated blue light-filtering lenses in adults. We identified 17 eligible trials from six countries, involving a total of 619 adults. <h2>Do they reduce eye strain?</h2> We found no benefit of using blue light-filtering lenses, over standard (clear) lenses, to reduce eye strain with computer use. This conclusion was based on consistent findings from three studies that evaluated effects on eye strain over time periods ranging from two hours to five days. <h2>Do they help you sleep?</h2> Possible effects on sleep were uncertain. Six studies evaluated whether wearing blue-light filtering lenses before bedtime could improve sleep quality, and the findings were mixed. These studies involved people with a diverse range of medical conditions, including insomnia and bipolar disorder. Healthy adults were not included in the studies. So we do not yet know whether these lenses affect sleep quality in the general population. <h2>Do they boost your eye health?</h2> We did not find any clinical evidence to support using blue-light filtering lenses to protect the macula (the region of the retina that controls high-detailed, central vision). None of the studies evaluated this. <h2>Could they do harm? How about causing headaches?</h2> We could not draw clear conclusions on whether there might be harms from wearing blue light-filtering lenses, compared with standard (non blue-light filtering) lenses. Some studies described how study participants had headaches, lowered mood and discomfort from wearing the glasses. However, people using glasses with standard lenses reported similar effects. <h2>What about other benefits or harms?</h2> There are some important general considerations when interpreting our findings. First, most of the studies were for a relatively short period of time, which limited our ability to consider longer-term effects on vision, sleep quality and eye health. Second, the review evaluated effects in adults. We don’t yet know if the effects are different for children. Finally, we could not draw conclusions about the possible effects of blue light-filtering lenses on many vision and eye health measures, including colour vision, as the studies did not evaluate these. <h2>In a nutshell</h2> Overall, based on relatively limited published clinical data, our review does not support using blue-light filtering lenses to reduce eye strain with digital device use. It is unclear whether these lenses affect vision quality or sleep, and no conclusions can be drawn about any potential effects on the health of the retina. High-quality research is needed to answer these questions, as well as whether the effectiveness and safety of these lenses varies in people of different ages and health status. If you have eye strain, or other eye or vision concerns, discuss this with your optometrist. They can perform a thorough examination of your eye health and vision, and discuss any relevant treatment options.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213145/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-downie-1469379">Laura Downie</a>, Associate Professor in Optometry and Vision Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-blue-light-glasses-really-work-can-they-reduce-eye-strain-or-help-me-sleep-213145">original article</a>.

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Brain strain: neurological effects of COVID and vaccines compared

Concerns about the side-effects of COVID vaccinations have been amplified during the current pandemic by both the vast quantity of data that’s accumulating, and traditional- and social-media coverage. Rare blood clots resulting from first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1nCoV-19) vaccine have been most prominently revealed. As a result there have been changes to the age range of people administered AstraZeneca vaccine, and in a few instances its suspension from national vaccination programs. Now, a nationwide study of 32 million adults in England has revealed an increased, but low, risk of the rare neurological conditions Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and Bell’s palsy following a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The study also revealed an increased, but low, risk of hemorrhagic stroke following a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccine. However, the research, <a rel="noopener" href="/t%20%20https:/doi.org/10.1038/%20s41591-021-01556-7" target="_blank">published</a> in Nature Medicine, also revealed a substantially higher risk of seven neurological outcomes, including GBS, after a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. “Crucially, we found that the risk of neurological complications from [COVID] infection was substantially higher than the risk of adverse events from vaccinations in our population,” the authors wrote. “[F]or example, 145 excess cases versus 38 excess cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome per 10 million exposed in those who had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and [AstraZeneca]-19 vaccine, respectively.” <blockquote> “The risks of adverse neurological events following SARS-CoV-2 infection are much greater than those associated with vaccinations” </blockquote> Cosmos has <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/adverse-reactions-guillain-barre-tts-and-the-fine-mesh-net/" target="_blank">reported</a> on the extraordinarily fine-mesh approach to monitoring vaccine side-effects in Australia, which as of early September had been unable to establish a clear link between GBS and AstraZeneca shots. All Australians vaccinated for COVID thus far have received one of the two vaccines examined in the new research, and their efficacy has been widely confirmed. The study – a collaboration between several English and Scottish institutions – made its findings among English adults, which was then replicated in an independent national cohort of more than three million Scottish people. The authors anticipate that these results will inform risk–benefit evaluations for vaccine programs as well as clinical decision-making and resource allocation for these rare neurological complications. They conclude their findings are likely to be of relevance to other countries, but that more studies need to be done. “We believe that these findings are likely to be of relevance to other countries using these vaccines and it would be useful to replicate these results in similarly large datasets internationally,” wrote the authors, in conclusion. “Importantly, the risks of adverse neurological events following SARS-CoV-2 infection are much greater than those associated with vaccinations, highlighting the benefits of ongoing vaccination programs.”  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=170617&title=Brain+strain%3A+neurological+effects+of+COVID+and+vaccines+compared" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/side-effects-of-covid-and-vaccines/" target="_blank">This article</a> was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/cosmos-editors" target="_blank">Cosmos</a>. Image: Wikimedia Commons </div>

