Covid Australia: Fears grow that a new coronavirus strain is causing huge spike in hospitalisations
A new Covid subvariant could cause a spike in hospital admissions and authorities are pleading with vulnerable and elderly patients to get booster shots to stave off the threat.
Queensland Health said on Thursday there were 146 people in its hospitals suffering from a Covid infection, twice as many hospital admissions as just two weeks ago.
Chief Health Officer Dr. John Gerrard said the rise in cases was largely due to low booster rates in older Queenslanders and the possible emergence of a new Covid variant called Pirola.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard (pictured) says Covid cases have surged in the sunny state in recent weeks
“We are currently seeing a marked increase in Covid-19 transmission in Queensland,” Dr Gerrard said.
‘The number of people hospitalized with the virus has doubled in the last two weeks and I expect hospital admissions to rise in the coming week.’
Dr. Gerrard said it is a “good time” for people over 65 to get a booster shot, or for those who have not yet had a shot in 2023.
‘Covid-19 has not yet established a predictable seasonal pattern and it continues to mutate. That is why we all need to be vigilant,” he said.
‘Vaccination remains our best protection against Covid-19 and other infectious diseases.
“In addition to getting vaccinated, Queenslanders should stay home if they are sick and wash their hands regularly to minimize spread.”
Older Australians have been urged to get their booster dose (pictured) if they have not received their third shot of the vaccine in 2023
Little is known about Pirola, but an October letter to the New England Journal of Medicine signed by a number of medical experts warns that it could potentially cause a “global surge” of new cases.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that from the start of the pandemic to July 31, 2023, 19,510 people have died with or from Covid infections.
Covid was the underlying cause of death for 15,460, 79.2 percent, of the fatalities.
Chronic heart disease was the most common pre-existing chronic condition for those in whom Covid was certified as the underlying cause of death, the ABS said.