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Dr Charlie Teo's surprising next move after Aussie surgery restrictions

One year after being slapped with restrictions that effectively stopped him from operating in Australia, Dr Charlie Teo is restarting his career overseas. The neurosurgeon was investigated by Australia’s Health Care Complaints Commission, who last year placed restrictions on the surgeon after they discovered he had been operating on tumours that had been deemed "inoperable". Now, one of China’s most respected neurosurgeons has thanked Australia for imposing such restrictions because it has allowed her country to benefit from the controversial surgeon’s ability to remove high-risk brain tumours. Dr Teo has been operating regularly in China including on high profile VIPs, and at least eight other countries around the world, according to reports from the Sunday Telegraph. An investigation has found Dr Teo has operated on 150 patients, with many of them being from Australia, in China, Spain, Germany, India, Switzerland, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, and Nepal since the restrictions effectively stopped him from operating in Australia. In an interview from Beijing, Professor Ling Feng, Deputy Director of the China International Neuroscience Institute, said she is “not worried” about the restrictions imposed on Dr Teo a year ago for unsatisfactory conduct. “I took a careful look into what happened over there. I don’t think it should be imputed to Charlie’s neglect of care and passion for the patients,” Professor Ling told the Sunday Telegraph. “It is just a different view of the indications for surgery. Similar cases occur across the world. Instead, I ‘thank’ Australia for the restrictions on Charlie, which gave me the opportunity to work with him.” In the past year, patients have travelled from Australia, Romania, Britain, Saudi Arabia, France, Indonesia, and Singapore to have Dr Teo operate. Of those surgeries Dr Teo’s logbook documents one death, one “poor” outcome, three “fair outcomes”, 20 “good outcomes” and 145 cases have been documented as “excellent”. Dr Teo says his results are better than ever and he feels terrible for patients in his own country that he can’t help, but hopes that he may one day be able to return to Australian operating rooms to help patients. “All it would take is one sensible and brave person in one hospital somewhere in Australia to change the status quo,” Dr Teo said. “Just one person to sit back and go ‘okay he might be an a**hole, he might be into money, he might be a bit of a cowboy, he might be all the things the media have said he might be, but the fact is that patients, Australian patients, some need him and he does operations that other people don’t do and most of those outcomes are good so what about we just drop the politics and allow him to operate in Australia?" “That’s all it would take … some common sense for the greater good, not for his sake but for the sake of patients.” Image credits: Instagram

Caring

"Surely this is a prank": Council slammed for ridiculous parking restriction

Melbourne City Council has been slammed online for offering free parking, but only for a measly 15 minutes. The new initiative, which was shared in a video to the City of Melbourne Instagram account, details how parking fees will be waived for drivers needing to run a quick errand in the CBD, as long as they return to their vehicle within 15 minutes. Drivers can park in a “green signed” parking space such as a ‘2P Meter’, and start a 15-minute session on the Easy-Park app to claim the offer. The council said they introduced the initiative for those who want to “run an errand, support a local business and take in city vibes”. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0lApxrt35h/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0lApxrt35h/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by City Of Melbourne (@cityofmelbourne)</a> </div> </blockquote> The initiative, however, has been rinsed online, with many people pointing out that 15 minutes is not enough time to do anything, especially in the CBD. “Surely this is a prank?” one person questioned. “As if you can take in the vibes in 15min. And based where the carpark spots are, you’d barely make it to the shop or restaurant and back in 15,” said another. “15 mins? Such overwhelming generosity,” another commented. “How can you support any business in 15 minutes time? By sprinting to a shop and run back to the car only to find a ticket on the dashboard?,” wrote another person. Despite the negative feedback, City of Melbourne said more than 90,000 people had taken up the free parking offer since it was first introduced in the central city in July. "Drivers are embracing the flexibility of our new free 15-minute parking system, which is opening up the city by giving more drivers access to free parking outside more businesses and services,” Lord Mayor Sally Capp said in a statement in November. “Early data shows our parking improvements are working exactly as intended – keeping spaces turning over outside city businesses, while making it easier to find a park.” Image credits: Instagram

Travel Trouble

"Self-indulgent narcissism": Tina Arena slammed for breaking lockdown restrictions

Tina Arena has come under fire for bragging about breaking Covid lockdown restrictions to resist what she called a "totalitarian" regime. The 55-year-old singer spoke candidly with <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Weekend Australian</a>, reflecting on the 2021 Delta lockdowns and why she chose to deliberately break the restriction that prevented people from travelling within 5km of their homes. "Why can't you drive more than five kilometres? Guess what – watch me. So I did. I drove past my five kilometres. Am I a criminal now? You want to pull me up? Pull me up. You want to fine me? Fine me. I'm not the one with the issue here," she told the publication. "The issue is, there is no logic. You have no right to do that. You are fining me. This is totalitarian. We don't work like that." Tina went on to claim that she was the only person who was frustrated by the harsh lockdown measures enough to speak up. "I didn't hear anybody complaining during lockdown other than me: 'Why are we locked up? Where's your science? What? Why?; The fear was so much for me; it was choking me, I was like, I can't cope with all of you being so fear-driven like this, and compliant," she said. Tina's comments sparked outrage online, with many people weighing in on her "selfish" choice to break the rules. "Tina Arena is just the Pete Evans of Music," wrote one person, referring to the disgraced television chef who was criticised for his anti-vax views. "Tina Arena - just another ignorant, selfish, fearful individual who was unwilling to comply with lockdown orders at the height of a deadly pandemic before vaccines were available. Yes 'deadly'! I have zero sympathy for those who blatantly ignored the restrictions," said another. Another disgruntled reader said, "Tina Arena's self indulgent narcissism is astounding, does she think she was the only person feeling fearful, locked up and battling mental health issues during the pandemic?" Another person called out her actions, writing, "Very selfish of Tina Arena. Hundreds of healthcare workers were f***ing exhausted, people with disabilities and severe health conditions were (and still are) living in fear of getting sick and she decided the rules wouldn't apply to her. Very disappointing." Social media users were quick to point out her "selfish" comments, with one person putting things into perspective by saying, "Most of us weren't wallowing in self pity, we were just doing what we needed to do to keep our families safe." Image credits: Getty Images

Legal

Man living in a tent after partner “gave up” on Covid restrictions

A hyper-vigilant man has resorted to living in a “pressurised” tent in a garage to avoid contracting Covid, after his girlfriend relaxed about restrictions. The Aussie man named Jason, who is a self-proclaimed “Covid education activist” caused a stir online after he posted a photo of his unusual sleeping arrangements. The now-viral post shared by Jason featured a picture of the peculiar tent he claims to be sleeping in, with an air purifier sticking out of the door, igniting a firestorm of reactions on Twitter, ranging from agreeance, to humour, to concern. Despite the media storm, Jason defended his decision to maintain strict pandemic precautions, despite never having contracted Covid-19. “This is my bed in the garage because my partner has dropped precautions. I take precautions 100 per cent of the time. Don’t tell me that this hasn’t upended every f**king second of my life,” Jason declared in his original post, which included the image of his extraordinary sleeping arrangement. Taking his precautions to the next level, Jason also revealed that he has experimented with sleeping in a face mask, but he admitted that he found it uncomfortable and could not sleep properly with it. “I’ve tried to sleep in a mask, and I can’t. I know people sleep in CPAP masks all the time, so it’s possible, but I can’t do it,” he shared on Twitter. Despite the flurry of reactions to Jason’s living arrangement, he did receive some support for his precautionary measures, while some even suggested Jason leave his partner, to which he admitted the thought “had occurred to me”. Another Twitter user commended the tent and air filter idea, considering it a cost-effective and potentially effective solution to avoid contracting Covid. “I like the tent+filter idea. It’s cheap and should be effective,” another agreed. A few people shared that they empathised with Jason, and are also maintaining strict pandemic precautions. One person wrote, “Initially didn’t think much of the pic, but this is infuriating. I spend all my salary in-flo mask, enovid (antiviral nasal spray), no social life, so yes, I take precautions 100 per cent of the time.” “I’m sorry you have to live like this. I no longer see my family since they stopped masking,” another added. However, not everyone empathised with Jason’s living arrangements, saying he was being unrealistic about the future of Covid. “I work in senior living, and in the two years we’ve been open, we’ve lost zero to Covid. Even the (85-year-olds) getting it now are mild cases. Why? They’re boosted, so they don’t panic or sleep in a garage,” one commenter explained. “The vaccine is meant to enable you to live normally without worrying. Covid is endemic, so you will be in the tent for the rest of your life, lol.” posted another. In response to the viral post, one Twitter user humorously remarked, “We’re a few years away from a really good documentary on how this virus broke people’s brains.” Image credits: Getty Images / Twitter