Mind

Delta variant more infectious than Wuhan strain, study finds

A new study from the UK has found that the Delta strain of COVID-19 is eight times less sensitive to vaccine antibodies than the original Wuhan strain. The study also found that changes to the spike protein in the Delta variant improved its ability to replicate and enter cells, in comparison to the Kappa variant. The authors say this might explain how the Delta strain has become the most dominant variation of the disease. The study, published in the journal <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03944-y" target="_blank">Nature</a>, compared the mutated Delta variant against the mutated Wuhan-1 variant which was used to develop the vaccines. The team, led by Ravindra Gupta, a professor of clinical microbiology at the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, also analysed infections of 130 healthcare workers across three hospitals in Delhi, India, over six weeks. Though each of the workers studied had received both doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, the researchers found that the vaccine was less effective against the Delta variant than other variants. “By combining lab-based experiments and epidemiology of vaccine breakthrough infections, we’ve shown that the Delta variant is better at replicating and spreading than other commonly-observed variants,” Professor Gupta <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/spread-of-delta-sars-cov-2-variant-driven-by-combination-of-immune-escape-and-increased-infectivity" target="_blank">said</a>. Joint senior author Dr Patha Rakshit from the National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, India, said: “The Delta variant has spread so widely to become the dominant variants worldwide because it is faster to spread and better at infecting individuals than most other variants we’ve seen. “It is also better at getting around existing immunity - either through previous exposure to the virus or vaccination - though the risk of moderate to severe disease is reduced in such cases.” Professor Anurag Agrawal from the CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, India and joint senior author said the infection of healthcare workers with the Delta variant could have severe consequences. “Although they themselves may only exhibit mild COVID, they risk infecting individuals who have suboptimal immune responses to vaccination due to underlying health conditions - and these patients could then be at risk of severe disease,” Professor Agrawal said. With their findings, Gupta and his colleagues say we will need to develop strategies for boosting the effectiveness of vaccines against variants of COVID-19. “We urgently need to consider ways of boosting vaccine responses against variants among healthcare workers,” Professor Agrawal added. “[This research] also suggests infection control measures will need to continue in the post-vaccine era.”

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Four-week-old tests positive for Delta strain

A four-week-old baby boy has become Sydney’s youngest COVID-19 case after catching the virus from his father who brought it home from work. Beth Kouts took her newborn son, Lukas, to Nepean Hospital in Sydney on Monday with what she thought was reflux, but instead, he tested positive for the Delta variant. Kouts said her baby was “screaming in pain, refusing his bottle and would vomit.” “I have heard a two-year-old get it but not a four-week-old - so, yeah, that was terrifying,” she told 7NEWS. She adds after her newborn returned a positive result, they were left waiting for 14 hours before finally being given an adult bed. Sent home to self-isolate Doctors told Kouts that Lukas would need to be transferred to Westmead Children’s Hospital but after a 24-hour wait, they were sent home instead. “I do know that they’re under the pump, just a little bit more care would’ve been nice,” Beth said. “It’s always hard to see your kid sick especially with this.” It’s thought the baby contracted the virus from his father who brought it home to St Clair from his workplace last week. Beth is waiting for her results but their toddler Emily is, so far, negative. The symptoms Lukas is experiencing, like most children, are mild and similar to those of a common cold. “When parents make babies - they make babies that are born with some really good immunity already because they’ve got it from their mother through the womb,” Infectious Diseases Physician Professor Robert Booy told 7NEWS. The Kouts family is now isolating at home. Image: 7News

News

“It is crazy”: 25-year-old woman stricken by Delta strain reveals ongoing symptoms

