#ozsage

Excerpt:

“One week ago, NSW Health advised people under 50 years to care for themselves at home, without access to Hospital in The Home,” it said. “This week, they have revised the age cut off to anyone under 65 years. This is the ultimate in ‘personal responsibility’.

“The consequence of this policy is that people may die at home when their lives could have been saved by proper timely healthcare,” it said, noting that during the Delta wave, the mean age of those dying at home from Covid was about 40.

OzSage, a group of experts in epidemiology, health and economics, recommends (via The Guardian Australia Online site):

A transparent and open investigation into why a private pathology provider issued falsely negative test results to infected people and provide a solution to prevent this happening again.

Procuring commonwealth RAT [rapid antigen test] supplies, making them free or subsidising the cost as well as a national notification system for positive RATs.

Disseminate information to labs and community about the need for nose and throat swabs for detection of Omicron, as nasal swabbing alone is less accurate.

Avoid misleading messaging that tells asymptomatic people they do not need to test. Anyone who has been in close contact should test, regardless of symptoms or location of the contact.

Prepare surge health workforce capacity.

A fit-for-purpose hospital in the home model and a palliative care plan, and stronger delivery of booster doses at facilities and greater oxygen supplies.

Medical advice and current modelling that forms the basis of a state or national Covid-19 response should be publicly available.

Transparent reporting of infected people self-caring at home.

Deaths at home should be monitored and reported weekly.

Isolation times should be no less than seven to 10 days depending on the risk balance for the workforce.