Queensland's homeschooling parents pleased with outcome from review
"And Premier Crisafulli has been very clear that he wants me as education minister working closely with the Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm, the Attorney General Deb Frecklington, and
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ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
What's the difference between the cold, flu and RSV?
When we're talking about winter illnesses, people use general terms like cold and the flu as if they're the same thing. But while they both tend to make us feel pretty rubbish, there are some key differences between them. At the same time, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is also circulating in the community, causing similar symptoms. Here are the differences between the common cold, the flu and RSV. It's a generic term for an infection that generally affects a person's nose and throat. There are more than 200 viruses that can cause a common cold, most of them being either a type of rhinovirus or coronavirus, Australia's public health information service, Healthdirect, says. "The symptoms of a cold are usually mild," the service's website says. "In most cases, you can treat the symptoms of a mild cold yourself. "Most people will get better by themselves within seven to 10 days without any treatment." The flu is a nickname for influenza. While you may hear people use cold and flu interchangeably, they're actually different diseases. And the flu can be much worse than a cold, Health Direct says. People at risk of developing a severe illness include young children, people over 65 years old and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Pregnancy is also a risk factor for a serious bout of the flu. In serious cases, the flu can lead to pneumonia, breathing difficulties and death. "[But] most people will get better by themselves within seven to 10 days and without any treatment," Healthdirect's website says. RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus. While it can affect people of all ages, it's most serious for infants, young children and older adults with chronic health conditions, Health Direct says. It can lead to serious respiratory illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia. "There is no specific treatment for RSV, but having lots of rest and drinking plenty of fluids will help you recover," Healthdirect's website says. "Most people recover from RSV in about 10 days." They might sound the same, but there are specific differences between the three. Here's how Health Direct breaks it down: However, Healthdirect says that sometimes symptoms can differ and overlap. Healthdirect has an online service called Symptom Checker that helps you work out if you should see a doctor or treat yourself at home. It asks you a few questions about your symptoms and gives you general advice. It can also help you find a healthcare provider. But, as a guide, Healthdirect has this advice on its flu website: See your doctor if you: While many people won't need specific medical treatment for mild respiratory illnesses, some cases can become quite serious. Healthdirect says people should call triple-0 if someone is having severe difficulty breathing or turning blue. Here are some more warnings on the service's website: "If your baby is younger than 3 months old and has a fever above 38°Celsius, take them to the nearest hospital emergency department immediately, or call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance." "If your child is having difficulty breathing, is turning blue, is grunting or is lethargic, call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance." The service also has these specific warnings about the common cold on its website: See your doctor urgently if you (or your child) have had cold or flu-like symptoms and you: The COVID-19 pandemic had many of us used to the idea that we needed to test ourselves to understand what was causing our illness. We asked Gemma Saravanos, a registered nurse and infectious diseases epidemiologist from the University of Sydney, if there was much point in that now. "Knowing the specific pathogen causing your respiratory illness may not provide a benefit [for treatment], particularly if you have a mild illness and no risk factors for severe disease," Dr Saravanos said. However, there are a lot of benefits to testing. "Home testing kits, or testing in healthcare services such as general practice, can guide our decision-making around infection prevention practices," Dr Saravanos says. "Testing is also important for those who may be eligible for influenza or COVID-19 antiviral medication. "Lastly, testing also serves a public health function. It helps us to understand what pathogens are circulating in the community and this can inform public health advice and research, such as vaccine effectiveness studies." "There are no clear guidelines for respiratory testing in the community," Dr Saravanos says. And it's not always easy — or cheap — to get tested. "Testing may not always be available depending on access and affordability of home testing kits, and laboratory services," Dr Saravanos says. "Without testing, it is very difficult to know what pathogen is causing a respiratory infection, so it's important to be guided by symptoms and modify our behaviours accordingly to avoid spreading infection. "What feels like a mild cold for you may result in a severe illness for another person." So knowing what you have might help you make better choices about where you go and what you do when you're sick. "It's good to know because, for example, I've got parents in their 90s and if I've got a mild cold I might go and see them with a mask," Patrick Reading, director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, said. "But if I've got influenza, that could be really life-threatening to them." "Most respiratory infections can be safely managed at home with rest, hydration and over-the-counter analgesics (such as paracetamol)," Dr Saravanos says. "We do have antivirals to treat COVID-19 and influenza and these are recommended for older adults and those with certain risk factors." We asked Dr Saravanos what sorts of foods people should eat if they wanted to speed up their recovery. But there doesn't appear to be a magic formula. "There is little evidence that foods or supplements will speed up recovery," she says. "Be guided by your symptoms," Dr Saravanos says. "If you are feeling unwell or have active symptoms, it is best practice to stay home, especially in the first few days of illness. "This supports recovery and also reduces the risk of passing the infection on to others." "This depends on a range of factors, including severity of illness and individual characteristics such as immune function and fitness," Dr Saravanos says. "A week may be sufficient for some people, however others will need more time for recovery."
