1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: Good morning everyone, Welcome to another week at the Daily OS, 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: last day of January, hitting you up on a Monday morning. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: My name's Sam and joined by Zara. Welcome to the 4 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: news for another week. Zara, let's start off by taking 5 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: everyone through the day's headlines and then we're going to 6 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: talk about a new variant. I know it's already time, 7 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: we're going to do it. 8 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, it seemed like there had been a bit of 9 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:23,640 Speaker 2: a lapse in the news cycle, so time for a 10 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 2: new variant. But before then, yesterday the new South Wales 11 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 2: government announced some relief for small businesses across the state. 12 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,879 Speaker 2: There was one billion dollars announced in a support package, 13 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 2: and that's for businesses that have been affected by the 14 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 2: latest omicron variant outbreak. Businesses with an annual turnover of 15 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 2: between seventy five thousand and fifty million, so quite a 16 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 2: bit of a range there, and a decline in turnover 17 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 2: of at least forty percent during jan We'll be able 18 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 2: to receive a payment covering up to twenty percent of 19 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 2: their weekly payroll and that is being funded entirely by 20 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 2: the New South Wales government. The FED government hasn't this 21 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 2: time split the costs in half. 22 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: North of the border and yes say. The Queensland government 23 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,760 Speaker 1: announced it's back to school plan, with students returning to 24 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: school on the seventh of feb High school students and 25 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: staff will be required to wear masks and are strongly 26 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: encouraged for students in years three to six to put 27 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: them on as well. Students will not have to do 28 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 1: weekly rapid antigen tests, however, test kits will be supplied 29 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: to students who develop symptoms at school. 30 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 2: Over to international News now and North Korea has fired 31 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 2: its seventh missile test launch this month and it's believed 32 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 2: actually to be the biggest missile tested since November twenty seventeen. 33 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,199 Speaker 2: Japan at South Korea and the US have condemned. 34 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: The launch and Today's good news. The Women's Ashes is 35 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: taking place at the moment and it's a thrilling contest, 36 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: but Australian cricket player Elise Perry has become the all 37 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: time leading run scorer in the competition. Perry overtook former 38 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: English cricket at Charlotte Edwards record of fifteen hundred and 39 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: thirty four runs. She did that in thirty nine Ashes 40 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: matches across the t twenty one day and test formats. 41 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: Over the weekend, Australians found out that a new variant 42 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:18,079 Speaker 1: of COVID nineteen touchdown in the community. Before we all 43 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: freak out, it's not a new variant in the same 44 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 1: way that alpha delta and omicron are, but rather it's 45 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: an offshoot of the omicron variant. So that's why we're 46 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: going to refer to it today as a subvariant. And 47 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: it's been given a few nicknames, including Omicron's sister, Omicron's brother, 48 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: with the most popular son of Omicron, but the strains' 49 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: actual name is much more boring and it's assigned by 50 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: the World Health Organization as BA DOT two. Speaking to 51 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: The Today Show on Thursday last week, professor and epidemiologist 52 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: Nancy Baxter from Melbourne University explained that they call it 53 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: the son of Omicron, but it's more of a cousin. 54 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:56,959 Speaker 1: It's a variant related to omicron and it's spreading. We're 55 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,359 Speaker 1: particularly seeing it in Denmark. We don't know if it's 56 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: going to be a problem yet. 57 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 2: Let's just take it all back to the beginning, because 58 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 2: it feels like every month there is a new variant 59 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 2: and we don't want to freak anyone out. So when 60 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 2: did the World Health Organization actually find out about the 61 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 2: son of omicron? Which sounds like a movie variant. 62 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: So it came across their desks in January this year. However, 63 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: known cases have potentially dated back to mid November last year. 64 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: This is the big month though for the son of omicron. 65 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: There was a particular spread of the strain in Denmark, 66 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,359 Speaker 1: India and the UK. Over in the UK, the United 67 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: Kingdom Health Security Agency identified more than four hundred cases 68 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: of BA dot two in the first ten days of 69 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 1: the month. But taking all of this into account, the 70 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 1: World Health Organization maintains that while omicron is considered a 71 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: variant of concern, its subvariant BA two has not been 72 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: singled out yet as a subvariant of concern. However, it's 73 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: a bit worrying that some countries are seeing a significant 74 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: increase in the number of cases of the strain, so 75 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: that's led the World Health Organization to say investigations into 76 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: the nature of the subvariant and whether it's got any 77 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: attributes that are particularly concerning is one of their key priorities. 78 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 2: If it's just this subvariant, what actually makes it different 79 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:16,279 Speaker 2: to the original variant of omicron, like, how is it 80 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 2: different and therefore, why are we giving it a different name. 81 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: So for this answer, we need to think about mutations. 