25-year-old Claudia Waitsman is still experiencing lingering COVID-19 symptoms more than a month after contracting the virus. The Eastern Suburbs woman was exposed to the virus during a trip to Joh Bailey’s hair salon in Double Bay, where the Delta strain outbreak started on June 16. However, Ms Waitsman has said she initially did not show symptoms. “I had been to the hairdressers on the Saturday, then I was told on the Wednesday I had to get a test and isolate. I started to get a headache on Wednesday evening but didn’t think it was related,” she told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/australia/sydney-woman-who-caught-covid-after-joh-bailey-hair-cut-reveals-symptoms/news-story/5f1d25cf7b845c21898a54812f4b4a61" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. “On the Friday, I thought I might have symptoms so I got tested on the Saturday - which turned out to be positive. “Once it hit I had shortness of breath, my body aching, that kind of agony, a headache. It was similar to the flu or glandular fever. I lost my sense of taste and smell which I still don’t have back almost a month later.” Since the start of the Delta strain outbreak, there have been 864 locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in New South Wales, with the state recording 97 new cases on Wednesday. Ms Waitsman, a real estate agent, said she was not surprised by the rapid spread of the virus. “It is crazy,” she said. “I was in lockdown in my bedroom, like completely in there I didn’t leave. But somehow my dad caught it, it is an absolute miracle my mum didn’t get infected. “I was even wearing gloves to eat my food to try and stop it from spreading.” Most of the cases recorded in the last few days have been revealed to be close and household contacts of those who are already infected. On Tuesday, three out of four new infections were found to be household contacts, according to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Image: Claudia Waitsman / Instagram

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New symptoms common for Delta COVID-19 strain

As the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to spread across Australia, experts have identified the new symptoms that characterise infection. Data from a study conducted in the UK suggests that a headache, sore throat, runny nose, and fever are now the prevalent symptoms, rather than the persistent cough and loss of taste or smell identified in those infected with the “original” virus. “We have the first data from a study in the UK called ZOE where people self-report their symptoms,”said Professor Stuart Turville, a virologist from the Kirby Institute. “It has found those severe disease symptoms with a loss of smell or shortness of breath, those symptoms have become less common. Instead people have symptoms more like the common cold such as a runny nose, sore throat. Unvaccinated people tended to report having a fever.” NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant has urged anyone with the mildest of symptoms to get tested. “Don’t wait to see if you have got a severe illness … As soon as you get symptoms, go out and get a test,” Dr Chant said. How contagious is it? Experts have come to accept the Delta variant is more infectious than the virus that was spreading last year. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the Delta variant has been shown to be twice as transmissible as other variants, with experts estimating it could be about 50 percent more transmissible than the Alpha variant, which itself was about 50 percent more transmissible than the virus originally found in Wuhan. The “secondary attack” rate - referring to the number of people likely to be infected if they come into contact with an infected person - is also higher. If 100 people come into contact with someone who is infected with the Delta variant, it is likely that 12 of those people will then become infected. In comparison, Professor Turville said only eight to nine people would be infected if it was the Alpha strain. But, early research suggests the variant may be less deadly than others. “Looking at the 28-day follow up after infection, the death rate for the original variants was 1.9 percent mortality,” Professor Turville said. “So far the Delta variant is showing 0.3 percent mortality. “That’s super encouraging. The early signs look promising, but it is too early to be definitive.”

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Sydney lockdown rules explained

New restrictions have been announced for four Sydney council areas during a press conference held by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. In addition to the extension of current restrictions until at least midnight on July 2, stay-at-home orders have been introduced in the council areas of Woollahra, Waverly, Randwick and the City of Sydney from 11.59pm on Friday, May 25 until at least 11.59pm on Friday, July 2. People who live or whose “usual area of work” is in one of these areas will only be allowed to leave home for four reasons, including: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Shopping for food or other essential goods and services</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Receiving medical care or for compassionate needs</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Exercising outdoors in groups of 10 people or less</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Essential work or education that cannot be done at home</li> </ul> It doesn’t matter where you live Residents and those who work in the highlighted areas are required to follow the restrictions for at least a week. <img style="width: 500px; height:333.0769230769231px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842038/d3d864eb0e21a3ea8ea1cd484de4c37b68bd8e6f.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a7d2622dd67d49d3a1fc4e4d833ef0b5" /> “So these are the only reasons we want anybody who lives or works in those four local government areas to leave their home,” Ms Berejiklian told reporters. The Premier was asked to clarify what the rules meant for those who live outside of the affected areas but work there. “If you are essentially someone who works in those local government areas, especially if you’ve been working in the four local government areas, either part-time or permanently in the past two weeks, you are subject to the stay-at-home order,” she said. “And for example, I’m captured in that. “I don’t live in those areas but I work there and have done so in the last fortnight, so therefore, I’m captured by that stay-at-home order. “So if you live or work in those four Local Government Areas, you need to make sure that you don’t leave your home unless for the main reasons that I’ve outlined just now and that will be in place for a week.” Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant also said there will be exemptions for intimate partners to visit each other. “We always have some components which are around intimate partner visits, and that will extend in this circumstance,” she said. “But we are actually asking the community to work with us.” Continuing restrictions Those living or working in the City of Sydney, Waverley, Randwick, Canada Bay, Inner West, Bayside, and Wollahra local government areas are also prohibited from travelling outside of metropolitan Sydney for non-essential reasons. Residents in greater Sydney have also been asked to limit unnecessary activities, avoid large gatherings, and continue to comply with current restrictions. Images: gladysb / Instagram, 7NEWS

