Latest news with #AvinashVazirani
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
More people taking sick leave as Australia braces for ‘nasty' flu season and new Covid strain
The number of Aussies taking sick leave has sharply risen as a new Covid subvariant takes hold and the country braces for a 'nasty' winter flu season. can reveal telehealth sick note provider Sicky reported a 108 per cent year-on-year increase in flu-related sick leave requests in March and April, and a 24 per cent rise in Covid-related sick leave requests. Pharmacist Avinash Vazirani, who co-founded Sicky, told us the company had seen an 11 per cent increase in sick certificate requests tied to travel-related flu and Covid cases compared to the same time last year. 'Travel is back in full swing, which is great news for the soul, but it also comes with a few risks,' he said. 'When you board a plane, you're stepping into a confined environment for hours with recirculated air and shared surfaces. That's the perfect storm for transmissible illnesses like Covid-19 and the flu.' Mr Vazirani has urged people who have tested positive to Covid before a flight to reconsider their travel plans. His advice for preventive measures on board? 'Wear a well-fitted mask during the flight, especially when you're not eating or drinking, sanitise your hands often, especially after touching common surfaces or using the loo, and avoid touching your face,' he said. Mr Vazirani stressed that being cautious isn't overkill — 'it's just smart travel'. 'Aussies have a reputation for being proactive about their health, and we're lucky to have access to one of the world's best healthcare systems, but that safety net doesn't travel with your suitcase,' he said. 'Overseas, getting sick can mean language barriers, different medication standards, or even no access to medical help at all depending on where you are. Plus, healthcare costs in some countries can be eye-watering.' While Sicky doesn't know if the increase in Covid-related sick note requests is due to the new NB. 1.8.1 Covid variant, because they don't track the exact strain people have, Mr Vazirani said 'pandemic fatigue is real' and people appear to have eased off on habits like hand sanitising and mask-wearing. The NB. 1.8.1 Covid variant has been designated a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM) by the World Health Organisation as the UN agency says 'continued monitoring is essential'. Since first being recognised in January, it has become the dominant strain in Hong Kong and China, and has been increasing in other countries, including across Australia. It was revealed last week wastewater testing estimates 40 per cent of Covid cases in Victoria, and 50 per cent of cases in Western Australia, are a result of NB. 1.8.1. Health authorities are now speaking out with a push for booster jabs. Health Minister Mark Butler has urged older people, in particular, to get vaccinated and younger people to consider getting a booster too. 'This is another member of the big, sprawling Omicron family,' Mr Butler said on Friday. 'This is pretty consistent with patterns we've seen now for a few years, where a new subvariant of Omicron emerges and starts to spread across the world.' Dr Paul Griffin, director of infectious diseases at Mater Health in Brisbane, said NB. 1.8.1 was 'driving up infections and hospitalisations, particularly in Asia and Western Australia'. 'The best way to protect yourself and your family is to get the newest booster which provides very good coverage, is safe, and will reduce the severity of your symptoms if you contract Covid-19,' he said. As for the flu, in the first three months of the year there were 48,586 lab confirmed cases of influenza, according to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance Dashboard. That is compared to 30,492 lab confirmed cases during the same period in 2024. Griffith University virologist Associate Professor Lara Herrero has described this flu season as 'nasty,' urging people to also get their annual flu jab. In Victoria, Western Health Chief Operating Officer John Ferraro confirmed changes have been made at his hospitals in response to increase in transmission of influenza, Covid, RSV and measles. He told 3AW that staff were required to wear surgical masks in all patient facing areas, and visitor restrictions had been introduced that rules patients are allowed two visitors each for up to two hours per day. It came after a Victorian woman called the radio show and told them she could not visit her dad in an unnamed hospital. 'On Sunday we were told that there's Covid in the hospital and that we needed to mask up if we wanted to come visit. Today we were told we're not allowed to visit,' the caller said on Tuesday.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Workplace warning as Aussie bosses push back on $20 ‘loophole' sick leave notes
Australia is experiencing a record-breaking surge in flu cases and it's leading to a 'quiet war' in Australian workplaces. While some bosses rely on the honesty system, many workers are required to provide medical certificates if they want to take even a day of sick leave. Getting out of bed and visiting the GP's office is often the last thing you want to do when you are under the weather. That's where telehealth services have come in handy for many Aussies, with one in four Australians having at least one telehealth consultation in the last 12 months. Avinash Vazirani, co-founder of telehealth sick note provider Sicky, told Yahoo Finance that telehealth certificates were "100 per cent legal" under Australian workplace laws, but there had been a spike in bosses questioning them. RELATED Boss slammed over outrageous text to worker on leave: 'I am not asking' Major bank warning after ANZ customer left 'dumfounded' by cash issue Inheritance warning as 'disgruntled' Aussies left out of wills in growing trend: 'Inevitable' 'As telehealth has become more of a mainstay as an option for many Australians, we are definitely seeing an increase in its use and ultimately an increase from employers who may not be as familiar with having employees that use telehealth routinely,' he said. Vazirani said the app was fielding three enquiries per day from bosses questioning the legitimacy of its telehealth sick certificates, up from just one a month last year. He thinks misunderstandings around telehealth certificates, combined with an underlying suspicion that employees may be doing the wrong thing, were likely driving the employer pushback. The app charges $19.95 for people to get a live video consult with a registered health professional, followed by a sick leave certificate via email. This is half the price of the average out-of-pocket cost for a GP visit at $43.38. Vazirani said telehealth sick notes weren't just some 'backdoor loophole' that workers are using to chuck a sickie. 'Convenience should not be confused or mistaken with leniency. We do note that people will, in some instances, unfortunately misuse the system or try to abuse it, but the app doesn't make it any easier or harder for someone to fake being ill,' he told Yahoo Finance. 'We reject and do not issue certificates in about 13 per cent of cases. We've got trained and highly qualified individuals who are part of our team with years of clinical experience who are able to sound that out in most instances, and we also have very robust checks in place with respect to our electronic surveillance and systems.' Vazirani noted that the number of certificates rejected had actually increased from about 8 per cent since the platform launched in 2020. The platform has conducted more than 133,000 consultations to date with its small team of eight to 10 professionals. Employers are allowed to ask for evidence from employees taking sick leave under the National Employment Standard, which sets the minimum standards for most workplaces in Australia. Under the rules, employers are allowed to ask for evidence even if the employee is taking one day, or part of a day, off work. This evidence could be a medical certificate or a statutory declaration, which Aussies can now get online for free through their myGov account. Workplace policies can vary, though, so it can be worth checking your individual contract, award or agreement. Vazirani said he thinks a 'cultural shift' is needed on the part of workplaces and warned that bosses who refused to recognise telehealth certificates risked breaching workplace laws. 'The GPs we consult with are telling us the same thing: face-to-face appointments should be prioritised for people who really need them — not someone who just wants a piece of paper for their boss,' he said. "With increased difficulties accessing bulk billing clinics and flu cases exploding, telehealth is the smartest first step. It's fast, it's affordable, and most importantly, it keeps viruses out of GP clinics.' It comes as some doctors and workplace experts call for medical certificates to be a thing of the past altogether. In the UK, for example, workers have a self-certification system with staff only needing to provide medical evidence if they are sick for more than seven in to access your portfolio
