The Medical journal of Australia
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▪In this narrative review, we summarise the vast and burgeoning research on the potential and established indirect impacts on children of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a community child health lens to organise our findings and to consider how Australia might best respond to the needs of children (aged 0-12 years). ▪We synthesised the literature on previous pandemics, epidemics and natural disasters, and the current COVID-19 pandemic. We found clear evidence of adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children that either repeated or extended the findings from previous pandemics. ▪We identified 11 impact areas, under three broad categories: child-level factors (poorer mental health, poorer child health and development, poorer academic achievement); family-level factors that affect children (poorer parent mental health, reduced family income and job losses, increased household stress, increased abuse and neglect, poorer maternal and newborn health); and service-level factors that affect children (school closures, reduced access to health care, increased use of technology for learning, connection and health care). ▪There is increasing global concern about the likely disproportionate impact of the current pandemic on children experiencing adversity, widening existing disparities in child health and developmental outcomes. ▪We suggest five potential strategy areas that could begin to address these inequities: addressing financial instability through parent financial supplements; expanding the role of schools to address learning gaps and wellbeing; rethinking health care delivery to address reduced access; focusing on prevention and early intervention for mental health; and using digital solutions to address inequitable service delivery.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Offering mailed nicotine replacement therapy and Quitline support before elective surgery: a randomised controlled trial.
To assess whether offering free mailed nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and telephone counselling to smokers on elective surgery waiting lists increases quitting before surgery. ⋯ Uptake of free mailed NRT and Quitline support by smokers on elective surgery waiting lists was good, and offering additional support was associated with higher proportions of smokers quitting before surgery.
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To examine associations between area-level socio-economic factors and the incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in Victoria during 2020. ⋯ Socio-economic factors may have contributed to the non-homogeneous incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections across Victoria during 2020.