Real Estate

Buckingham Palace in ‘total lockdown’ due to 'loud explosion'

Buckingham Palace has been placed under lockdown after a man reportedly threw shotgun cartridges at the royal residence. International and British media surrounding the palace grounds were evacuated from the area amid the security scare, and a man has since been arrested – with BBC news reporting a controlled explosion was executed by specialists as a precautionary measure. Initial reports suggested King Charles was in residence during the incident, however, the Washington Post has confirmed he was just nearby with Queen Consort Camilla at Clarence House. According to the Metropolitan Police, the man was found to be in possession of a suspicious bag and was arrested on suspicion of carrying an offensive weapon. Speaking to news.com.au workers on the grounds said they heard a “loud bang” around 8pm. They also said the palace was not evacuated but surrounding media outside were cleared from the premises. The Mall, the street which lines from the palace to Trafalgar Square, is cordoned off from the public. Police are telling people in the area that the road is blocked off for a scheduled coronation rehearsal. British politician Jacob Rees-Mogg was in the area when the incident occurred and told GB News he was waiting to go on-air to discuss the upcoming coronation. “People came to us using yellow tabards to say there was an incident and we all had to go. Just an element, of I fear, not ‘keep calm and carry on’ [but] ‘let’s hustle and bustle’.” Ben Briscoe, GB News’ Head of Programming, also told the program, “There was definitely a very, very loud explosion … As it stands the Palace and the surrounding areas are in total lockdown and it doesn’t look like it is going to be lifted anytime soon.” The royal standard, which signifies when the monarch is in residence, was not seen above the palace the following day but has since been erected on the roof. The incident comes as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was one of the first dignitaries to meet the King ahead of the coronation, with his arrival at the palace on May 2. It is believed the lockdown has since been lifted as investigations proceed. Image credit: Getty

News

"Stay away!": City forced into bizarre anti-travel campaign

Amsterdam has taken desperate measures in the fight to keep the city safe from “messy” tourists determined to cause chaos and call it a night out. The Dutch capital’s new online campaign sets out to primarily tackle the problem of young British men, warning them against their plans to “let loose” while they’re visiting. Hopeful British tourists - between the ages of 18 and 35 - who google things like “stag party Amsterdam”, “pub crawl Amsterdam”, and “cheap hotel Amsterdam” will be made to view short videos that stress the consequences that come with “[causing] nuisance and excessive alcohol and drug use”, according to a statement from the city’s local authorities. One of said videos shows an intoxicated young man being arrested after insulting police officers, with text reading: “Coming to Amsterdam for a messy night + getting trashed = €140 fine + criminal record = fewer prospects.” From there comes the firm and to-the-point statement: “So coming to Amsterdam for a messy night? Stay away.” In another of the campaign’s videos, an unconscious individual can be seen in an ambulance as it rushes to hospital, this time with text that reads: “Coming to Amsterdam to take drugs + lose control = hospital trip + permanent health damage = worried family.” It concludes with the same message as the other. Amsterdam welcomes approximately 20 million tourists each year, and is well known for its red light district. It’s this same hotspot that has played a major role in establishing the city as the place to party in Europe. However, local residents have voiced their displeasure for years, fed up with the chaos that drunken tourists bring their way, and prevent them from enjoying their own city as they want to. “Visitors will remain welcome, but not if they misbehave and cause nuisance. In that case we as a city will say: rather not, stay away,” Amsterdam’s deputy mayor Sofyan Mbarki said. “Amsterdam is already taking lots of measures against excessive tourism and nuisance, and we are taking more measures than other large cities in Europe. But we have to do even more [in] the coming years if we want to give tourism a sustainable place in our city.” From there, he went on to note that in order to keep their city a liveable place, they had to turn their attention to “restriction instead of irresponsible growth.” This isn’t the only - or even first - step city officials have taken towards achieving their goal, having just passed new regulations that make it illegal for anyone to smoke cannabis while in the red light district. The video campaign may yet expand to include visitors from beyond the UK, authorities have suggested. They also plan to launch another campaign called “How to Amsterdam”, which aims to reign in tourists already visiting. This campaign will utilise social media and street signs, with warnings about everything from drunkenness to noise, drugs, and urinating in public. Providers who offer bachelor party experiences have reportedly been contacted by the council as well, in the hope that they can reduce - and prevent - trouble in the city’s centre, while they also await the results of research into a potential tourist tax. Images: YouTube

Travel Trouble

“A parent’s worst nightmare”: Tammin Sursok reveals daughter’s lockdown for school shooting

Former Home and Away star Tammin Sursok has revealed her daughter’s school in Nashville was placed on lockdown after a mass shooting took place at the school next door. Sursok, 39, who lives in Nashville with her husband Sean McEwan and their two children, took to Instagram to explain the “nightmare”. The 39-year-old shared that the shooting, which took place at The Covenant School, was just next-door to her nine-year-old daughter Phoenix’s school. “There’s been an active shooter, in Nashville, in one of the schools in Greenhills,” Sursok said in her video. “It’s right next to my daughter’s school. She’s in lockdown. She’s fine. “It’s really close to home, I know it’s close to home for a lot of you. “I know a lot of mothers are just completely hysterical and shaking right now. “I just can’t believe this keeps happening, and you always think that it’s not going to happen to you.” The shooter has been identified as a woman, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, who opened fire killing three children and three staff members. She was also a former student of the Covenant school. Hale was shot and killed by police at the scene. Sursok later posted a follow-up video saying she wasn’t sure what to do after hearing of her daughter’s lockdown. “Do we go to the school, do we wait until they tell us they’re out of lockdown?” she said. “It’s just really hard to even fathom that this happens so much. “I can’t even let my brain go there, because it’s just too hard to think of.” Sursok then wrote a lengthy message about the shooting and weighed in about gun control. The post saw an image of her and Phoenix, wearing tops that read “Love More”. “Our community in Nashville is in shock,” she wrote, adding a shooting trigger warning. “My thoughts and prayers are with the families going though this unimaginable tragedy. “Today I got a call that I never thought would happen but at the same time expected because I live in the USA. “My daughter’s school was on lockdown. There was an active shooter somewhere.” “A parent’s worst nightmare,” she wrote. “As you’ve now seen on the news, a school in Nashville has lost children and adults at the hands of a 28-year old-woman. “That school was next door, walking distance from my daughter’s school. “The argument when these horrific events happen is don’t get political, now is not the time, guns don’t kill people, people kill people. “I call BS. “... people with access to assault rifles cause mass destruction. “Why do we sell in the USA weapons of mass destruction to civilians? “Why do we sell weapons that can shoot hundreds of bullets in seconds? “Read that sentence again. “Hundreds of bullets in seconds.” The actress pointed out that in most American states, a person can buy an AR-15 - a semi-automatic rifle - once they turn 18. “The AR-15 (and military style weaponry) is not designed for hunting or ‘sport’,” she wrote. “It’s meant to kill people. Lots of people all at once. “How is this allowed? Please explain it to me.” She said she felt numb, angry, and “at a loss”. “Parties need to come together on both sides. I don’t care what side you are on,” she added. “We can come together to AGREE to uphold the freedom of America and its constitution AND keep our children safe. “We can do BOTH! “You know this doesn’t make sense. You know this isn’t normal. “You know children shouldn’t live in fear like this.” Sursok’s followers flooded the comments with support, with most agreeing gun control is a major issue in the US. “It only took one major incident for Australia to see what mattered most ... Lives not Guns,” one person wrote, referencing the Port Arthur massacre Tasmania saw in 1996. “Absolutely horrific,” another wrote. “When I am in the US I always think about that each person I am passing by could have a gun,” wrote a third. “Cannot imagine living with this thought every day. “You are right, the gun laws finally have to change. Sending lots of love.” Image credit: Instagram

