What's That Rash?

We're all no doubt very tired of the pandemic by now and could be forgiven for hoping now that Omicron has landed in Australia, once we get over the current outbreak it's all over.But according to evolutionary virologist Eddie Holmes, sadly Omicron won't be the last and in fact the next variant probably won't evolve from Omicron.So what can we do apart from get vaccinated and hope this terrible roller coaster ride will somehow end soon?

Well, that escalated quickly.When Coronacast left you last year, there were nearly 4000 national daily cases. Yesterday, there were more than 72,000 and there's no sign it's slowing down.Health systems in most states and territories are beginning to groan under significant pressure.Add to it probably more than one or two hundred thousand cases a day going unreported, it's fair to say COVID in Australia is in a bit of a mess.So on today's Coronacast - which will be coming out weekly for at least the next few weeks - when might the peak be here? And what can we expect in coming days and weeks?

It's been a massive year for coronavirus and COVID-19. There have been outbreaks, lockdowns and a pile of new variants.But there have also been massive successes like the vast majority of Australians coming forward to be vaccinated.But sadly, the pandemic seems like it's far from over. So on today's last Coronacast of the year, we look forward to 2022 and offer some tips on how to stay safe this summer.We'll be back around February 2022! Thanks so much for listening and writing this year.

As COVID numbers continue to rapidly increase in NSW - likely due to the Omicron variant - we're being warned that modelling is pointing to 25,000 cases a day by the end of January.Yesterday, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard talked about modelling by the University of NSW which said case numbers could reach heights not seen before in Australia.And it comes as NSW continues to let its foot off the restrictions brake, redefining what a close contact is.So is what is happening there likely to happen everywhere else in the country Omicron has found its way into?Also on today's show:* A very special guest!

There was a large jump in COVID cases in NSW yesterday, and while we're largely moving on from day to day case numbers - this one is worth talking about.Why? Well, there's a new variant in town and health authorities are already suggesting that we can expect far more from Omicron in coming weeks.The same goes for other states and territories - like Victoria which still has higher daily figures than NSW, but hasn't yet seen a big jump.So on today's Coronacast what should we make of the rising caseload and does it matter?Also on today's show:* A deeper look at what's going on in South Africa* An announcement on Coronacast for 2022!

After nearly two years of constant internal border changes, by the end of this week large parts of Australia will once again be open for domestic travel.South Australia opened a few weeks ago, Queensland opened yesterday and Tasmania is due to open tomorrow. Western Australia has also finally given a date and will reopen on the 5th of February next year.So with state and territory bubbles bursting all over the place, what might come next for people who live there?Also on today's show:* How is decoupling going?* Fourth dose anyone?* Pregnancy and booster shots

Australia now has two different booster options to choose from when the inevitable time comes for the third dose of coronavirus vaccine.Moderna was approved by the country's vaccine expert group ATAGI over the weekend.We'll also be able to get the booster a month earlier, with the Government announcing a shorter period due to the threat of waning immunity and new variants.So if Moderna is a choice, should you take it over Pfizer? Does it even matter? And why is the Moderna booster only a half shot?Also on today's show:* A preprint study has found that Astra seems to wane faster than other vaccines, leaving no protective effect against symptomatic disease from Omicron 15 weeks after the second dose. What could this mean for the country's booster campaign?

As the data from initial studies into how Omicron evades our immunity continue to flow in, it's becoming more and more likely that a third dose - or booster - is going to be essential.Several more studies have been released, all showing large falls in immunity to the Omicron variant.One thing that the studies imply though is that there are much higher antibody levels in people who have either been infected, or received a third dose.So how much will third doses be needed to combat Omicron?Also on today's show: Quick Fire Friday! (booster edition)

One of the first studies into Omicron and immunity has reported back and it's not super great news: there's significant evasion of antibodies produced by the Pfizer vaccine.But not all is lost. The study says that the Omicron variant uses the same way of getting into our cells, meaning our existing tools and techniques should be relatively easy to change so they work better. The study is not yet published, and is a very small sample size so it's worth keeping in mind that this is still a very new area of science and is subject to change.Nonetheless, as today's Coronacast explains, it does give us a glimpse of what is likely to come.Also on today's show:* Could a mozzie vaccinate someone by biting a vaxed person and then an unvaxed person?* Your booster experiences

Beyond the nasty and sometimes life-threatening symptoms that COVID can bring, there's another risk: long COVID. It's the collection of prolonged symptoms including brain fog, smell loss and fatigue.And while we know that being vaccinated drastically reduces your risk of a bad bout of COVID itself, a lingering question has been whether it also protects you from long COVID. Well, according to a yet to be peer reviewed study, the answer is yes it does. Also on today's show:* Is there any research work being done to modify the virus to develop a relatively benign but transmissible COVID variant which could be released to "crowd out" the current dangerous variants? * Is there a chance that Omicron is different enough that instead of replacing Delta, you get both if not together then one after another?* And we're after your stories about getting third-doses. Was it easy? Or hard?