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COVID-19: the Australian experience

Kevin McCracken

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    Abstract

    This chapter examines various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia from January to late October 2020. It shows how, by comparison with most other developed nations, the country fared well in terms of both cases and deaths suffered in the disease outbreak. The chapter conveys both an epidemiological perspective on the pandemic and related social, economic, political and behavioural dimensions. Mistakes made and painful lessons learnt from dealing with the outbreak are described. The pandemic still has a considerable way to go in Australia before any return to ‘normal’ life can be anticipated, the chapter concluding with a warning of the dangers of complacency towards the still-present viral threat. The scattered outbreaks of COVID-19 in eastern Australia in early March, 2021 are a relevant reminder of this.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationCoronavirus (COVID-19) outbreaks, environment and human behaviour
    Subtitle of host publicationinternational case studies
    EditorsRais Akhtar
    Place of PublicationCham, Switzerland
    PublisherSpringer, Springer Nature
    Pages173-192
    Number of pages20
    ISBN (Electronic)9783030681203
    ISBN (Print)9783030681197
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2021

    Keywords

    • COVID-19
    • pandemic
    • lockdown
    • quarantine
    • Long COVID
    • social disadvantage
    • complacency
    • face masks

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