Family & Pets

Warning against latest egg-stremely restrictive diet trend

A viral “egg diet” is the latest weight loss trend taking over TikTok as people continue to find ways to drop a few kilos. The #eggdiet has attracted over 68.5 million views, with a lot of people sharing their weight-loss success. Nutritionists warn the egg-stremely restrictive diet is simply unsustainable and just another eggs-ample of why most diets fail. According to TikTok users, the egg diet consists of eating only eggs for every meal, alongside low-carb snacks such as fruit, veggies, and some additional protein. While this diet is capable of boosting your metabolism and burning fat in the short term, it can then slow the metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight in the future. One TikTok user trying the diet admitted she had broken it, writing, ”I think the last nine days of eating the bare minimum has caught up with me today. The whole day I just felt nauseous.” A diet focused on one food eggs-cludes many healthy food groups that are otherwise beneficial for your body. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies, an unhealthy amount of weight loss, mood changes, muscle weakness, and hair loss. A nutrition eggs-pert from Fitness Volt says most people fail to stick with their diet long enough for it to work sustainably. They make fast progress, but egg-ventually, they fall off the wagon and return to their previous diet plan. "That's why so many of us lose weight only to regain it shortly afterwards, and it seems long-term, sustainable weight loss is rare nowadays," Saini said. "Fortunately, healthy eating doesn't have to be complicated or unpleasant, and weight management doesn't have to take over your life. "You don't even have to give up your favourite foods. However, you will need to quit looking for short-term fixes and adopt healthier long-term habits.” It is clear the #eggdiet is not sustainable and the lack of nutrition is likely to leave your brain scrambled. The idea is a bit of a crack-up, but don’t whisk it. Image credit: TikTok

Body

The science behind why hobbies can improve our mental health

The pandemic has taken its toll on many peoples’ <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0020764020915212">mental health</a>. Given the fear of the virus and the government restrictions on movement many may understandably be feeling more lonely, anxious, and depressed than usual. The World Health Organization (WHO) has even issued guidance on how people can <a href="https://www.who.int/campaigns/connecting-the-world-to-combat-coronavirus/healthyathome/healthyathome---mental-health">look after their mental health</a> during this difficult time. Key advice includes trying to keep a regular pattern of eating, sleeping, hygiene and exercise. But a less obvious recommendation is to make sure you’re still finding time to do the things you enjoy. In fact, research shows that <a href="https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/503571">having a hobby</a> is linked to lower levels of depression – and may even prevent depression for some. Losing interest and joy in things you normally like doing is one symptom of poor mental health. Known as anhedonia, this is a common symptom of depression and is something patients say they would most like <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25545606/">relief from</a> – possibly because the drugs used to treat depression target other symptoms and don’t seem to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11684742/">alleviate it</a>. For some people, anhedonia is one of the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1991.tb01410.x">first symptoms of depression</a>, and can even be used to predict the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4403015/">severity of depression</a> a person might experience. So, finding time for your interests and pleasures – such as a hobby – during lockdown could be one way of avoiding anhedonia and depression. In fact <a href="https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/social-prescribing">social prescribing</a> is a treatment method where doctors can ask patients with mild to moderate depression to take up a non-medical intervention (such as a hobby) to improve their mental health. As antidepressants can be <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/185157">less effective</a> in those with mild depression, this treatment strategy may still help patients with depression find relief from their symptoms. So far, some studies have shown that social prescribing programmes that ask patients to take up hobbies such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/anxiety-and-depression-why-doctors-are-prescribing-gardening-rather-than-drugs-121841">gardening</a> or <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-creativity-on-prescription-can-improve-mental-and-physical-health-93818">art</a> are beneficial for mental health and wellbeing. Evidence also shows that even for those with clinical depression, certain psychological treatments – like behavioural activation, which requires patients to schedule in time to do things that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061095/">bring them pleasure and joy</a> – improve symptoms of depression. A <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17533015.2017.1334002">wide range of activities</a> and hobbies may play a role in social prescribing and behavioural activation, such as exercising, playing an instrument, drawing, reading or handicrafts. <h2>Reward system</h2> The reason that finding time for hobbies can work has to do with how they affect the reward system in the brain. When we take part in a hobby that we enjoy, chemical messengers in the brain (known as neurotransmitters) are released – such as dopamine, a chemical which helps us feel pleasure. These feel-good chemicals can then make us want to do the hobby again, and feel more motivated to do so. So even though we may not feel motivated in the beginning to spend time on a hobby, once we start it and feel the associated pleasure, this will <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2756052/">kick-start our reward system</a> and subsequently our motivation to do it again. This is something we’re researching in greater depth <a href="https://www.mccabe-nrg-lab.com/">in our lab</a>. Alongside pleasure and motivation, hobbies can also bring other benefits. Physical hobbies can, of course, improve your fitness, and others can even improve your brain function. Research suggests that some hobbies – like <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21463047/">playing a musical instrument</a> – can improve your memory, while artistic hobbies (such as reading or board games puzzles) are reported to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20660517/">prevent dementia</a> later in life. So if you’re feeling lower than normal during the pandemic, perhaps try to find time to re-engage with some hobbies that you may have enjoyed in the past – or try new ones. You can also seek help or guidance from your GP or a therapist to find the best treatment for you. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-behind-why-hobbies-can-improve-our-mental-health-153828" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

"Let him do this job": Mother of Charlie Teo's "miracle girl" blasts surgery restrictions

The mother of Dr Charlie Teo's "miracle girl" has spoken out against the restrictions placed on the surgeon and how they will impact the lives of many families with sick kids. In 2019, Milli became one of Dr Teo's most well-known patients after he successfully removed 98 per cent of a brain tumour that had been dubbed inoperable and incurable by other surgeons. Although Milli tragically died in January 2021, her mother Monica said she feels “devastated” and “disappointed” over the restrictions placed on Dr Teo, saying it will greatly impact patients and their families who no longer have access to potentially lifesaving surgery. Since August 2021, Dr Teo has been barred from operating in Australia under rules imposed by the Medical Council of NSW. In order to operate, Dr Teo must have written approval from a second independent neurosurgeon with more than 20 years of specialist experience. These conditions will remain in place until September 30, when they will be subject to review. “Why? Just why? I wish they’d leave him alone and let him do this job. He helps people – that’s all he does,” Monica told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/mum-of-dr-charlie-teos-miracle-girl-amelia-milli-lucas-says-operating-restrictions-have-robbed-australians/news-story/9fb19e4d6ab9b644e30ff03817d813b1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “I know the neurosurgeons in Australia think he’s a cowboy and think he takes things just that little bit extra … but that should be left to the patient to choose.” Dr Teo has has had daily requests from desperate patients to operate, as Monica said it should be up the patients to have final say over their treatment, and it’s an opportunity she’s grateful that her daughter had. “A neurosurgeon could go: ‘No, I’m not going to do it because in three months time it’s going to be back in and you’re going to be dead anyway’ but if someone wants to do it and live that three months, why aren’t they given that choice? Charlie gives you that choice,” she added. “He doesn’t mince his words and he doesn’t give anyone false hope, he just gives them real hope.” She also said the rules which have limited Dr Teo’s operating ability also “robbed” the “medical industry” and future research as well. Since the neurosurgeon has been barred from operating in Australia, Dr Teo has continued teaching, lecturing and performing pro bono surgery internationally. “I feel sorry for the people in Australia who want to be a neurosurgeon and aren’t able to learn from the best in the world.” Image credits: Facebook