News

Dan Andrews and Leigh Sales cross swords over lockdown

Leigh Sales, host of popular ABC show 7:30, has slammed Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews over the state's 5-day lockdown after she made a surprise appearance at his press conference. He appeared uncomfortable at times during the tense 10-minute exchange as Sales accused him of lacking faith in Victoria's quarantine system. “How is it the case the government still lacks such confidence in the hotel quarantine systems and contact tracing that you currently can’t manage two or three cases a day?” Sales asked. “If you have confidence in the system, which your own bureaucrat said was working quite well, why do you need a lockdown?” Andrews tried to back down, saying that Sales was making claims that were "not accurate". “You just put it to me that there is a lack of confidence,” Mr Andrews said. “I am more than confident in the team we have and in the Victorian community that they can get through this. “So with the greatest of respect, you have put a number of things to me that are not accurate.” Sales asked the question on most Victorian's minds: Why was there a lockdown if cases were being properly traced? “Lockdown imposes a real cost and Victorians have already paid a big price for lockdown. Cases are actually very well traced, so why the lockdown?” she asked. Andrews said that the measures were "necessary". “Despite the amazing efforts of all of our contact traces and testers and lab workers and the work of so many genuine hardworking Victorians, we had a situation where at the same time as we are becoming aware of the primary case, they have already infected their close contact,” he responded. “That is not something we’ve seen before. “The speed at which this has moved saw our public health team make the very difficult decisions based on the best of science and the best understanding you can possibly have on any outbreak. “This was a difficult but proportionate and necessary thing to do.” Andrews also pointed out that the response is intense due to the UK coronavirus strain posing different challenges than the 2020 strain of COVID-19. “This is a very different virus. If you want to look at systems that can’t handle things, have a look at Europe, have a look at so many parts of the world with … what happens when this UK strain runs.” Sales then asked if this would be the case every time a UK strain was found in Victoria. “That’s quite an assurance to make that two to three cases a day and the system might not be able to handle it, and if that’s on the table then you might have a five-day lockdown every time,” she said. Andrews said that Victoria will try to avoid having any statewide measures. “But we will try to avoid having any statewide measures or any extra rules,” he said. “Just like epidemiologists, public health experts and political leaders across the globe, you have to assume there are more cases out there then you know about. “Because if you assume otherwise, and you are proven wrong, then there is no going back. “You don’t get to go, ‘well, I just get to rewind these few weeks and make the decision officials told me to make, that I refused to make.” Eagle-eyed fans of Sales noticed that she was at the presser before it was made public. "A few people on here noticed I was at Dan Andrews' presser. FYI I'm only in Melbourne because I came for a friend's bday & got caught in lockdown. I didn't come here just for DA presser. <a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/abc730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1361125633342902274%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.com.au%2Flifestyle%2Fhealth%2Fhealth-problems%2Fcurrent-affairs-host-grills-dan%2Fnews-story%2Ff68eb4dc1926887a9f3c4181da8de6fb" target="_blank">@abc730</a> had an interview bid in for today he said no - attending presser next best option," she tweeted.

News

NSW on high alert as mutant cases double

Authorities are on edge this morning as cases of the highly-transmissible mutant coronavirus strain double in NSW within a week. Despite recording zero locally transmitted cases yesterday, NSW Health's Dr Jeremy McAnulty said 13 cases of the so-called "UK" strain had been confirmed in returning travellers in Sydney. It's a huge jump in numbers since January 8, when only six had returned a positive result in Sydney's Special Health Accommodation. The strain has now been detected in over 45 countries.

