Lucky escape: Clear difference between this lockdown and last one

One factor in the last Delta outbreak saved Queensland from seeing case numbers skyrocket similar to what we have this time round, one of the state’s leading infectious disease doctors warns.

Queensland got lucky in the last Delta outbreak when a boy who contracted the virus happened to be on school holidays at the time, one of the state’s leading infectious disease doctors warns.

Health authorities were juggling four clusters, three of them Delta, back in late June and early July when a lockdown was declared. There were fears the state would be riddled with cases but the spread did not take off like the new Indooroopilly cluster.

Covid testing commenced at Indooroopilly State High School after a student was infected with the virus. Picture: Annette Dew

There was the Prince Charles worker cluster, the Portuguese Family Centre outbreak, cases in an NT mine and the Virgin flight cluster.

A 19-year-old receptionist from the Prince Charles Hospital, travelled to Townsville and Magnetic Island while infectious. Her young brother, a student at St Patrick’s College at Shorncliffe, was not at school during the “probable transmission period”.

“We definitely were very fortunate that the schoolboy was not attending classes when infectious as we have learned that Delta has a large capacity to impact children. Back then we just didn’t see the same exposure like we have this last week,” Assoc Prof Paul Griffin said.

“The timing of when people are contagious plays a part in the spread in the community too. Adults in hospitals and airports are very likely to be taking precautions with social distancing and wearing masks and using sanitisers. These are the things we don’t really see in schools or in family households where this cluster has dominated,” he said.

Covid testing at Indooroopilly State High School. Picture: Annette Dew

Southeast Queensland, Townsville, Palm Island and Magnetic Island residents were thrown into lockdown to try to halt the spread of the virus.

“Sometimes all the factors are there to promote spread. We have to approach Delta differently taking into account how to handle children,” Assoc Prof Griffin said.

Dozens of Queensland children have tested positive to Delta, many of them under 10. Children may not be more vulnerable to infection but play a big part in the spread.

In this lockdown the chief health officer has banned visitors to homes in a bid to lessen spread within the confines of family households.