Caring

If you experienced ‘Blursday’ during lockdown, you’re not alone

After two years of mask-wearing, hand sanitising, lockdowns and social distancing, it’s safe to say we’re all experiencing some side effects of going through a global pandemic. If you feel like time has slowed down or Mondays feel like Wednesdays and Wednesdays feel like Fridays, you’ve likely experienced a feeling recently dubbed ‘Blursday’ - and you’re not the only one. A team of scientists have now captured what living in ‘Blursday’ is like, and have published their findings in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01419-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature Human Behaviour</a>. Using data from surveys conducted in nine countries - gathered through 14 questionnaires and 15 behavioural tasks - during the first two years of the pandemic, the team of researchers found that feelings of isolation affected our sense of time, including feelings of time grinding to a halt. Maximilien Chaumon, a researcher at the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière in France and coauthor on the study, told <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/it-s-not-just-you-lockdowns-had-us-living-in-blursday-study-says-70422" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Scientist</a> of how a fellow researcher saw COVID as an opportunity to gain an insight into the complex phenomenon that is our perception of time. “When we talk about our senses, [not] our sense of time but our sense of vision, touch, and so on, we think about those sensory receptors,” he explained. “And time perception does not have such receptors. It is a psychological construct, actually, that has a very multifactorial origin that is very complex.” Chaumon said the pandemic provided the perfect chance to collect data on this concept, explaining that our sense of time is incredibly influenced by our environment, emotional state and how isolated we are, which in turn can affect our wellbeing and mental health. “This is sort of the angle that triggered this study, in the sense that this massive disruption that COVID-19 created, with its lockdown, on our daily routine, the way we use our time, the way time unfolds during the day, and initial reports of people reporting being lost in their week, not knowing whether it was today or whether it was Monday or Tuesday and so on,” Chaumon added, By compiling a range of tasks to measure different aspects of our time perception, along with psychological scales that measure anxiety and depression, the team hoped to correlate the tasks and measures. Wibbly wobbly time causes wibbly wobbly health problems Theirs isn’t the first to study our perception of time or the effects the pandemic have had on it. <a href="https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fu7061146.ct.sendgrid.net%2Fls%2Fclick%3Fupn%3D4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUaUp6sA-2BpAvcl9YHzVa412QC1m3ibG-2FC3WQYczSIN1ZeXjTw-2F-2FSDFk4BOzJ4zXx-2Fvw-3D-3DLypt_LUT5diG96CqPUCpHtTdEJL2b31V0MmXDDBFBEm0nPEbHc8MtQdGxiyqTf-2FzdAPZDSx9IaeyAwnFz9OTaNQFX-2BXQLL8NMAAKx-2FL8IrpwUjzdetB7ZKmCghKO52pZka6HGYFTMHI-2B-2Fe-2BJS6LfwGws67A744zSx8i0Vtoc20FSpJ-2FY8ZMNMbQJlM8bC-2FeElv-2B99BECt8HWdJ0JCLCokbTc4kBOuKcR5lBaDkTG2apoJrHyzEYaHEX-2Bx1-2B-2F82umfOSV3S2GvH5vXKwhUg7158G3vtov5dTRfjj5yJu2iMqiZQRyCHDmZg-2Bz4smKOIckwZVBpH-2BFGnRcww1nHSSSRxw-2FRTNWsefWy1jyO4slKTgvThQY-3D&data=05%7C01%7Clilly.nguyen%40latimes.com%7C9f19770ffc344ce0549a08da853c1f96%7Ca42080b34dd948b4bf44d70d3bbaf5d2%7C0%7C0%7C637968790511475387%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bumpnIH0Ne%2BwT6N9Sv850G8Sd44L7vlbxB9aHIcysko%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Another study</a> published in 2022, based on surveys conducted in just the US, found that people have been losing their sense of time because of the pandemic, collective trauma caused by it, and additional challenges we’ve faced in recent times, including unemployment, financial hardships, supply shortages, death, and climate change. E. Alison Holman, a professor in nursing at UC Irvine who has been studying the relationship between trauma and time perception and is a co-author on the study, said in a recent interview that not addressing this change in how we sense time can put us at greater risks in terms of our mental health. “Having your sense of time get messed up to the extent that it really screws you up in terms of where you see yourself going in your life, in the context of the loneliness that people were experiencing and the social isolation, it’s an open question now that I’m trying to address,” Holman <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220823170747.htm">said</a>. “How does that alter your sense of time? How might the social isolation of the pandemic have contributed to that alteration in your sense of time because you’re spending all of this time by yourself? "Given that distortions in time perception are a risk factor for mental health problems, our findings have potential implications for public health.” What can we do to readjust our sense of time? According to Holman, regaining a sense of time relies on reintegrating our past and present, as well as rebuilding our future. “When you think about your life and who you are, you have a past. Your past is a big part of who you are today. We have a past, a present, which we are doing right now, and a future that we hope to get to,” Holman said. “What happens to people is they end up getting stuck in the trauma. As time moves on, they don’t mentally move on. “Being able to reintegrate one’s past with the present — knowing where I am now and where I’m going, the future. That’s really important for mental health.” Image: Getty Images

Mind

Major changes to Covid-19 rules

Covid-19 restrictions are set to ease across the country as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced major changes to the current rules. Following national cabinet on Wednesday afternoon, Albanese announced that the mandatory seven-day isolation period will be scrapped from September 9th. The isolation period for Covid-positive people with no symptoms will be reduced from seven days to five days, allowing them to return to work sooner with precautions. However, Albanese said the seven-day period will remain for workers in high-risk settings including aged care and disability care as per advice from the chief health officer. “If you have symptoms we want people to stay home. We want people to act responsibly,” Albanese said. “This was a proportionate response at this point in the pandemic.” The PM also announced that mandatory mask-wearing on domestic flights will also be scrapped. Masks will also no longer be legally required on domestic flights from next Friday, bringing flights in line with requirements in domestic terminals where mandatory face coverings were ditched in mid-June - along with the relaxation of mandates in most settings across the country. “We’ll continue to assess these issues and what restrictions are appropriate at any point in time,” Albanese said. Amid the new changes, the PM also said the eligibility for the $750 emergency leave support would be updated to reflect the change to five days, meaning the payment will be cut to $540. Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

The real reason liquids over 100ml can’t be brought onto international flights

One thing most people keep in mind when setting off on an international holiday is to condense any liquids in their carry-on to 100ml or less, or run the risk of it being thrown out by security. This goes for bottles of water, makeup, skincare, and other liquid toiletries, as well as big bottles of hand sanitiser or the coffee you bought on the way to the airport. While we accept this is a part of boarding an international flight, a lot of people don’t know the reasoning behind the strict rules. So, why can’t we take liquids over 100ml in our carry-on on an overseas flight? A Department of Home Affairs and Australian Border Force spokesperson told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/why-liquids-over-100ml-need-to-be-tossed-for-international-flights/news-story/385fc9198465d82812f04d000c4f339c">news.com.au</a> restrictions on the volume of liquids, aerosols and gels were introduced in many countries around the world, including Australia, following the disruption of a terrorist plot in the UK back in 2006. The 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot targeted various aircrafts with specific liquid explosives. “[And as such] screening measures restrictions on what can be carried on board an aircraft have been enforced to ensure the safety and security of travellers,” the spokesperson said. Even if you have a 100ml or more bottle of liquid that is only half filled, it will still be thrown away by security. The only exceptions to this rule are some baby products and medications, but these must be presented to security officials along with a doctor's letter. While these rules are non-negotiable for international flights, domestic flights around Australia don’t have the same level of restriction. Image credits: Shutterstock

International Travel

Should I still go on holiday if I have COVID?