News

New cluster declared as UK virus strain spreads

Queensland health authorities are pleading with residents who visited a wide-ranging list of venues to come forward for testing as a cluster of the UK variant of coronavirus is declared. Hotel Grand Chancellor, which has been used to house international arrivals was marked as a hotspot for the first time on Wednesday, as experts linked all six cases to the building. Dr Jeanette Young, Queensland Health's chief health officer has announced that anyone who has been at that hotel since December 30 must get tested immediately. She revealed the hotel will no longer be quarantining international arrivals and all 129 quarantined-occupants are being taken to another hotel as a precautionary measure. “The safest thing to do, is to move all the guests out of the hotel to other hotels, immediately,” Dr Young said. “That has now started. So all those 129 remaining people in that hotel will move. they will get tested. “So far it‘s floor seven … and that’s where it has spread. “We can’t work out exactly what happened and we are struggling to see how it got out. “Police are leading the investigation.” Venues: Anyone who has been at the following venues at the following times and dates, must get tested even if they are not showing symptoms. <ul class="ul1"> <li class="li1">Hotel Grand Chancellor, Brisbane City: Any time since December 30</li> <li class="li1">Woolworths Calamvale North: January 3, 11am-noon</li> <li class="li1">Bunnings Warehouse, Acacia Ridge: January 5, 2pm-2.40pm</li> <li class="li1">Nextra Newsagent, Sunnybank Hills: January 5, 8am-8.15am</li> <li class="li1">Coles Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown: January 5, 7.30am-8am</li> <li class="li1">Sunnybank Cellars (formerly Lucky Star Bottler), Sunnybank: January 6, 2.05pm-2.15pm</li> </ul> Currently, six people have been diagnosed with the UK strain of coronavirus at Hotel Grand Chancellor, including a cleaner who passed the virus onto her partner. Western Australia is also enforcing strict rules to combat the virus, with the state now making masks mandatory in all of its domestic airports. Those who fail to adhere to the new rule will face an enormous fine of $50,000. Premier Mark McGowan made the announcement yesterday, which applies to everyone over the age of 12. Travellers are permitted to take off their masks while seated, to eat, drink and take medication.

News

Highly infectious UK COVID strain touches down in WA and QLD

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> Greater Brisbane is undergoing a strict three-day lockdown after a hotel quarantine worker tested positive to the COVID-19 highly infectious UK strain. The woman developed symptoms on Wednesday and was tested, though health authorities believe that she has been infectious since the 2nd of January. “We know that this UK strain is highly infectious. It is 70 per cent more infectious and we are going to go hard and we are going to go early to do everything we can to stop the spread of this virus,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said. “Greater Brisbane will be entering a 3-day lockdown. That will be Metro North, Metro South, West Moreton. “The areas that will be declared Greater Brisbane will be the council areas of Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton, and Redlands. “From 6 pm tonight, Friday, to 6 pm Monday all residents living in those areas will be required to stay at home.” Chief health officer Dr Jeanette Young has advised that Queenslanders angry about the lockdown need to look to the UK for potential consequences. "We do have to be preventive because we know that the level of infection is very high in this particular variant. We have to act differently to what we had before. Any delay could see significant, if not catastrophic results," Dr Young told reporters. "We are now seeing this new UK variant spreading throughout the world, including Europe and the United States and now here in Australia. "If we waited until Monday afternoon, in three days' time, we don't want to be standing here saying – 'if only' because if we have, multiple cases, by that stage, it is highly likely that we would struggle to get it under control. We cannot take that risk." The UK strain is also in Western Australia, as a coronavirus patient is confirmed to have the highly contagious strain. She arrived in WA from the UK on Tuesday and went into hotel quarantine, but has since been taken to hospital. WA Premier Mark McGowan has assured WA residents there is no risk to the public despite the "flabbergasting" breaches of protection protocols. "We've seen outbreaks occur around Australia and around the world through staff who work in quarantine hotels and those sorts of facilities," Mr McGowan said. "We don't want to see that happen here." </div> </div> </div>

