COVID-19 Information
Topics covered on this page are:
Comparison of COVID-19 symptoms to flu and cold symptoms
COVID-19 list of symptoms to seek medical care immediately for
2021 COVID-19 EDUCATION AND STATISTICAL INFORMATION
Novel Coronavirus Variant Names and Origins
COVID-19 Articles and Research
In 2020 Australia had events of the virus being found in sewerage tested
Coronavirus infected Hong Kong residents suggests caused from plumbing pipes
Resources and Information
Comparison chart of symptoms between the Flu, colds and Covid-19
The chart below is a guide only - Please always seek medical advise if unwell
Covid-19 list of Symptoms To Seek Medical Care immediately for are:
Trouble breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest
New confusionInability to wake or stay awake
Red half‐moon shape band on the nail beds, surrounding the distal margin of the lunula
Red patchy rash, blisters or bumps on your skin depending on your skin tone
Gray or blueish coloured lips caused from low level oxygen
Purplish, pink or red discoloured or swollen toes or fingers on one or several, can cause blisters, itch or pus
Above symptoms can be caused by other medical conditions - Visit a doctor to confirm
2021 COVID-19 EDUCATION AND STATISTICAL INFORMATIONClick on the subject headings to see full data, statistics or articles
Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Recorded infection Statistics
As recorded on 26th November 2021 by WHO (world health organization) worldwide infection cases totalled 259,502,031, in which 254,319,028 citizens Recovered or currently surviving, and with over 5,183,003 cases resulted in Death. Australia has recorded 207,982 infection cases across the country, resulting in 1,994 Deaths.
Coronavirus – A Basic Explanation Coronaviruses are named for the surface appearance of crown shaped spikes and have commonly infected animals and people around the world since the 1960’s. Any person Infected with a Coronavirus from an animal or human transmission source could easily create a new strain often more resistant and infectious resulting in serious health problems or in worst-case scenario deaths through an epidemic or pandemic. 3 known Coronaviruses that have caused serious harm are: MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), SARS-CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), SARS-CoV-2 (Novel Coronavirus also known as COVID-19)
Name Differences explained for Covid-19 - Understanding the names and what they mean can be confusing? Viruses, and the diseases they cause often can have different names; with new virus variant strains ( a result of mutation from the original virus or disease) are given additional reference names as a method to identify the region or country in which the strain originated from. The Virus is called SARS-CoV-2 because it is genetically related but not the same as the outbreak in 2003, The Disease is COVID-19. Both were named on 11 February 2020
Novel Coronavirus variants and alternate names
including origin of Country first detected
Click on the subject headings to see full data, statistics
UK (Kent) strain Scientific Name: B.1.1.7 also Known as: Alpha
South African strains Scientific Name: B.1.351 also Known as: Beta
Scientific Name: B.1.1.529 also known as: Omicron
Brazilian strains Scientific Name: P.1 also Known as: Gamma
Scientific Name: P.2 also Known as: Zeta
Nigerian + UK Strain Scientific Name: B.1.525 also Known as: Eta
Philippines Strain Scientific Name: P.3 also Known as: Theta
USA Strains Scientific Name: B.1.526 also Known as: Lota
Scientific Name: B.1.427 & B.1.429 also known as: Epsilon
Peru Strain Scientific Name: C.37 also known as: Lambda
Indian strains Scientific Name: B.1.617.2 also Known as: Delta
Scientific Name: AY.1 also Known as: Delta Plus
Scientific Name: B.1.617.1 also Known as: Kappa
Colombia strain Scientific Name: B.1.621 or VUI-21JUL-1, also Known as: Mu
Omicron the Latest Variant of Concern
On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron. There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants. The first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on 9 November 2021.
Is there a difference between Delta and Delta plus variants?
Delta and Delta Plus are highly contagious and a variant of the SARS-CoV-2
The Delta variant also known as B1.617.2 and has spread to 80 countries seems to be more infectious and resistant to health preventions including isolation.
The Delta Plus also known as AY.1 is a variant of Delta, which spreads and binds more easily to lung cells, it is more resistant to monoclonal antibody cocktail therapy, in which artificial antibodies are produced in the body, will it resist vaccines is unknown and has been found in USA, UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Nepal, Russia and China.
What Strains do we have in Australia?
D614G (a mutated strain of SARS-CoV-2) First cases discovered in China and Hong Hong December 2019 - Cases in Australia began in January 2020 - Discovered in both hotel quarantine and locally acquired infections
B.1.617.2 (Delta) – First discovered late 2020 - Cases in Australia discovered on 19th June 2021 - Locally acquired infections
B.1.1.7 (Alpha) UK Strain – First discovered in Kent on 20th September 2020 & on 21st September 2020 in London - Cases found in Australia 21st December 2020 - Discovered in both hotel quarantine and locally acquired infections
B.1.351 (Beta) South African Strain – First discovered in South Africa 29th December 2020 – Cases found in Australia 7th June 2021 - Discovered in hotel quarantine
P.1 (Gamma) Brazilian Strain – First discovered in Brazil and then in Japan 6th January 2021- Cases found in Australia on 6th March 2021 - Discovered in hotel quarantine
B.1.617 sublineages & B.1.617.1 (Kappa) Indian Strain – Since Mid 2021 - Both from locally acquired infections
B1525 (Eta) – Nigerian Strain - First discovered December 2020 – Cases discovered in Australia on 15th February 2021 - Found in hotel quarantine
Covid-19 Articles and Research
Click the Heading for full article
Apartment plumbing connects Covid-19 cases Fecal aerosol transmission may have caused the community outbreak of COVID-19 in this high-rise building.