Your flights are booked, your bags are packed, and in your mind you’re already sunning yourself by the beach with a cocktail. With summer in full swing in the northern hemisphere, and most <a href="https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus?gclid=CjwKCAjw_ISWBhBkEiwAdqxb9u_dVdg0T_EbAlN8bWRd2HBUnc0oogiIZwtoZBjIZgzx2W30V6WgZBoCHE8QAvD_BwE">COVID-related restrictions</a> behind us, travel is back on the agenda for many people. But at the same time, <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronaviruscovid19/latestinsights">COVID cases</a> in the UK are rising. So what if you’re unlucky enough to catch COVID just before your long-awaited getaway? Given most countries have stopped requiring negative tests to enter, can you just go anyway? “Obviously not – you don’t want to go and infect another country”, my 13-year-old responded when I asked him this question. But is the answer as obvious as my teenage son seems to think? The first thing to note is that other countries may still have COVID restrictions in place, so entry might be restricted altogether, or you may be prevented from travelling with COVID due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-covid-19-vaccine-passports-fair-163838">testing, vaccination or quarantine rules</a>. You can check the requirements in different countries using <a href="https://apply.joinsherpa.com/map?affiliateId=sherpa&language=en-US">this map</a>. But assuming you’ve checked the rules for the country you’re visiting, and you’re legally allowed to travel even with COVID, what should you do? This is clearly an ethical question, and what seems like an obvious answer to one person might not be so obvious to others. First, let’s look at the facts. The combination of vaccination and effective treatments for severe COVID has changed the situation compared with 2020 or 2021. The ratio of deaths to infections <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronaviruscovid19latestinsights/deaths">continues to become more favourable</a>, and while the potential for a new, more harmful variant is an ongoing concern, the risks from COVID are becoming increasingly similar to risks faced from many other infectious diseases. Given this, and the fact that it’s becoming harder to find a COVID test (or certainly a free one), it may be more pertinent to consider the question in relation to infectious diseases more generally. <h2>Weighing up the risks</h2> If you’re planning to travel while knowingly ill, there would seem to be risks both to you and others. For instance, people generally don’t like the idea of being sick far from home, and buy travel insurance in the hope it will ensure they’re cared for should they become unwell (or get worse) while abroad. But while taking out insurance shows one level of concern for health risks, these concerns are by definition quite self-centred. Considering risks to other people, travelling with an infectious disease clearly carries the potential of passing the disease on to others. With all diseases, certain sections of the population will be more vulnerable. So where a virus like COVID might result in only mild cold-like symptoms for you, it could be fatal for someone else. But working out who may be vulnerable so that you can then avoid them if you’re sick is very difficult. There are also plenty of people who care for vulnerable people, and could easily pass an infection on. Being careful and wearing a mask <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-your-face-mask-protect-you-or-other-people-142612">will help to a certain extent</a>, but the obvious solution for protecting vulnerable people and their carers is to avoid mixing in large groups altogether. A second health risk is the possibility of being the cause of a new, geographically distinct outbreak. This is especially worth considering in countries with less developed healthcare systems or poorer availability of vaccines. A mild variant of a disease like COVID in the UK (which has a high vaccination rate) may well be significantly more lethal in a country where a lower proportion of the population is vaccinated. A final thing to consider is that no one has a “right” to go on holiday. Broadly speaking, “rights” are socially or legally determined, and while certainly many of us are very tired of COVID and the restrictions we’ve had to endure over the past couple of years, it’s difficult to argue that this frustration means we have a “right” to travel. Just because something is legal does not mean it is a right. <h2>Changing attitudes</h2> It’s interesting to note that the experience of the last couple of years – the first true pandemic in most people’s lifetime – has changed general attitudes towards infection and health risks, so that behaviour that was socially acceptable before COVID is now no longer considered appropriate. In particular, the pandemic has increased the <a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-wearing-a-cloth-face-mask-is-less-about-science-and-more-about-solidarity-138461">public’s awareness</a> of infection control. While previously many people would have perhaps drawn a moral distinction between passing on clearly severe infectious diseases like tuberculosis or Ebola, they were often more relaxed about spreading milder diseases like influenza or the common cold. The experience of COVID has changed this as more people have <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-76763-2">come to realise</a> infections that are mild in most people can be highly risky for some. So should you go on holiday if you have COVID? I would argue that the answer to this question is similar to considering what you should do more generally if you have COVID at home, or indeed any other infection: stay away from others and <a href="https://theconversation.com/caught-covid-heres-what-you-should-and-shouldnt-do-when-self-isolation-isnt-mandatory-179441">treat the illness with respect</a>. Maybe you can achieve this if your holiday involves driving on your own, or with a small number of people you’ve previously had close contact with. Perhaps you (or your group) may also be able to stay away from others until you have recovered. But if your intention is to fly, stay in a hotel, or visit tourist hot spots, I refer you to the comment from my 13-year-old son: “Obviously not – you don’t want to go and infect another country”. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-i-still-go-on-holiday-if-i-have-covid-186185" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Travel Tips

House plants were our link with nature in lockdown – now they could change how we relate to the natural world

They’re not the first generation to keep house plants, but millennials seem to have earned a reputation for gratuitous indoor foliage. Bloomberg reporter <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-04-11/the-one-thing-millennials-haven-t-killed-is-houseplants">Matthew Boyle</a> claimed that young people have helped revive “the once moribund market for house plants” in the US, where, according to the National Gardening Association, sales surged 50% between 2016 and 2019. In the UK, the <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/press/releases/RHS-grows-houseplant-and-floristry-offering-as-ind">Royal Agricultural Society</a> reported a 65% increase in house plant sales in 2018 alone. Why young people in particular might be so fond of house plants has invited numerous explanations. Lifestyle reporter <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/millennials-obsessed-houseplants-instagram_l_5d7a976de4b01c1970c433b9">Casey Bond</a> argued that house plants offer something to nurture that’s cheap and doesn’t involve a lot of maintenance, with obvious appeal to a generation whose entry into parenthood is stymied by <a href="https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/uk-average-house-price-rise-2020-millennials-versus-baby-boomers-property-ladder-060042411.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAEB84LlmZFsNTokd-kxf2HFZXpB5M_lQhZNMVcKQDBuUevGNEPHF8y2GNnE7xm_bdrYrgdZNrnENbC95LxdHuqCfekpSaSlJN6S99Z0fartMMnBdzbAAsHvvoa425lyGr5lsYK9h6UvugjtPP83kxYKjVT2TL-9cwdileX-xdpEo">house prices</a> and <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/241f0fe4-08f8-4d42-a268-4f0a399a0063">economic instability</a>. Young people today are thought to be more conscious of mental health and self-care too, and plants have been <a href="https://journals.ashs.org/horttech/view/journals/horttech/30/1/article-p55.xml?ArticleBodyColorStyles=fullText">proven</a>to reduce stress levels and improve mood. But the <a href="https://canongate.co.uk/books/2902-rootbound-rewilding-a-life/">universal appeal</a> of house plants, according to writer <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/07/succulent-mania-smuggling-millennials-roots">Alice Vincent</a>, is that they provide “a tangible way of connecting with nature that is absent from an increasingly screen-based world”. That could explain why their sales ballooned again during lockdown, and not just among younger customers. Anthropologist Gideon Lasco described the phenomenon in his native Philippines as a “<a href="https://www.sapiens.org/column/entanglements/covid-19-houseplants/?fbclid=IwAR32a9PK_rf4GsMQ0pTRPlE3LXvNtRgJch48YaCGMztStvc-VN6ZHxNykpY">botanical boom</a>” that seized Manila. Plants, far more mobile than locked down humans, were ordered online in record numbers and ferried to anxious households where they acquired names and were photographed alongside their new family. Patch, a British online plant store established in 2015, reported a sales increase of 500% during lockdown, with stock intended to last 12 weeks <a href="https://supplycompass.com/blog/feature/inconversationwith/patch/">vanishing in two</a>. Since June 2020, I’ve been talking to people around the world to better understand the role plants play in these times of forced isolation. My project, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/careforplants/">Care for Plants</a>, started by collecting photographs and videos of people caring for their plants and asking them to explain what they meant to them. By interviewing some of these people, I learned how plants provide care for their human companions too. <h2>A potted history</h2> Plants offered not only bonding, but recreational and educational opportunities to their human families during lockdown. Brian started growing tomatoes with his children – part scientific experiment, part family pastime. Mai had to keep her toddler busy, and turned the chore of watering and re-potting her plants into a fun activity. With her access to the outside world restricted, Aoife found solace in nature, and would gently submerge her hand in the soil to decompress and heal after a long day. Likewise, Aveline described her experience with plants as one that “empties the mind so that I can stop being anxious”. Merima talked about her lawn as a “void filler” for her family. “In the lawn we can still talk about the future. What should we plant and do next and it’s a very positive experience.” The pandemic tore away our shared sense of normality. Amid the rupture, caring for plants invited welcome new routines – watering, feeding, trimming and re-potting. Plants provided an escape from the anxieties of everyday life, offering beauty and proof that life could still flourish in the darkest times. Xin, who showed me her indoor jungle over a video call, told me that “more plants make a place feel luxurious. A sort of lockdown luxury for those who can work from home and create a nest”. But one of the most interesting aspects of my research was listening to stories about how people discovered a need to appreciate plants. Laura explained that she felt a new responsibility towards her plants because she more fully appreciated their companionship. Lucia, whose vibrant social life had made her largely unavailable to her plants, was finally able to keep them alive and wanted to learn how to make them feel appreciated, as a way of acknowledging how they enriched her life in lockdown. <h2>New shoots</h2> Conversations about care have multiplied during the pandemic. We clapped for carers and saw grassroots <a href="https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745343167/pandemic-solidarity/">mutual aid networks</a> emerge, providing care in our neighbourhoods and often filling in for <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/books/3706-care-manifesto">inadequate public provision</a>. But speaking with plant owners in lockdown, I unearthed new networks of care and solidarity between humans and other species. The gratitude that people felt for their floral companions challenged the view that nature exists simply to be used by humans and made many see for the first time how non-human beings enrich our social world. The stories I collected suggest we need a broader understanding of social relationships and solidarity; one that appreciates the importance of non-humans in everyday life. Many hope that the pandemic marks a turning point in the way humans interact with the rest of the natural world. Perhaps this watershed could be reached in our own homes, by recognising that the non-humans we share our lives with are equal partners in building a more sustainable and just future. All names have been changed to protect the individuals’ identities. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/house-plants-were-our-link-with-nature-in-lockdown-now-they-could-change-how-we-relate-to-the-natural-world-147637" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Home & Garden