News

Intensifying bushfires: Acknowledging the strain on our volunteers

The early and ferocious start to the bushfire season in Australia this year has raised questions about the impact on those at the frontline – the tens of thousands of volunteers helping to put out the blazes. In Australia, <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/why-do-australia-s-bushfire-defences-rely-on-tens-of-thousands-of-volunteers">the vast majority of bushfire fighters are volunteers</a>. In the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, for instance, <a href="https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/about/Documents/Volunteerism-Strategy.PDF">volunteers account for 89% of the workforce</a>. And with fire seasons due to become longer and bushfires more intense due to the impacts of climate change, this will place even more demands on the men and women undertaking this vital and demanding work. Given this, it’s important for us to understand how our worsening bushfires are affecting the mental and physical health of volunteers. Is this causing burnout? And if so, is that making it more difficult for fire and emergency services to recruit new volunteers and keep the ones they have? Challenges for volunteer recruitment and retention Of course, the impact of today’s bushfires needs to be viewed within the context of other challenges to volunteer recruitment and retention. Two of the key factors are greater competition for people’s time – for example, due to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1464286705000173">changes in the nature of paid work</a> – and the increasing difficulty of balancing work, family and volunteer commitments. The <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A1023948027200">ways people choose to volunteer are also changing</a>. Many people are choosing more flexible, shorter-term and cause-driven ways of volunteering and eschewing the kind of structured, high-commitment volunteering that is common in the emergency services. At the same time, rural communities <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-rural-australia-is-facing-a-volunteer-crisis-95937">are facing a shrinking volunteer base</a> as people either leave for better opportunities in cities or can no longer perform strenuous volunteering roles. Meanwhile, a lot has been said about younger generations being less motivated by altruistic values to volunteer. However, <a href="https://theconversation.com/stop-calling-young-people-apathetic-for-many-volunteering-and-activism-go-hand-in-hand-123754">there is considerable evidence</a> that younger people are highly committed to making a positive contribution to society. They are just doing it differently than their parents – they are tapping into the power of social media and working outside of formal, structured organisations. Changes to emergency management services are also at play. <a href="https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/publications/biblio/bnh-5415">One of the most significant shifts</a> has been the professionalisation, corporatisation and modernisation of volunteer-based emergency services in recent years. While this has undeniably brought improvements to volunteer safety and the quality of service, it has also caused headaches for volunteers in the form of more bureaucracy and additional training requirements. There is a risk <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2019/06/apo-nid244761-1369896.pdf">this could drive a wedge</a> between the corporate goals of fire and emergency service agencies that focus on risk management and efficiency, for example, and their more traditional, community-based roots – the reason many people choose to volunteer in the first place. Improving support for volunteers This type of volunteering can be demanding. Bushfire volunteers face a range of significant stresses that can be <a href="https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=943666236119043;res=IELHSS">physical</a>, <a href="https://www.beyondblue.org.au/about-us/about-our-work/workplace-mental-health/pes-program/national-mental-health-and-wellbeing-study-of-police-and-emergency-services">mental and emotional</a>. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/apr/09/former-fire-chiefs-warn-australia-unprepared-for-escalating-climate-threat">Volunteer fatigue and burnout are real concerns</a>. There are also economic burdens for both volunteers and their employers, as well as strains on their family members. Additionally, with the likelihood of more intense bushfires in the future, volunteers will increasingly be asked to <a href="https://www.vfbv.com.au/index.php/champs/urban/results/item/739-cfa-assistance-to-nsw">travel outside their own communities</a> to fight fires in other regions, further complicating their lives. Having said this, support for volunteers is available and improving. In <a href="https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/research/resilience-hazards/3533">my ongoing research</a> with other academics at the Bushfire and Natural Hazard Cooperative Research Centre, interviewees report improvements in operational equipment, technology and procedures that are enhancing volunteer safety. Emergency services are also increasing mental health and well-being support for volunteers and developing <a href="https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/media/2964/volunteering-reimagined-overview-paper.pdf">more diverse and flexible ways</a> for people to fit volunteering into their lives. There is also a <a href="https://malechampionsofchange.com/groups/male-champions-change-fire-emergency/">strong commitment</a> to improving diversity and inclusion across the sector. The reasons people want to help Even though fighting fires is obviously demanding work, it is also extremely fulfilling and rewarding. <a href="https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/publications/biblio/bnh-6012">Core reasons</a> that people choose to volunteer include helping the community, learning new skills, feeling useful and doing something worthwhile, and experiencing camaraderie with others. <a href="https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/research/resilience-hazards/3533">In our ongoing research</a>, we are consistently hearing that the personal fulfilment and rewards of volunteering are not being adequately communicated to the public. If they were, a lot more people would offer their services. In addition, many volunteering roles <a href="https://www.miragenews.com/get-behind-frontline-to-help-our-emergency-services/">do not require people to be on the front lines</a> at all. There are a large number of <a href="https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2019/11/Get-Behind-the-Frontline-to-help-our-emergency-services-.aspx">opportunities</a> to support fire prevention, response and recovery well beyond the fires themselves. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420915300388">We also know</a> that everyday people are deeply motivated to help others in the face of disaster. Indeed, NSW RFS and QFES are likely to see an upswing in people inquiring about volunteering in the aftermath of the current fires. However, there is one important thing to note: the best time to approach emergency services about volunteering is before an event, rather than during one. If we are fighting bushfires into the next decade with the same or declining numbers of volunteers, using the same approaches we use today, then clearly the job will be much harder and the demands on volunteers will become more extreme. The key variable that will make the most difference for volunteers is the willingness and commitment of emergency services, governments, society and volunteers themselves to embrace change to current practices. This includes a greater investment in risk reduction, new operational approaches and involving volunteers more in organisational decision making. Emergency services providers should also be working more closely with community organisations to better understand and target the particular needs of different communities. Whatever choices we make, we cannot leave it to our front line volunteers to bear an increasing burden of fighting the bushfires of the future. Written by Blythe McLennan. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-bushfires-intensify-we-need-to-acknowledge-the-strain-on-our-volunteers-127517">The Conversation.</a>