82 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: We heard from a COVID nineteen project leader at the 83 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: CSIRO on ABC last week who said the strain shares 84 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: thirty two mutations with the original omicron variant, but has 85 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:36,359 Speaker 1: twenty eight mutations that are different. It's these differences in 86 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,359 Speaker 1: mutations that make the strain stealthy, and this is because 87 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 1: of a genetic quirk that makes it more difficult to 88 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: identify on a PCR test. But let me just clarify 89 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: that point. It doesn't necessarily mean that the son of 90 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: omicron variant doesn't show up on PCR tests. It more 91 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: means that the results at the back end of the 92 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: PCR tests for investigators, it's going to be harder to 93 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: see that it's a variant of concern. It's got no 94 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: kind of at that a PCR test can pick up 95 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: that makes it look different to omicron or even delta. 96 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: There was an interesting comment from Dominic Dwyer, the Director 97 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: of New South Wales Health Pathology at Westmead Hospital, who 98 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: explains there's no problem picking it up and saying it's 99 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: positive with a PCR test. It's just that if a 100 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: person is positive, you may not necessarily know which variant 101 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: they have. 102 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,919 Speaker 2: Just to jump in here, though, Sam, you had COVID 103 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 2: and when you tested positive, deduce by yourself and presumably 104 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 2: with a level of health literacy, what strain you had. 105 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,280 Speaker 2: You believe you had delta, whereas other people in our 106 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 2: team believe they have omicron. Are people even being told 107 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 2: what variant they have? What's the use in this knowledge 108 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 2: right now? 109 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 1: It doesn't seem like any individuals in Australia besides for 110 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: perhaps if they enter the health system and undergo a 111 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 1: more thorough investigation, are being told what variant they have. 112 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: But the information is very important for scientists to understand 113 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 1: trends and for government agencies public health departments to react 114 00:05:57,160 --> 00:06:00,600 Speaker 1: to a potential new variant. The concern here is that 115 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,160 Speaker 1: the son of omicron variant could be spreading right now. 116 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:07,040 Speaker 1: We just don't have the testing infrastructure to necessarily identify 117 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: it as a different variant. 118 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,600 Speaker 2: What do we know about if son of omicron is 119 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 2: actually spreading in Australia. 120 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:15,600 Speaker 1: We do know it's in Victoria. You might have heard 121 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:19,160 Speaker 1: Victorian COVID nineteen Commander Jerone Weimar announced there are a 122 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,280 Speaker 1: handful of cases of the son of omicron in Victoria. 123 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: Here's why am I explaining BA two and what it 124 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 1: looks like for the state. 125 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 3: We're obviously following the international developments on the BA two 126 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 3: sub variant of omicron closely. Still very early days in 127 00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 3: terms of understanding exactly how that's moving around. I'm aware 128 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 3: there's a very small number of cases that would be 129 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 3: detected here in Victorian. Our clinical teams are working through 130 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 3: with that. But at this point in time, this is 131 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 3: an omicron variant, so this is not as far as 132 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 3: our clinical teams are aware. At the moment, this is 133 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 3: not a new variant. It doesn't behave differently. It looks 134 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 3: like a part of the omicron varient that we're dealing 135 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 3: with at the moment. But as more information comes in, 136 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 3: will adjust our strategy if we. 137 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,720 Speaker 1: Need tonnouncement was made by Victorian Health last week and 138 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 1: since then the strain has made its way to pretty 139 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: much every state in the country. It sounds like. 140 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 2: It's pretty early days for the son of amicron. Is 141 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 2: there any idea when we will find out more about it? 142 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: This seems to be the pattern Zara with these new strains. 143 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 1: I mean, I remember having this exact conversation with you 144 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: when omicron was first hitting the headlines. We don't know 145 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: because the sample size of people with identified son of 146 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 1: omicron cases are so low. But one of the key 147 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: concerns scientists have is where the people who have already 148 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: contracted omicron or a previous variant like delta or alpha 149 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: will also be susceptible to contracting the son of omicron variants. So, 150 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: for example, talking about me again in my COVID experience, 151 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 1: I was totally convinced I had delta, so I am 152 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: wary that I could catch omicron because the research says 153 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: you could catch both. What we don't know is someone 154 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: who has omicron or had omicron if they're susceptible to 155 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: catching this new variant. What we do know is that 156 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: the sample size of cases is a way to small 157 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 1: to make any meaningful conclusions, So we're just going to 158 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: have to sit tight and wait for more data to 159 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: become available. Obviously, our big hope here is that the 160 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: new son of omiicron variant doesn't cause more severe disease 161 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: or evade the current vaccine, or is substantially more spreadable 162 00:08:17,160 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: and We know that more cases because of a higher 163 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: transmissibility would lead to further hospitalizations, but only time will tell. 164 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 2: That is all we have time for today on the 165 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 2: Daily OS. Thank you for joining us on this Monday, 166 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 2: the thirty first of Jan. If you like what you're hear, 167 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 2: please we would love you to leave a review on Spotify, 168 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 2: Apple Pods or wherever you're listening to us. As an 169 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 2: independent media organization, it really means the world to us, 170 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 2: so thank you in advance and have a beautiful week.