Covid for Doctors

Presentation by Dr Nancy Malek

BVSc (Hons) MBBS DipClin (Hyp) FANZCA

References

WILL AUSTRALIA CHOOSE TO PREVENT COVID DEATHS?

Video by John Snow Project. February 2023.

COVID-19: HOW SARS-COV-2 BINDS

Video by Sensu. July 2021.

LONG COVID: FROM CRISIS TO CURE

PolyBio Research Foundation. 22 October, 2025.

MITIGATION STRATEGIES

VENTILATION

Morawska L, Allen J, Bahnfleth W et al. Mandating indoor air quality for public buildings. Science. (2024) 383:1418-1420.

HEPA PURIFIERS

What is a HEPA filter? Environmental Protection Agency, updated 4 September 2024.

Frydas IS, Kermenidou K, Karypidou M et al. SARS-CoV-2 airborne detection within different departments of a COVID-19 hospital building and evaluation of air cleaners in air viral load reduction. J Aerosol Sci. (2025) 187:106587.

Morris AC, Sharrocks K, Bousfield R et al. The Removal of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Other Microbial Bioaerosols by Air Filtration on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Surge Units. Clin Infect Dis. (2022) 75(1):e97-e101.

MASKS

Greenhalgh T, MacIntyre CR, Baker MG et al. Masks and respirators for prevention of respiratory infections: a state of the science review. Clin Microbiol Rev. (2024) 37:e00124-23.

Lee SJ, Kim E, Im JH et al. Effect of Personal Protective Equipment on the Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Healthcare Workers. J Korean Med Sci. (2025) 40(43):e276.

Li L, Zhao X, Li Z et al. COVID-19: Performance study of microplastic inhalation risk posed by wearing masks. J Hazard Mater (2021) 411:124955.

CO2 MONITORS

Iwamura N, Tsutsumi K. SARS-CoV-2 airborne infection probability estimated by using indoor carbon dioxide. Environ Sci Pollut Res. (2023) 30:79227-79240.

VACCINATION

Australian vaccination guidelines. COVID-19 vaccine advice and recommendations. Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, updated 8 September 2025.

Liu B, Scaria A, Stepien S et al. Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine boosters for reducing COVID-19 mortality among people aged 65 years or older, Australia, August 2023 - February 2024: a retrospective observational cohort study. Med J Aust (2025) 223 (8): 418-422.

FAR UVC (222NM)

Carter TJ, Shaw DR, Eadie E et al. The Impact of UVC Light on Indoor Air Chemistry: A Modeling Study. Environ Sci Technol. (2025) 59(31): 16543-16555.

Eadie E, Hiwar W, Fletcher L et al. Far-UVC (222 nm) efficiently inactivates an airborne pathogen in a room-sized chamber. Sci Rep. (2022) 12(1):4373.

SALINE NASAL SPRAY

Gandhi K, Paczkowski F, Sowerby L. Washing illness away: a systematic review of the impact of nasal irrigation and spray on COVID-19. Laryngoscope. (2025) 135(2): 517-528.

CARRAGEENAN NASAL SPRAY

Figueroa JM, Lombardo ME, Dogliotti A et al. Efficacy of a Nasal Spray Containing Iota-Carrageenan in the Postexposure Prophylaxis of COVID-19 in Hospital Personnel Dedicated to Patients Care with COVID-19 Disease. J Gen Intern Med. (2021) 14: 6277–6286.

Jessop ZM, Gibson J, Lim JY et al. A study protocol for a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of carrageenan nasal and throat spray for COVID-19 prophylaxis-ICE-COVID. Trials. (2022) 23:

CPC MOUTHWASH

Onozuka D, Konishi K, Takatera S et al. A multicenter, randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled clinical trial of the effect of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) mouthwash and on-demand aqueous chlorine dioxide mouthwash on SARS-CoV-2 viral titer in patients with mild COVID-19. J Evid Based Dent Pract. (2024) 24(4).