Coronavirus: Government considers stockpiling drugs as infections climb

Medical chief urges Australians not to repeat toilet paper panic at the chemist, as infected Melbourne doctor accuses Health Minister of ‘grandstanding’ over his diagnosis.

Singer Missy Higgins with her father Dr Chris Higgins, who is seeking an apology from Victoria’s Health Minister over comments she made about his coronavirus diagnosis. Picture: Facebook

The federal government is considering stockpiling drugs such as antibiotics and antivirals as the coronavirus continues to spread across the country.

It comes as a Melbourne doctor singled out by Victorian health authorities for treating patients while infected with coronavirus accused the Health Minister of grandstanding over his diagnosis

Australia now has 73 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with two deaths, while 22 people have recovered.

It includes a new case in both Victoria and Tasmania, and eight new cases in NSW confirmed on Saturday.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said the government was looking to locally source drugs as well as essential medical equipment such as protective face masks to combat possible supply chain distruptions in China.

“We’re looking actively as to whether we need to be thinking about stockpiling some of these drugs in our national medical stockpile,” Professor Kelly told reporters in Canberra on Saturday.

He also urged the public not to repeat the panic buying of toilet paper seen this week with a rush on medicines, insisting vital pharmacy medications were in plentiful supply in Australia.

“As we have seen you can actually make a shortage very quickly by people hoarding and, please, do not do this with any goods - but particularly with pharmaceutical products.”

Although there is no specific antiviral drug being used to treat COVID-19 as yet, Professor Kelly said antivirals and antibiotics were the most important drugs the government needed in its own stockpile.

IN the meantime, an extra 260,000 masks will be immediately released from the federal stockpile to primary health networks.

“We realised that personal protective equipment for our healthcare workforce and our aged care workforce is absolutely fundamental. We need to make sure that they are kept safe,” he said.

“Most of the (coronavirus) cases we have had so far, luckily at this point, have been quite mild, so the symptoms have recovered much quicker.”

The Toorak Clinic, where the doctor treated up to 70 patients. Picture: David Crosling

Melbourne Dr Chris Higgins, who treated more than 70 patients after falling ill while on a US trip last week, is among the latest to be diagnosed with coronavirus.

Victoria’s Health Minister Jenny Mikakos yesterday said she was “flabbergasted” at the doctor’s decision to return to work at The Toorak Clinic and a Malvern nursing home despite displaying flu-like symptoms.

Dr Higgins, the father of singer Missy Higgins, said he had returned from the US with “a mild cold which had alrmost resolved itself” when he decided to return to work last Monday morning. He said he “never imagined” he would have tested positive.

He now wants an apology from the Minister.

“As the doctor concerned, I have been upset about the inaccuracies and unfairness of your comments,” Dr Higgins wrote on Facebook.

“I believe you have taken a cheap opportunity for political grandstanding and would appreciate an apology.”

Dr Higgins, aged in his 70s, is believed to have contracted COVID-19 in the US state of Colorado.

Meanwhile, the federal government will reportedly finalise a $5 billion economic stimulus package amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Sunday Telegraph reports the government is considering further reducing deeming rates for pensioners, providing all local councils with funding for small projects and expanding instant asset write-offs for businesses. Ministers are due to meet on Sunday to prepare the details of the package to boost the economy, with the cabinet expected to rubber stamp the measures on Tuesday.

Australia has been in the grip of panic buying, which reached a new low on Saturday when three women were filmed coming to blows over packs of toilet roll in a Sydney supermarket.

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— Bold_Westie (@_West_Sydney_) March 7, 2020

Federal Treasuruer Josh Frydenberg described the scenes as “disturbing” and has promised to release details of a federal economic stimulus package soon. Liberal frontbencher Andrew Laming suggested some of the funding may be used for a public awareness campaign to combat panic buying.

In NSW, health authorities are tracking down passengers on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha after a man in his 70s was among eight new cases confirmed on Saturday.

Another man in his 40s travelled on two domestic flights on 28 February while symptomatic. These flights are QF1509 Sydney to Canberra and VA651 Canberra to Sydney.

“NSW Health is asking anyone seated in rows 2-6 in the first flight or rows 3-7 in the second flight to self-isolate,” it said in a statment.

“Anyone else travelling on these flights in other rows are not considered to be close contacts and should monitor their health until 13 March and to contact their GP for assessment and testing if they develop any symptoms.”

A close contact is a person who has spent significant time face-to-face (15 minutes) or in an enclosed space (two hours or more).

Sydney’s Epping Boys High School is expected to reopen on Monday after a male student, 16, tested positive on Friday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison estimates the coronavirus outbreak could cost Australian taxpayers about $1 billion in health spending. He announced a special shared funding deal to help states and territories shoulder hospital, health service and other response costs.

With AAP