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Bloody Good Tour aims to save lives and beat blood donation record
Simon Braun is out for blood. Quite literally. The father of three has spent the past year driving around the country with his kids, visiting the nearly 80 Lifeblood centres across Australia. "Simmo" said he hoped to enlist more than 33,000 new blood donations, donating plasma himself about every fortnight. But tens of thousands of kilometres in a caravan, distance education, and regular donations have not drained him. "Donating blood energises me," he said. Donating blood has been a constant bright spot through Mr Braun's challenges. He recalled sitting in the donor chair during a "dark time" in his life, and feeling "genuinely happy" for the first time in a long time. He joined the dots. There have long been barriers to blood donation for many people. This month, Lifeblood relaxed its rules around sexual activity and donation. Gay and bisexual men and transgender women who have sex with men were allowed to donate plasma. Lifeblood said it was working towards similar changes for whole blood and platelet donation. In 2022, people who were in the UK during the "mad cow disease" outbreak were allowed to donate again after a 22-year ban. Lifeblood researcher Rachel Thorpe said while safety for donors and recipients was the priority, the organisation hoped to get as many people as possible in the blood donation chair. "Ultimately we would like more people to be eligible to donate blood," she said. Being in the regions has also stopped people donating, with Lifeblood centres concentrated in cities. WA has no permanent centres north of Perth, and the NT's only permanent centre is in Darwin. There are pop up centres in some regional towns, and Lifeblood also has mobile "blood buses" to allow country people to donate. But ultimately, cities and regional centres have the most potential with 90 per cent of Australians living within half an hour of a donor centre. And for people who could not regularly donate, Dr Thorpe said having people such as Mr Braun start the conversation was a big help. "A lot of people don't really talk about blood donation, it's one of the big barriers to donating blood," she said. Dr Thorpe said common "misunderstandings" often stopped people donating. One of those was people believing they were too old to donate — a myth Dr Thorpe was keen to bust. Australians can be a first-time donor until they are 75, and if they have already donated in the past, there is no upper age limit. Fear of needles has been another common setback. But Mr Braun said that was not necessarily a bad problem to have. "It's actually quite a privilege to be able to, with courage, face your fear head-on," he said. He encouraged nervous donors to keep recipients front of mind. "Maybe that's the five-year-old with leukaemia who doesn't get a choice about whether they get the needle or not," he said. But in the thousands of conversations Mr Braun has had about blood donation in the past year, the common theme was not fear, or lack of information, or distance. It was time. "Everybody's busy these days," he said. "In fact, you ask someone how they are and they say 'busy'." His answer to the dilemma was simple. "A blood donation takes maybe seven minutes with a needle in the arm for whole blood, and you're in and out in half an hour," he said. Mr Braun and his family have been documenting each leg of their journey on The Bloody Good Tour website. The culmination of the tour will be a national record attempt on July 31. Mr Braun will be donating in Sydney, where the tour wraps up. But he has asked people from all over the country to sign up to his donor team, to reach the most donations in a single day by one team. The number to beat is 523: a record set by Commonwealth Bank employees in May. "With a bit of cheek, we can't let a bank hold the record," Mr Braun said.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Gut Instinct
Introduced by Australian Story presenter Leigh Sales. When Jane Dudley's partner Alex first suggested treating her crippling mental health disorder with faecal transplants, she was grossed out. Now she's a true believer and the medical world is taking notice. Airs Monday July 28, 8:00pm (AEST), on ABCTV and ABC iview.
