This was published 4 years ago
The Brisbane suburbs most vulnerable to COVID-19
By Lydia Lynch
Most Queenslanders infected with COVID-19 will suffer a cough, sore throat and a fever but for some, the disease is deadly.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says people older than 70 who contract the virus have a 30 per cent chance of ending up in hospital and a 10 per cent chance of ending up in intensive care.
"The reality is, the virus is still here and we are still going to see a tragic loss of life," she said.
"We know with coronavirus, our most vulnerable people in our community are the most at risk."
Ms Palaszczuk's electorate of Inala, in Brisbane's south-west, is one of the areas most vulnerable to a widespread outbreak of the virus.
About 38 per cent of people aged over 60 who live there have three or more chronic health problems, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals.
Of the 3233 Inala residents who are older than 60, 1221 have three or more health conditions such as asthma, diabetes or arthritis.
The next most vulnerable suburb is Stafford, on the northside, where one-third of people have three or more chronic issues, followed by Rocklea-Acacia Ridge (29.6 per cent), Chermside (28.4 per cent) and Zillmere (27.4 per cent).
About 20 per cent of people are expected to contract a more severe case of the coronavirus, and health authorities are warning people at higher risk to stay at home.
These include people over 70 years of age, those older than 65 who have existing health conditions or comorbidities and Indigenous people over the age of 50 who have underlying health problems.
About 20 per cent of people are expected to contract a more severe case of coronavirus, with those over the age of 70 particularly vulnerable.Credit: Louise Kennerley
More than 18,000 Queenslanders have joined the state’s "care army" to help those in need during the fight against the pandemic.
Ms Palaszczuk issued a call to arms last week for healthy residents to lend a hand to elderly and vulnerable neighbours who were being told to stay home.
Volunteers are asked to check up on a family member, neighbour or friend to ensure they have access to food and medical services, and are not feeling isolated.
"Whether you can drop off some groceries or keep someone company on the phone, we need Queenslanders to help support and protect the most vulnerable in our community," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"We want to protect 1 million seniors. If we can look after our most vulnerable, we can prevent them from ending up in hospital or even in ICU."
The government has set up a free hotline, 1800 173 349, to link seniors and other vulnerable people to support.