Travel Tips

Former aide reveals Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother’s “strained relationship”

While it may seem as though the details of the Royal Family’s life is information readily available at the public’s disposal, it can be difficult to really know what goes on behind closed doors. However, it has become a custom for a former employee or insider to come forward with interesting information we might not have guessed without their stories or experiences. This has been the case with Queen Elizabeth’s longtime dresser, Angela Kelly, and more recently Lady Anne Glenconner in her new memoir. Glenconner served as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret for many years and developed a close relationship, she described in Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown. In her own words, Glenconner described personal experiences and interactions she shared serving under and alongside the Royal Family. In the memoir, the former lady-in-waiting spoke on Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother, who buy her own accounts, “had a slightly strained relationship.” "Those weekends at Royal Lodge were always fun, despite the bouts of bickering between the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret,” she said, per <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/1203465/lady-glenconner-princess-margaret-queen-mother-strained-relationship-spt" target="_blank">Express</a> "One would do things like open all the windows, only for the other to go around shutting them. Or one would suggest an idea and the other would dismiss it immediately." Glenconner speculated they didn’t get along all the time because they might have been “too similar.” “...I don’t think it is an unusual predicament for a mother and daughter," she wrote. Referring to the family’s loss of King George VI, and the “figurative” loss of Queen Elizabeth, who assumed the throne after her father died, Glenconner said: "And while they had been part of a foursome originally, they were left as the spare pair, to a certain extent." The former royal employee also wrote about a conversation she shared with Princess Margaret. After noting the royal looked upset at her sister’s coronation, the Princess replied: "Of course I looked sad, Anne. “I had just lost my beloved father and, really, I had just lost my sister, because she was going to be so busy and had already moved to Buckingham Palace, so it was just me and the Queen Mother." Scroll through the gallery to see Princess Margaret with the Queen Mother throughout the years of their life.

Relationships

Maddox Jolie-Pitt breaks silence on strained relationship with dad Brad Pitt

Maddox Jolie-Pitt has opened up about his dad Brad Pitt, giving a brief insight into the difficulty of their relationship. It seems their relationship hasn’t improved, he admitted in a rare interview about his famous father. The 18-year-old who is studying biochemistry at Yonsei University in South Korea, said on film obtained by In Touch Weekly that he wasn’t sure if his father would visit him while he is studying abroad. “I don’t know about that [or] what’s happening,” he told a reporter. Maddox also spoke on their relationship being over or improving to which he said “Well, whatever happens, happens”. Reports show Maddox and his 55-year-old Hollywood heavyweight father had a falling out in 2016 after an incident aboard a private plane. Allegedly, Pitt hit his eldest son in a rage - a few days later, his wife Angelina Jolie filed for divorce. Pitt fell under investigation by US authorities after being accused of physically and verbally abusing his children during an angry outburst, TMZ reported in September 2016. Pitt vehemently denied allegations of violence against his children, however he did admit to screaming at his son. The FBI cleared Pitt of any violent wrongdoings and said they would not file charges against him. 44-year-old Angelina dropped Maddox off at university in August. Together, Brad and Angelina share six children; Maddox, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 13, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 11. Scroll through the gallery above to see the Jolie-Pitt family.

Movies

Flu expert's chilling warning after last year's deadliest EVER strain claimed 800 lives

A top flu professor has warned the public to be on high alert and take extra precautions for the upcoming winter months, after last year's influenza season claimed up to 800 Australian lives. Professor David Pilcher, of the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, recalled how intensive care units were inundated with patients during last year’s devastating flu epidemic. “We had a large number of ventilated patients, we had patients on heart-lung machines, we almost ran out of dialysis machines to treat patients with kidney failure,” he said. A report co-authored by Professor Pilcher in the New England Journal of Medicine found the number of people admitted to his intensive care unit with pneumonia or sepsis during September 2017 was the highest on record. “In our intensive care unit, there were 30 ventilated patients, 17 patients that needed dialysis and eight patients on artificial hearts, which is a huge amount of really sick people,” Professor Pilcher told <a href="https://www.watoday.com.au/national/the-2017-flu-season-was-the-deadliest-since-records-began-20180530-p4zihk.html" target="_blank">WA Today</a>. According to the report, 800 of the 3240 deaths in the ICU units around Australia were a direct result of the flu. Although most people affected are aged 60 and over, he warned that the flu also afflicts the young. “We saw many young people, particularly here at The Alfred, with very severe sepsis,” Dr Burrell said. He said that while “it is too early to predict the severity of 2018 flu season [in Australia], we know that it was a bad flu season just passed in the northern hemisphere.”

