SAHMRI coronavirus survey: How well are we prepared in SA?

SAHMRI scientists are asking South Australians to complete a brief survey on the prevention and spread of the coronavirus. The results will help shape a public health intervention.

South Australians have the power to change the course of this epidemic through actions as simple as washing their hands, argues RAH cardiologist Dr Johan Verjans.

He is leading SAHMRI research to assess current community infection control behaviour with a 4-minute online survey and then test the success of an intervention: a short video addressing knowledge gaps featuring influential, high-profile people such as sporting heroes.

Dr Verjans expects the survey will show that our behaviour needs to change if we are to avoid excess deaths from COVID-19 and all other causes if the health system breaks down.

“You see everything happen in slow motion basically,” he said.

“Because you see what happens in the northern hemisphere and the same is going to happen here, which is just very painful and that’s what motivates me to do this.”

Dr Johan Verjans is a cardiologist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, deputy director of medical machine learning at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning and senior lecturer at the University of Adelaide, based at SAHMRI.

The project is a collaboration with the VU (Vrije Universiteit) University in Amsterdam, where researchers have shown how easy and cheap it can be to influence behaviour.

“If you don’t behave, you actually program a disaster and this is impacting the economy and everybody now, big time,” Dr Verjans said.

“You have to just avoid this peak, otherwise everything will be in chaos, health will be in chaos, people will be in chaos and people will die, it's the excess in people dying that you want to prevent.”

Port Adelaide Vice-Captain Hamish Hartlett demonstrates thorough hand washing technique, one of several measures we should all be following to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Port Adelaide Vice-Captain Hamish Hartlett said he was pleased to take part and help stop the spread of COVID-19.

“A situation like this can be pretty overwhelming,” he said.

“I think it’s important for people to remember that they can make a difference, and can make a difference by doing some pretty simple things.”

Please complete the 4-minute online survey here.