The mental health toll of Covid-19 lockdowns

During 2021, most people around the world were subject to a period of lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19. With lockdowns in Australia lasting several months, the personal effects of these isolation periods are not to be underestimated. According to a new report by the <a href="https://www.nswmentalhealthcommission.com.au/">Mental Health Commission of NSW</a>, one in eight people have emerged from the pandemic with a new mental health condition. As a result, the nation-wide mental health system is facing immense pressure, with wait times for mental health specialists stretching to more than six months in some parts of New South Wales alone. NSW Mental Health Commissioner Catherine Lourey told the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/lockdown-toll-one-in-eight-have-new-mental-health-condition-20220513-p5al4v.html?fbclid=IwAR0ARZsPxwdkWuRbZoEGRmgXCQM8EF3QjXASs50dTw6keMn2KAKHV0kxa7M">Sydney Morning Herald</a> that Australia will need to recruit from abroad to boost its depleted and exhausted mental health workforce, as demand far outweighs supply for services after two years of lockdowns and pandemic distress. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show a dramatic 25 percent increase in those seeking mental health services compared to the same time pre-pandemic. “As demand on services rises, waiting lists for specialists are blowing out to more than six months, particularly in regional parts of NSW,” Lourey said. “Our biggest obstacle is getting nurses and specialists on the ground now. We need intense focus on growing our existing workforce, re-training and looking overseas to recruit more psychologists, peer workers, social workers, nurses and counsellors,” Lourey said. A commission into the ongoing impact of the pandemic shows that the lockdowns of 2021 had a more detrimental effect on mental health than the first year of the pandemic. A survey of more than 2,000 NSW residents in November and December of 2021 found one in eight experienced a new mental health condition, the most common being anxiety and depression. People aged 18 to 29 were the most likely to experience a new mental health issue. Sixty-one percent said their mental health was negatively impacted by COVID-19 in 2021, up from 55 percent in 2020. Professor Ian Hickie, co-director of the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, said the report indicated a need for ongoing support as the community realises Covid-19 will still cause disruption in their lives, even though lockdowns have ended. “2020 was bad, 2021 was worse, and 2022 could be at least better than last year, but we are not back to pre-pandemic yet,” he said. “We wouldn’t expect that until at least 2023, and that is assuming nothing else goes wrong.” Image credits: Getty Images

Mind

Time to remove vaccine mandates? Not so fast – it could have unintended consequences

Several Australian states have used mandates to drive up COVID vaccination rates. Governments justified the mandates on the basis of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=479962466825937&set=pb.100044365632393.-2207520000..&type=3">preventing the spread of disease</a> and <a href="https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/93754">protecting the vulnerable</a>. Now many states are rolling back these mandates, with Queensland <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-05/qld-coronavirus-covid19-vaccination-mandate-eased-april-14/100958850">removing the requirement to show you’re vaccinated</a> before entering cafes, pubs, galleries and other public spaces from tomorrow. It would be nice to think that when mandates have served their purpose, they can be removed. In practice, removing mandates may affect public attitudes about the importance of vaccination and the likelihood of getting boosters. Remind me, what were the mandates? <a href="https://theconversation.com/vaccine-passports-are-coming-to-australia-how-will-they-work-and-what-will-you-need-them-for-167531">Public space mandates</a> involve governments mandating that venues (such as restaurants, libraries and sporting venues) check individuals’ vaccination status and <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-time-to-rethink-vaccine-mandates-for-dining-fitness-and-events-we-asked-5-experts-176356">exclude the unvaccinated</a>. This is facilitated by <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-a-france-style-vaccine-mandate-for-public-spaces-work-in-australia-legally-yes-but-its-complicated-165814">vaccine passports and certificates</a>. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X21015309?via%3Dihub">Government employment mandates</a> involve governments requiring workers in specific industries to be vaccinated. Businesses and organisations may also implement their own policies requiring the vaccination of their staff, their clients, or both. Most states and territories embraced public space mandates and all have required vaccination of aged and health-care workers. But many are on their way out. NSW eased its requirements last year. South Australia has recently revoked mandates for police, teachers and transport workers. Queensland’s new policy is noted above. Victoria, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory are sitting with their existing requirements for now. What could happen next? It’s unclear what impact removing vaccine mandates will have in Australia. However, we can learn from other public health measures and COVID vaccine mandates implemented overseas. Seat-belt laws converted a government requirement into a widespread social norm. Car manufacturers reinforced the norm with vehicles that beep at us when we don’t comply. But just because something has become habitual doesn’t mean we can lose the law. If governments removed the seat-belt law now and expected us to comply because we are informed, educated, and socialised, some people would still conclude that seat belts are no longer important. Removal of a requirement can send a bad message. The Italian government learned this when the region of Veneto suspended childhood vaccine mandates for four childhood vaccines in 2007. Officials thought the region’s wealthy and educated population would continue to vaccinate their children if the regional government provided strong education and messaging. They were <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11077-021-09427-1">wrong</a>. Their strategy worked until there was a national vaccine scare in 2012. Vaccination rates in Veneto plummeted faster than anywhere else in the country. Eventually, the national government <a href="https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/publications/recent-vaccine-mandates-in-the-united-states-europe-and-australia">mandated more vaccines</a> for the whole country. Other countries have already experimented with introducing, removing, and sometimes re-introducing mandates. Some, such as <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(22)00063-7/fulltext">Austria</a> and the <a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/vaccine-mandates">United Kingdom</a>, have flip-flopped, providing little opportunity to study the impact of their mandates’ introduction or removal. Israel, which vaccinated its population promptly with Pfizer to the envy of the world, used a “public space” mandate (with an opt-out of a negative COVID test). The mandate has been <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8582817/">switched on and off</a> depending on the disease situation at the time. Unfortunately, Israelis’ uptake of subsequent doses has <a href="https://datadashboard.health.gov.il/COVID-19/general">dropped over time</a>, but its government still <a href="https://www.news.com.au/world/coronavirus/global/israel-rolls-back-green-pass-as-prime-minister-declares-the-covid-wave-is-breaking/news-story/b6f9ce495359166126b16c477af062b3">ended the mandate</a> in February. Mandates are also not without <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2021/215/11/policy-considerations-mandatory-covid-19-vaccination-collaboration-social">risks and costs</a>. They can provoke reactance, making those who are reluctant to vaccinate more determined not to do so. They may also prompt activism against vaccines and mandates. High vaccination rates help contain COVID One of the biggest challenges is nobody knows what the next phase of COVID will look like. Neither infection nor the current vaccines provide long-lasting immunity. We don’t know whether the next strain will continue the trajectory towards less serious symptoms started by Omicron (and helped by high vaccination rates). Whether we continue to be able to stay on top of COVID and whether the disease continues to remain less severe in most people infected will depend on maintaining high vaccination coverage rates. Governments across the nation and the world have struggled to get third doses into populations at the same level and with the same enthusiasm people showed towards the first two. Uptake in paediatric populations is also lagging in Australia – and there are no mandates. Now adults are being asked to prepare for and accept our fourth doses. Leading the way Western Australia has one of the highest rates of uptake in the country, with 76.7% of people aged over 16 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=533610064794510&set=a.263657845123068">triple dosed</a>. This compares with the <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022/04/covid-19-vaccine-rollout-update-8-april-2022.pdf">national average</a> of 52.3%. It’s no coincidence the state’s employment mandates, which cover 75% of the workforce, require workers have their third dose within a month of becoming eligible. The WA mandate did not contain three doses to begin with, but it was very easy for the government to build it in. Faced with rolling back the mandate or keeping it operational for the fourth dose, the government will have to grapple with whether the population continues to support these measures – and there are definitely people who reluctantly accepted two doses and are not prepared to keep having more. WA’s public space mandate only covers two doses for now. WA’s COVID vaccination experience has shown that mandates, including for third doses, drive high levels of uptake, and are <a href="https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4210.html">easy for governments to implement</a>. However, much of the rest of Australia is moving in an opposite direction to WA in removing its mandates. As we live through the continued natural experiment of living with COVID – and not allowing it to defeat us – we now move into a new phase of making sense of what to do with the policy instruments governments used.<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/180781/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katie-attwell-94905" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katie Attwell</a>, Associate professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The University of Western Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/time-to-remove-vaccine-mandates-not-so-fast-it-could-have-unintended-consequences-180781" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Domestic Travel

