Latest news with #Mikaela
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Doctor's warning to Aussies amid staggering rise in cases of common winter illness
As temperatures began to drop last month, a young Sydney woman rolled up a sleeve for her annual flu vaccination. Hoping to dodge the contagious illness as cases spike around the country, Mikaela could never have predicted the battle she was soon going to endure. Just weeks later, she was struck down by influenza, and despite having had the flu several times before, this would prove to be by far the worst. 'It was actually quite shocking how bad it was,' the 23-year-old told Yahoo News. 'I've never been sick like that before.' After falling ill, Mikaela developed a 'painful dry cough' that triggered an acute asthma flare-up. 'I don't usually suffer from asthma — it's more of an underlying condition for me — so that was quite scary. I also had congestion, really bad sinus pain, and terrible fatigue. One day I slept for 14 hours straight,' she said. The junior graphic designer was 'so unwell' she was forced to take a week of sick leave from her first full-time job. Desperate to relieve her symptoms, Mikaela booked an appointment with her GP, but the only spot available was days away. 'I was just trying to hold out at home until then, but it feels pretty awful when you're unwell and you just want to be seen so you can get the prescriptions you need, and you have to wait three additional days,' she told Yahoo, noting her GP doesn't offer Telehealth services. 'I feel like that is really indicative of how busy they are at the moment.' After being forced to trek from her home in Newtown to Sydney's CDB via two busses, the 23-year-old was given some 'pretty heavy duty' medications , including codeine cough syrup and a steroid inhaler. 'I've been sick for three weeks now. I'm at the tail end of it but even three weeks out, I'm still battling symptoms,' she said. 🏥 Australia records highest rates of 'aggressive' cancer in the world 🏡 Aussies warned over widespread danger emerging in homes 🪴 Warning to gardeners after string of deaths: 'Should be frightened' Australia is in the midst of an intense and early flu season. While Sunday marks the official start of winter, the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS) has already tracked over 92,000 lab-confirmed influenza cases nationally. Telehealth platform Updoc has seen a 134 per cent increase in flu-like consultation requests in May, 2025 compared to May, 2024. Concerningly, the surge appears to be plaguing the country's most vulnerable age group — those over the age of 65. Geographically, every state and territory has recorded at least a 100 per cent increase in appointments. 'Post-Covid, seasonal flu is resurging aggressively due to low community immunity and delayed vaccine uptake,' Dr Jamie Phillips, Updoc's Chief Medical Officer, told Yahoo. 'As a doctor who works in an emergency department in Queensland, over the last few weeks I've seen an increasing number of patients presenting to our ED with flu-like symptoms. 'Often my patients tell me they have come to ED as they are struggling to access their usual GP, they don't have a regular GP or have been advised that they can't be seen due to having respiratory symptoms.' Influenza is not a benign illness — early intervention reduces time off work and saves lives, he added. Earlier this month Professor Patrick Reading, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, said that while the increased cases this time of year is considered unusual, it highlights just how unpredictable the flu can be. 'Despite the increased influenza activity, we can't currently predict the severity of the upcoming season in Australia,' Reading said. 'This will be dependent on a range of factors, which virus subtype becomes dominant or which strain becomes dominant.' Early infections may not be as a result of changes to the influenza virus, he argued, but may be influenced by behavioural changes such increased travel and declining vaccination rates. Influenza A and B viruses are responsible for most seasonal flu outbreaks, but each year sees a different mix of subtypes, making the virus difficult to predict and control. Aussies have been urged to get the flu jab to protect themselves, especially those considered at high risk including young children, the elderly, pregnant women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Meanwhile, a new Covid-19 subvariant, NB. 1.8.1, is beginning to take hold in Victoria, NSW and Western Australia, sparking concern among health authorities as Australia heads into the winter months. According to the latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report, Covid-19 and influenza activity remain low overall, but early signs point to a gradual increase in Covid-19 infections, with test positivity rising to 5.7 per cent in the week ending May 17. While the subvariant does not appear to cause more severe illness than earlier strains, its rapid growth is raising flags both locally and internationally. With NCA NewsWire Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
ABC News
22-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Fewer teens are drinking alcohol as social media, schools warn of danger
