The Great COVID Reset

Dr Keith Suter of LiSTNR’s Global Truths podcast says we will emerge stronger than ever from the pandemic. Austrade’s Cherelle Murphy agrees, her prediction that Australia would have a summer like no other was prescient, while Kendra Banks from employment group Seek says job ads are at an all-time high. As Australia moves into winter, our future lies in the balance.

May 2021. Australia has been pursuing an elimination strategy against Covid-19 as we try to restart the economy without opening our international borders. The recovery has outstripped predictions but it’s fragile as India suffers a catastrophic second wave with a double mutant strain that has now reached our shores. The challenge is to vaccinate the population but also to develop drugs that will allow us to live with the virus for the next few years. Investigative reporter Adam Shand reports.

EP1. Dr Kumud Dhital is a heart lung transplant surgeon. His private clinic in Hyderabad India has been transformed into a Covid-19 intensive care unit. Dr Dhital is also working with an Australian company Covirix Medical to develop anti-viral drugs against Covid. Colleagues in Australia Richard Li and Dr Simon Tucker say such drugs won’t be available until at least the end of 2021.

Growth in jobs ads is a promising sign for 2021. SEEK.com’s managing director Australia New Zealand Kendra Banks talks about employment trends in Australia and around the world.

There are signs of economic recovery in Australia after government put money in the hands of the poor. Some say this must continue to safeguard the future.

COVID-19 vaccines are just months away, promising a return to normal life. Lessons have been learnt but a chance to build a more resilient world may be missed.