Lockdowns doubled your risk of mental health symptoms

During the almost two years of on-again off-again COVID lockdowns, we heard lots of concern from many different corners about the mental health effects of forcing people to stay home and keep away from friends and family. Many research projects were undertaken to attempt to measure the scale of the impacts on mental health. However, the speed with which research was generated meant in some cases, research quality was sacrificed, and some research found evidence of an effect on mental health, and some didn’t. To make sense of the very mixed findings, my colleagues and I conducted a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X22000252">review</a> of all of the studies on mental health conducted during the first year of the pandemic. We included 33 published papers which studied a total of nearly 132,000 people across various world regions. We found that overall, social restrictions doubled people’s odds of experiencing mental health symptoms. This means, of those who participated in these studies, those who experienced lockdowns were twice as likely to experience mental ill health than those who didn’t. This finding can be broken down further by different mental health symptoms. Social restrictions saw the odds people would experience symptoms of depression increase by over 4.5 times, the odds of experiencing stress increased by nearly 1.5 times, and the odds of experiencing loneliness almost doubled. When we drilled down further into these results, we found the length and strictness of lockdowns affected mental health symptoms differently. For example, strict lockdowns increased depression, whereas the onset of social restrictions increased stress. Low social restrictions, where there were some restrictions in place but not total lockdown, were associated with increases in anxiety. Also, mental health outcomes differed by age, with young and middle-aged adults reporting greater negative mental health symptoms than older adults. <h2>What lessons can we take away from these findings?</h2> The findings give us a good idea of what public health outreach should look like in the event of future pandemics. Anxiety was most prevalent when low restrictions were introduced. This could be due to the fact people were nervous about the precarity of the situation and where the virus could be circulating. The introduction of such measures should be accompanied by public health messaging and interventions that focus on alleviating chronic fear and worry. During the periods of strict social restrictions, the predominant mental health issue was depression, meaning mental health responses should focus on combating depressive-related symptoms such as hopelessness and loss of purpose. The findings for stress suggest symptoms are likely to intensify during the early stages of social restriction enforcement. This is probably because the onset of restrictions communicates to people an increase in the seriousness of the pandemic threat, and people have to work very hard to re-organise their lives if restrictions involve the need to work from home and home-school. During these times, providing messaging and interventions that help people manage their stress, such as dealing with work stress or the stress of home-schooling children, may be especially important. For parents, making them feel capable in the home classroom and promoting strategies that foster positive family functioning (such as more constructive communication and problem-solving) could reduce parental and family stress. Given social restrictions were found to be associated with increases in loneliness, promotion of digital technologies to keep people feeling connected is also important. Across all these mental health issues, messages that communicate these symptoms are to be expected are likely to help individuals normalise and acknowledge the nature and severity of their symptoms. This, in turn, may prompt people to seek help for their mental health symptoms. <h2>Research quality was poor</h2> Another important point to highlight from our review is the research conducted during the first year of the pandemic was generally of poor quality. This is because good measures of social restrictions were hard to come by in studies. Some studies didn’t detail the specific restrictions in place in various cities, or did not ask study participants to what extent they complied with restrictions. Also, some studies surveyed people’s mental health symptoms on the day social restrictions were first enforced. Most people are likely to experience heightened but temporary spikes in mental health symptoms that may naturally reduce after the initial lockdown announcements. This means it’s difficult to get a handle on the “true” mental health effects of social restrictions on the first day restrictions are activated. However, the effects of social restrictions on mental health symptoms were similar across studies where people were surveyed at one time point and where they were surveyed on more than one occasion during restrictions. This suggests the estimated effects seem robust, despite many studies not having the best assessments of social restrictions. The findings of our review show that although we have a way to go in the way we conduct research into the mental health effects of COVID-19 social restrictions, the initial research highlights these restrictions indeed negatively impacted the mental well-being of citizens. Although such restrictions may be an effective public health response to mitigate the spread of viruses such as COVID-19, there needs to be a co-ordinated response to safeguard people’s physical and mental health. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/lockdowns-doubled-your-risk-of-mental-health-symptoms-180953" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Mind

Tenant “living in hell” with nightmare landlord’s restrictions

A woman claims she was “living in hell” under the regime of a strict landlord just days into her tenancy. The woman, named Mel, says her landlady imposed several unreasonable restrictions two days after she moved in, which involved restricting her access to parts of the house to short windows. Mel paid $1,090 (£595) a month to live in the two-storey South London home, and said that everything started out great in her new home when she moved in. Speaking with <a href="https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/south-london-woman-living-hell-23205354">MyLondon</a>, Mel said her landlady Sheena Shepherd presented her with a set of rules for the home within the first week of her tenancy, stipulating that she would only have access to the kitchen between 9am to 11am and 12pm to 2pm as Shepherd would be running PT sessions from home. If she needed to use the kitchen outside of these hours, she needed to cross reference Shepherd's demanding schedule. The lounge room was also off limits, with access only allowed to reach the kitchen. Mel also wouldn't be able to use the front door to the property between 9am and 5:30pm and was only permitted to work from home in her bedroom. Mel also told MyLondon that she was to "only come down the stairs once a day" in order to avoid disturbing Shepherd while she worked in the lounge, and was banned from having deliveries sent to the house as the doorbell was deemed "too distracting". Elsewhere in the house, Mel claims wardrobes were full of her landlady's "personal stuff," leaving her to keep her own belongings in the loft or shed. The relationship between the two quickly deteriorated, as Shepherd told Mel over WhatsApp, "You pay for a ROOM. If you want full access to the half, pay half the bills too. When you can pay £1,000 you can have equal say! Have some respect and not be so bloody entitled." Despite only having a three-month rental contract, Shepherd continuously tried to get Mel to leave early, but to no avail. The conflict eventually culminated in Shepherd having a party in the residence, where one of her guests verbally abused Mel in the kitchen with the police being called as a result. Tired of the abuse and restrictions at the hands of her landlady, Mel left the home and moved into a hotel, which she asked Shepherd to cover the costs of. The pair are now involved in legal proceedings over what happened during Mel’s tenancy. Image credits: Getty Images / MyLondon

