As 2020 draws to a close and we look back on our most read stories of the year, its perhaps not surprising that so many of them relate to COVID-19.

The pandemic has impacted people around the world, but particularly those with pre-existing medical conditions or limited access to medical care. We’re proud of the important contributions we have been able to make to the global fight against COVID-19 including:

• The DARE19 trial, seeking to prevent disease progression in hospitalised patients;
• The HOPE study evaluating protective therapy for healthcare workers exposed to SARS-CoV-2;
• The CLARITY trial testing whether low-cost blood pressure-lowering medications can reduce the severity of COVID-19, and
• A study monitoring the risks of suicide during the pandemic, part of the SMART Mental Health project.

We look forward to continuing this contribution into 2021, but in the meantime, here are the top five most-read stories of 2020.

1. Social distancing and exercise – is 1.5 metres enough?

With gyms closed, many more people are taking to the streets to get their daily exercise, but what does this mean for social distancing?

Our respiratory expert Prof Christine Jenkins explains the science behind the 1.5 metre rule and how best to protect yourself when exercising outdoors.

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2. Frontline health workers in COVID-19 prevention and control: rapid evidence synthesis

Our rapid evidence synthesis reports the recommendations for the role of frontline health workers during COVID-19. The findings go beyond research evidence and integrate multiple types and levels of evidence from across the world and highlight what we can learn from recent pandemics such that we are prepared for potential scenarios and challenges due to COVID-19. 

The report and inventories provided serve as a ready resource guide for any country considering the use of community health workers to control COVID-19.

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3. Challenges facing individuals and researchers: suicide in India in the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had considerable impact on the mental health and wellbeing of individuals. Researchers suggest a spike in deaths by suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has emphasized the importance of identifying changes to the risk of suicide and working towards its prevention by extending more help to the distressed people.

There are numerous reasons responsible for the mental health impact of the pandemic in India. Many daily wage labourers and migrant workers have lost their jobs due to the lockdown, have little to sustain their livelihoods, are starving to death and in general are very stressed.

Pallab Maulik and Sudha Kallakuri summarise key considerations from an article published in The Lancet.

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4. Almost a day’s worth of calories hidden in fast food meal combos, study shows

New research and report from The George Institute for Global Health shows some popular fast food chains are serving up almost all your daily energy needs in a single meal.

According to the FoodSwitch: State of the Fast Food Supply report, the Red Rooster Bacon and Cheese Rippa single meal consisting of one Bacon and Cheese Rippa Roll, large (by default) fries and coke contained 7730kJ per serving, or 89 percent of the average adult daily energy intake.

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5. The vital contribution of nurses to the COVID-19 response

Contribution of nurses and midwives to healthcare delivery and as health systems around the world work to boost their workforce capacity to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic has never been more vital.

In Australia, nurses who left the workforce were recalled to duty and those already in the workforce were asked to retrain so they can work in intensive care where they will be needed most.

Frances Bass, ICU Research Nurse (Royal North Shore Hospital) and Project Manager, Critical Care Division at The George Institute talks about the challenges and opportunities nurses faced.

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Read other research, resources, news, and opinions on COVID19 from The George Institute

The George Institute for Global Health welcomes the Australian Government’s announcement of $2.9 billion in funding for Australian university research over the next year.

The $2.9 billion announcement represents a $1 billion increase from last year that will be used to support student scholarships, academic salaries, laboratories and research equipment.

The George Institute’s Executive Director Professor Bruce Neal supported the increase in funding, particularly as universities were financially impacted by COVID-19.

“The increased investment in our universities will help our world-leading Australian researchers to carry on their work,” he said.

“I am pleased that The George Institute’s affiliated university, UNSW Sydney, will receive $286 million, an increase on last year’s funding of $109 million, or 62 percent.”

“The funding for UNSW will benefit The George Institute and our researchers, as we share a strategic vision to drive change through impactful research,” Professor Neal said.

The impacts of COVID-19 are an alarming reminder of the urgent need for leaders to make good on their commitments to Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

“It is important that the meaning of Universal Health Coverage advances the Alma Ata vision of health for all and links it to the Sustainable Development Goal of leaving no one behind. Health is a human right and should not be impoverishing for anyone. At the systems level, health for all is good for the economy, for solidarity, and security,” says Dr. Devaki Nambiar, Program Head – Health Systems and Equity at the George Institute for Global Health, India.

“TGI has been a signatory to the Reclaiming Comprehensive Public Health call – which brings an important set of values with relevance to UHC in the COVID-19 context. These include principles of collaboration, community engagement, support and protection for workers on the frontline and attention to local context, all in a broader framework of human rights and social protection for all.” she adds.

Currently, at least half of the world’s people lack access to essential health services, and millions of people will be trapped in extreme poverty as a result of having to pay for basic health care.

“COVID-19 is proving that emergencies and pandemics are only exacerbated by frail health systems. It has highlighted inadequacies in health facilities related to infrastructure, workforces and equipment, and more importantly, how the most vulnerable are being left behind, in stark contrast to what UHC stands for,” says Dr. D Praveen, Program Head, Primary Health Care at the George Institute for Global Health, India.

Progress towards UHC commitments is needed now more than ever. The George Institute for Global Health, India calls on leaders to make good on their UHC commitments and support countries to make real progress towards UHC by 2030.

Amidst the greatest health emergency of our generation and to mark UHC Day 2020, join us to express solidarity for efforts towards achieving UHC, and to hold leaders accountable for the areas of commitment covered in the 2019 Political Declaration:

Commitment 1: Ensure political leadership beyond health. Commit to achieve UHC for healthy lives and well-being for all at all stages, as a social contract.

Commitment 2: Leave no one behind. Pursue equity in access to quality health services with financial protection.

Commitment 3: Legislate and regulate. Create a strong, enabling regulatory and legal environment responsive to people’s needs.

Commitment 4: Uphold quality of care.  Build quality health systems that people and communities trust.

Commitment 5: Invest more, invest better. Sustain public financing and harmonize health investments.

Commitment 6: Move together. Establish multi-stakeholder mechanisms for engaging the whole of society for a healthier world.

Commitment 7: Gender equality. Emphasize gender equality, redress gender power dynamics and ensure women’s and girl’s rights as foundational principles for UHC.

Commitment 8: Emergency preparedness. Promote strong and resilient health systems for enhancing health emergency preparedness and response.

The George Institute conducts research to support progress towards the UHC commitments. Learn more about our work here.

The George Institute welcomes new guidelines announced today from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for reducing health risks from drinking alcohol. It is the first update since 2009.

Professor Simone Pettigrew, Program Head of Food Policy at The George Institute maintains alcohol is a major cause of preventable disease and death in Australia.

“Alcohol consumption rates are slowly going down – because evidence-based initiatives like this are effective in reducing consumption and improving health,” Professor Pettigrew said.

“We welcome the new guidelines as they better reflect current medical evidence and the health harms associated with alcohol consumption.”

The three guidelines are:

• To reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury, healthy men and women should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day. The less you drink, the lower your risk of harm from alcohol.
• To reduce the risk of injury and other harms to health, children and people under 18 years of age should not drink alcohol.
• To prevent harm from alcohol to their unborn child, women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should not drink alcohol. For women who are breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is safest for their babies.

You can see the new guidelines here.