Body

5 tips to stop eye strain from phones and tablets

If you’ve ever spent a block of time staring at your smart phone or tablet, you’ll know the impact it can have on your eyes. Tired, itchy dry eyes and even blurred vision and headaches are all modern afflictions caused by overuse of our favourite devices. Here are 5 quick and easy ways to give your eyes a break. 1. Blinking Blinking often helps keep your eyes moist which reduces dryness and irritation. Keep your eyes well lubricated by blinking 10-15 times every 20 minutes or so. 2. Take a break Stick to the 20-20-20 rule. This concept encourages you to take a break from looking at your screen every 20 minutes for 20 seconds while looking at something 20 feet (about six meters) away. This helps relax your eye muscles and gives them a much needed “focus” break. 3. Adjust your brightness If you’ve ever accidently turned the brightness down on your phone and wondered why you were straining so hard to see clearly, you’ll know the impact it has on your eyes. Having your screen to bright or too dark stresses your eyes and makes focusing difficult. Make sure you adjust brightness accordingly in your settings if you feel as if it isn’t quite right for your eyes. 4. Keep your screen clean We often forget to do it but regularly wiping down your smartphone screen with a damp cleaning cloth helps remove distracting dust, fingerprints and smudges. 5. Tweak your text size Adjust your smartphone text contrast and size can provide much needed relief making it easier to read web content, emails and other messages on your screen. How do you ensure your eyes are safe from the strain of your devices? Let us know in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/health/body/2016/05/things-to-do-to-avoid-eye-strain/">4 things you can do to avoid eye strain</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/05/the-brick-wall-optical-illusion-fooling-everyone/">The brick wall optical illusion fooling everyone</a> <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/04/the-reason-we-close-our-eyes-when-we-kiss/">The reason we close our eyes when we kiss</a>

Body

4 things you can do to avoid eye strain

Although our eyes are typically able to function all day long, as we age, they get tired more easily. The good new is there are simple things you can do to ensure that you are as easy on your eyes as possible while not changing up your routine too much. 1. Blink more Blinking provides a break for our eyes, but is often disregarded as we rarely think about it. Blinking lubricates your eyes by spreading your tears evenly along your eyes. It can also help with eye strain caused by dryness. To help with this, train yourself to blink more often to prevent dryness. Put reminders somewhere near you so you'll be reminded to do this. 2. Exercise your eyes muscles To help strengthen your eye muscles, you should exercise them. To do this, roll your eyes slowly side to side, up and down, and on the diagonals. Repeat this three to five times. Perform these exercises a couple of times each day, especially if you are working for long periods of time. 3. Create the best lighting in your home You want to create an environment conducive to what is comfortable. Use incandescent lighting and avoid high-intensity lamps, which cast shadows and create glares unnecessarily. Place dim lights in darker corners of the room to create equal brightness without dark, shadowed areas. 4. Make sure you have the right glasses Make sure your eyeglasses have the proper prescription. You can check with your eye doctor if you are unsure. If you wear bifocals, you might tilt your head at an awkward angle when using your computer, tablet, phone or reading a book. If this is the case, talk to your eye doctor to see if progressive lenses may work better. Related links: <a href="/health/eye-care/2016/01/at-home-eye-exercises-for-better-vision/">5 at-home eye exercises for better vision</a> <a href="/health/eye-care/2016/01/eye-drops-could-reverse-cataracts/">Eye drops could reverse cataracts</a> <a href="/health/eye-care/2015/11/eye-colour-change-with-age/">Your eyes change colour as you age</a>

Body

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Intensifying bushfires: Acknowledging the strain on our volunteers

Former aide reveals Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother’s “strained relationship”

Maddox Jolie-Pitt breaks silence on strained relationship with dad Brad Pitt

Flu expert's chilling warning after last year's deadliest EVER strain claimed 800 lives

5 tips to stop eye strain from phones and tablets

4 things you can do to avoid eye strain

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