Real Estate

5 reasons to keep wearing your face mask

Mask mandates in most indoor settings <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-25/covid-mask-rules-australian-states-territories/100854564" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have been dropped</a> in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT, with Queensland to follow later this week. Without a mandate, <a href="https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(21)00274-5/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mask use tends to drop</a>, so we can expect only a minority of people to be masked in public indoor spaces. With thousands of cases a day and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/datablog/ng-interactive/2022/feb/21/covid-19-vaccine-rollout-australia-vaccination-rate-progress-how-many-people-vaccinated-percent-tracker-australian-states-number-total-daily-live-data-stats-updates-news-schedule-tracking-chart-percentage-new-cases-today" target="_blank" rel="noopener">just over half</a> (57%) of Australians having received a third COVID vaccine dose and children still under-vaccinated, we may see a surge in infections. While masks are a small inconvenience, they remain vital in preventing SARS-CoV-2, because the virus <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-pressure-is-on-for-australia-to-accept-the-coronavirus-really-can-spread-in-the-air-we-breathe-160641" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spreads</a> through the air we breathe. Some people will continue to wear masks to stay safe and achieve a more normal life through the pandemic. Here are five reasons to keep wearing yours. 1. Masks reduce your chance of getting COVID Many studies <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7106e1.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have shown</a> masks protect against COVID. While N95 respirators offer the greatest protection, even cloth masks are beneficial. N95s respirators <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7106e1.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lower the odds</a> of testing positive to COVID by 83%, compared with 66% for surgical masks and 56% for cloth masks. The protection when everyone wears a mask is much greater, because it <a href="https://theconversation.com/which-mask-works-best-we-filmed-people-coughing-and-sneezing-to-find-out-143173" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduces the likelihood</a> of well people inhaling the virus and prevents infected people from exhaling the virus into the air. If everyone wears a mask, the viral load in the air is much lower. When we lose the protection of universal masking, it’s a good idea to wear a <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/02/25/1083046757/coronavirus-faq-im-a-one-way-masker-what-strategy-will-give-me-optimal-protectio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high protection</a> N95 or P2 respirator. 2. You might not know you have COVID Transmission of the virus without symptoms is a major driver of spread, and we cannot know who around us is infected. Infected people may be asymptomatic or may not know they’re infected. This is <a href="https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220103/Very-high-rates-of-asymptomatic-infection-with-Omicron-compared-to-prior-SARS-CoV-2-variants.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">especially so</a> for Omicron. Overall, about one in four infections are <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e049752.long" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asymnptomatic</a>. But even people with symptomatic infection are contagious before the symptoms start. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449353/original/file-20220301-23-73zihg.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/449353/original/file-20220301-23-73zihg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449353/original/file-20220301-23-73zihg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449353/original/file-20220301-23-73zihg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449353/original/file-20220301-23-73zihg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449353/original/file-20220301-23-73zihg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449353/original/file-20220301-23-73zihg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Business woman wears a mask." /><figcaption>You might not know you’re infectious. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/virus-mask-asian-woman-travel-wearing-1629206074" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> 3. Wearing a mask protects others, including those at risk of severe COVID Wearing a mask protects others, including those at greatest risk of severe COVID: people with disability, chronic illnesses and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2022/02/covid-pandemic-immunocompromised-risk-vaccines/622094/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suppressed immune systems</a>. COVID disproportionately affects <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/covid-19-update-being-a-migrant-increases-risk-of-dying-from-covid-19-in-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">migrants</a> and people from lower socioeconomic groups who are more likely to work in customer-service roles. If you wear a mask, you’re protecting workers, commuters and others you interact with. Rates of vaccination also <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/coronavirus/aboriginal-communities-covid-vaccination" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lag</a> among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, leaving them more vulnerable to COVID in the absence of masks. Masks also protect children who are vulnerable to COVID, with only <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/datablog/ng-interactive/2022/feb/21/covid-19-vaccine-rollout-australia-vaccination-rate-progress-how-many-people-vaccinated-percent-tracker-australian-states-number-total-daily-live-data-stats-updates-news-schedule-tracking-chart-percentage-new-cases-today" target="_blank" rel="noopener">half of five to 11 year olds</a> partially vaccinated and under-fives not yet eligible for vaccination. Children who wear masks can also protect their peers. In the United States, the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7039e1.htm#T1_down" target="_blank" rel="noopener">risk of outbreaks</a> was nearly four times higher in schools without mask mandates compared to those with mandates. Omicron is not the flu or a cold, and has accounted for <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/omicron-wave-accounts-for-more-u-s-deaths-than-delta-surge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">17% more deaths than Delta</a> in the United States. While Omicron generally causes less severe disease than Delta, it has claimed more lives because of vastly higher case numbers. There is also growing evidence SARS-COV-2 <a href="https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-1139035/v1_covered.pdf?c=1640020576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">persists in the body after infection</a>, which may result in long-term heart, lung and brain damage. 4. Masks protect your colleagues Many workplaces are insisting on people returning to face-to-face work, some without providing safe indoor air – and now without mask mandates. The risk of COVID transmission is <a href="https://theconversation.com/time-to-upgrade-from-cloth-and-surgical-masks-to-respirators-your-questions-answered-174877" target="_blank" rel="noopener">greatest when indoors for prolonged periods without adequate airflow</a>. So sitting in an office for eight hours without a mask is a risk, especially if safe indoor air has not been addressed. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/449130/original/file-20220301-13-1tuox9w.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/449130/original/file-20220301-13-1tuox9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449130/original/file-20220301-13-1tuox9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449130/original/file-20220301-13-1tuox9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449130/original/file-20220301-13-1tuox9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449130/original/file-20220301-13-1tuox9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/449130/original/file-20220301-13-1tuox9w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=321&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Man in a mask sits at his work desk, next to his female colleagues." /><figcaption>Wearing a mask reduces your risk of contracting COVID from co-workers. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/panoramic-group-business-worker-team-wear-1792685398" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> At the same time as dropping many workplace mask mandates, NSW has <a href="https://www.begadistrictnews.com.au/story/7629871/nsw-virus-compo-burden-of-proof-opposed/?cs=12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moved to remove automatic workers’ compensation</a> for people who catch COVID at work. This is a double disadvantage for workers returning to workplaces with fewer protections and facing greater obstacles to workers’ compensation should they get infected. 5. Others might follow your lead Being one of the few people wearing a mask when others aren’t, such as in a supermarket, is a daunting prospect for those of us who wish to continue masking. There are <a href="https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/covid-19-convoy-protest-mask-wearing-17-year-old-egged-by-aggressive-convoy-protesters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> of masked people being abused and bullied. However a NSW <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/more-comfortable-with-masks-voters-want-some-covid-restrictions-to-stay-20220225-p59zs4.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey showed</a> the majority of people in that state wanted mask mandates to remain. The more we normalise masks and the more we see them, the better protected the community will be. As much as we wish it so, the pandemic is not over and new variants will <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com.au/who-warns-of-covid-19-continuation-and-more-dangerous-variants-2022-2?r=US&IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">likely emerge</a>. A layered, multi-pronged strategy which includes vaccines, masks, ventilation, testing and tracing is the best way to protect health, the economy and a resumption of normal activities. <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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/177824/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/c-raina-macintyre-101935" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C Raina MacIntyre</a>, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNSW Sydney</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-mask-mandates-might-be-largely-gone-but-here-are-5-reasons-to-keep-wearing-yours-177824" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

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