COVID-19 – what next?

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world, impacting the way we work, socialise, study and more. But what does the future look like? A team of UQ researchers collaborated with university colleagues from the Group of Eight to contribute to the Roadmap to Recovery report – some of these researchers share their thoughts below. Other UQ researchers are working to find treatments, predict economic impact and help students learn in these testing times.
 

The importance of pandemic health messaging

Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities - Associate Professor Elizabeth Stephens

“Public health education campaigns play a pivotal role in managing public health, especially in moments of crisis. And yet public health education, as we know it, is just over a century old. A product of the First World War, the importance of public health education became especially evident during the 1918 influenza epidemic. One of the key lessons of this epidemic, which killed an estimated 50-100 million people worldwide, was the importance of clear messaging and regulated public health communication. This lesson is particularly important in the current moment, with the rise of social media and circulation of sometimes dangerous health advice.”

Contact: Associate Professor Elizabeth Stephens, e.stephens@uq.edu.au, + 61 7 3365 7183
 

Pandemics past and present

School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences - Dr Kirsty Short

“I’m interested in the ways the virus acts in the body, and how this pandemic impacts people living with obesity and diabetes. There’s a lot we can learn from the 1918 flu pandemic, and scientists will be studying COVID-19 for decades to come.”

Contact: Dr Kirsty Short, k.short@uq.edu.au, +61 452 374 811
 

Mapping COVID-19 in Queensland

Queensland Centre for Population Research - Dr Julia Loginova & Dr Pia Wohland-Jakhar

 “Like many Australians, we have been trying to track the progress of the COVID-19 spread and found limited information that shows details about infections in regions and communities across Queensland. The spread of COVID-19 clearly highlighted the importance of geography and demography as some areas seem more vulnerable to the virus spread. Using publicly available data released by Queensland Health, we have built a dashboard that shows the regional distribution of the COVID-19 in Queensland and changes over time. Here at the Queensland Centre for Population Research, we see geographic and demographic mapping as essential to understanding and communicating the spread of the COVID-19. As more detailed data becomes available, there is a need to represent it in an accessible manner.”

Contact: Dr Julia Loginova, j.loginova@uq.edu.au;  Dr Pia Wohland-Jakhar p.wohland@uq.edu.au, +07 3346 7811
 

Social distancing and the impact on mental health

School of Psychology - Professor Jolanda Jetten

“With the world in the grip of COVID-19, the threat of infection affects how we navigate our social world and the way we interact with others. Even though COVID-19 has brought us together in new ways, it has also torn us apart in other ways and this has important consequences for our mental health and wellbeing. Because being socially connected is so important for our mental health and wellbeing, the cost of social isolation and disconnection cannot be underestimated.”

Contact: Professor Jolanda Jetten , j.jetten@psy.uq.edu.au, +61 424 744 831
 

Mental health and COVID-19

School of Public Health - Professor Harvey Whiteford

“The universal nature of the threat posed by COVID-19 means a larger and broader impact on the mental health of the population than in more localised natural disasters. There is a need to protect and sustain the mental health of all the population, provide additional support for those at higher risk of developing mental health problems, manage the increased incidence of mental disorders arising from the pandemic, and ensure those with existing mental disorders continue to receive the treatment and support they need. Recovery from the mental health impact will need to continue well after the spread of the pandemic has been contained.”

Contact: Professor Harvey Whiteford, h.whiteford@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3271 8659
 

Economic recovery

Australian Institute for Business and Economics - Professor John Mangan 

“Almost overnight the COVID-19 crisis has changed Australia from a free enterprise economy to a command economy with unprecedented Government spending. The future is uncertain but promising, with Australia emerging as one of the few relatively safe places (economies) in the world.”

Contact: Professor John Mangan, jmangan@bel.uq.edu.au, +61 7 3346 1630

School of Economics - Professor John Quiggin

"Some parts of the economy will snap back to normal once restrictions are lifted, producing a 'V-shaped' recovery. But in other respects, the recovery will be slower and more fragile, requiring continued government commitment to full employment."

Contact: Professor John Quiggin, j.quiggin@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3346 9646
 

Home learning during a pandemic

School of Education - Associate Professor Rhonda Faragher

“Teaching children at home can be a pleasure and a challenge for both parents and teachers. The pleasure comes in watching our children learn, and recognising that learning can take many forms, not just 'school work'. Challenges can come from many sides, not least because this is all so new for many parents and teachers. Minimising stress around school work at home is key. Family harmony and our relationships with our children are more important than ticking off school work.”

Contact: Associate Professor Rhonda Faragher, r.faragher@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3365 6481
 

Telehealth during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Centre for Online Health - Professor Anthony Smith

“The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is again reminding us of the importance of using telehealth to deliver care, especially as a means of reducing the risk of cross-contamination caused by close contact. For telehealth to be effective as part of an emergency response, it first needs to become a routinely used part of our health system. Hence, it is time to step back and ask why telehealth is not already mainstreamed. The pandemic continues to raise awareness of telehealth amongst health workforce - but just as important, is the experience gained by our healthcare consumers.”

Contact: Professor Anthony Smith, asmith@uq.edu.au, +61 413 901 644

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