Fecal Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a High-Rise Building - Epidemiologic survey and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analyses on throat swabs from the participants; 237 surface and air samples from 11 of the 83 flats in the building, public areas, and building drainage systems; and tracer gas released into bathrooms as a surrogate for virus-laden aerosols in the drainage system.
Transmission in a Building via Wastewater Plumbing Systems - There is a growing body of evidence that built environment systems contribute to the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In their current report, Kang and colleagues (add wastewater plumbing systems to the catalogue of potential transmission pathways in buildings
Resources and Information
Click on heading for full article
Frequently Asked Questions on Coronavirus Disease 2019 - Centre for health protection Hong kong Use safer personal hygiene practices consider protecting yourself, others and pets at home by adopting new hygiene practices when in public such as frequent washing of hands after touching railings, limit hand shakes and avoiding close contact when in public locations near persons coughing or presenting flu like symptoms, these simple steps will help keep you safe.
Coping With the Coronavirus is Clogging Toilets - Sewage systems and toilets are backing up as consumers clean their homes with disinfectant wipes and turn to paper towels, napkins and baby wipes to cope with the lack of toilet paper. This article was published March 21, 2020 By Michael Levenson and worth reading to modify new behaviour that could lead to plumbing and hygiene problems.
The COVID-19 virus may have the ability to reactivate dormant tuberculosis (TB) In a novel study scientists reported that infection with a specific Coronavirus strain reactivated dormant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTB) in mice.
In 2020 Australia had events of the virus being found in sewerage tested
Click the Heading for full article
24 October 2020 - Coronavirus traces found in sewage in highly-populated Sydney suburbs including Bondi - despite ZERO confirmed cases in the areas By KYLIE STEVENS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA - PUBLISHED: 24 September 2020Traces of COVID-19 detected in sewerage at Bondi and Malabar in Sydney, despite no cases of COVID-19 from an unknown source or any new clusters.
26 September 2020 - Remnants of the COVID-19 virus have been detected in raw sewage across Sydney as part of a new research program undertaken by NSW Health and Sydney Water. By NSW Health NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said sewage testing for molecular markers of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, started in July, adding another tool in the fight against the global pandemic.
06 October 2020 - Sewage testing detects COVID fragments by NSW Health
The state’s sewage surveillance program detected traces of the virus at two treatment plants in Hawkesbury and South Western Sydney. “Fragments of the SARS CoV-2 virus have been found at sewage treatment plants at North Richmond in the Hawkesbury, and West Camden in South Western Sydney,” Dr Broome said.
18th October 2020 - Coronavirus detected in South East Queensland sewage samples By Holly Richardson for mns.com
CORONAVIRUS INFECTED HONG KONG RESIDENTS SUGGESTS CAUSED FROM PLUMBING PIPES
Various reporters and microbiologists made statements about a recent coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong Feb 2020 in a 35 storey apartment complex which houses 3000 residents, 5 persons were infected living 10 floors apart, virus spread suspected from connected plumbing pipes.
Published comments on February 12, 2020
Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times Reported Two cases appeared to suggest that the Coronavirus had spread possibly through a pipe.
CNN reported Hong Kong health authorities are investigating if Coronavirus can be spread via communal sewage systems; residents were evacuated because their toilet discharge pipes were linked.
Microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung currently the Chair of Infectious Diseases of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong said at a press conference “that an improperly sealed pipe could have resulted in a recent Coronavirus transmission”.
Wong Ka-hing, from the Centre for Health Protection, told reporters "We are not sure what was the exact route of transmission. Nonetheless the occupants of 35 flats connected to the same drainage system were moved out”.
Channel News Asia - More than 100 residents forced to evacuate in the early hours by Health officials in masks and white overalls after four residents tested positive for Coronavirus
This is the follow up story from that outbreak by the Chronicle in Australia Virus spread that’s left scientists baffled - by Ben Graham - 11th Mar 2020
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Acknowledgement and Thank you to publications, reporters, researchers, medical professionals and scientists who published the information found on several of our web pages who are: Australian Health Department, Science Direct, ACP Journals, Daily Mail in UK, Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles and The Spin off in NZ, Michael Gormley, Thomas J Aspray, David A Kelly and The Lancet Global Health, Jeff Harris, Facilities Net. Katie Kerwin McCrimmon, UCHealth, NCBI, Annals, CNN, The Chronicle, NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant, Kylie Stevens Daily Mail, Center of Health Protection Hong Kong, Channel News Asia, Lam Yik Fei New York Times, Michael Gormley, PhD CEng, Min Kang MSc, Jianjian Wei PhD, Jun Yuan MSc, Juxuan Guo MSc, Yingtao Zhang, MSc Jian Hang PhD, Yabin Qu MSc, Hua Qian PhD, Yali Zhuang MSc, Xuguang Chen MSc, Xin Peng MSc, Tongxing Shi BSc, Jun Wang MSc, Jie Wu PhD, Tie Song MSc, Jianfeng He BSc, Yuguo Li PhD and Nanshan Zhong PhD, Yuen Kwok-yung, Wong Ka-hing.