For a long time, drinking has been seen as a rite of passage for young Australians. "I feel like everyone's probably had a drink before they turned 18," says Mikaela, 15. "But, obviously, you know, because we're Australian, it's kind of normalised." Lissama and Atipa, who are both 18, agree that drinking is a characteristic of Australian culture. "Especially when people from other countries think about Australian culture, you think, 'Oh no, crack open a beer,'" Lissama says. "Pub culture and, like, just whenever you go out to find people you have drinks," Atipa says. A growing number of teens are questioning this ritual and the drinking habits of young people have started to shift. In 2001, 70 per cent of young people in Australia, aged between 14 and 17, had consumed alcohol in the past 12 months, according to the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (2022–2023). But in the past few years, this has dropped to about three in 10 young people, a downward trend that has been seen worldwide, particularly in wealthier countries like Sweden and the UK. Mikaela says she has noticed this change among her friends. "There has been … less influence towards that kind of stuff [alcohol] in my personal group of people," she says. "I think it's because we do have lots of talks in school about this. "We're more educated on the dangers towards it." Craig Martin from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation says there are several factors at play here, but the biggest one is education. "People are … seeing their parents and maybe their grandparents who have consumed alcohol and [are] just thinking, 'Look it's not good for your health.'" Mr Martin says better education about the health risks of alcohol, as well as its relationship with violence, poor decision-making and mental health, has played a huge part in changing teen drinking habits. "We know that if someone does start drinking under the age of 18, they are more likely to develop alcohol dependence or become an alcoholic. "They are also more likely to experience other health and mental health issues." Alex, 14, agrees that consistent messaging at school has a lot to do with this downward trend. "I'm being told, 'Don't drink. It's poison, it is basically a drug,'" he says. "So, I think it's just more awareness, and we're getting told constantly, 'Don't do it.'" Ian Hickie from the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney says there's no such thing as a safe level of alcohol consumption for people under the age of 18, even if they're drinking at home under parental supervision. "When you're young, particularly between 12 and 25, your brain is growing and developing," Professor Hickie says. He says drinking alcohol as a teenager impacts the front part of the brain, which is the area that drives decision-making and behavioural regulation. "Things that teenagers do, particularly binge drinking – [having] high levels of alcohol suddenly – do damage the development of the frontal parts of the brain, and those cabling systems." None of this is news to young people. "When you are young, your decision-making isn't great already, so then drinking kind of adds on top of that, you make even more silly decisions," Atipa says. "Obviously it [drinking alcohol] is going to mess up some important functions in the brain and it will probably affect their future," Victor, 19 says. Experts say better education in schools has been crucial in reducing rates of underage drinking, but social media has also played a role. Gen Z influencers and content makers are sharing their experiences of being "sober curious" – exploring what life is like with reduced or no alcohol consumption – and documenting the physical and mental health benefits that come with it. Although new language and attitudes help challenge the norms of alcohol consumption, the old habits of Australian drinking culture die hard. For Jamie, 20, and Victor and Eden, both 19, this is predominantly linked to another hallmark of Aussie culture: sport. "Mainly at sporting events there's a lot of people drinking," Victor says. "There's probably a bit of a media presence as well, promoting alcohol sometimes in sports betting ads," Jamie says. "The goal should be zero per cent of under 18s consuming alcohol, and we're far from that," Mr Martin says. For now, Australia without a prominent drinking culture is hard to imagine for young people like Alex. "It always is at barbies, everything," Alex says. "It's just there, there's always alcohol around. It's never going to be going away anytime soon."
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mikaela Shiffrin joins NWSL's Denver ownership: ‘Good time to at least dip my toes in the water'
Long before Mikaela Shiffrin became a World Cup-winning Alpine skier, the two-time Olympic gold medalist dabbled in the world's beautiful game. 'Oh my gosh… when we weren't skiing, we were playing soccer,' a giddy Shiffrin told as she reflected on moments from her childhood. 'We were juggling. We were dribbling. We were doing drills in the wintertime.' Advertisement Shiffrin remembers playing for Lightning Soccer Club in Hanover, New Hampshire, and coming up with soccer-centric games to play in her basement with her brother and best friends. Soccer drills became part of her cross-training. But when she set out to become one of the greatest skiers of all time, soccer slowly faded into the past. That was until this week, when Shiffrin became the newest investor in NWSL Denver, the first professional women's soccer team in her home state of Colorado. The franchise announced Shiffrin as the latest member of their ownership group on Tuesday, as the team continues to race towards their inaugural season next year. While financial terms were not disclosed, Shiffrin described herself as a 'small-level investor' in the team. 'I've had conversations on and off over the years with several different people who are pretty heavily invested in women's sports, and this felt like a good time to at least dip my toes in the water,' Shiffrin said. Advertisement 'It's obviously a huge investment opportunity, and maybe an opportunity that I have even a little bit greater access to than most people, being a female athlete from Colorado. But I'm super grateful for that.' With a record 101, Shiffrin has the most World Cup wins of any alpine skier in history. She is the only athlete to win all six alpine disciplines, and remains the youngest slalom gold medalist in Olympic history, achieving that feat at 18 years and 345 days old. Shiffrin joins an ownership group led by insurance executive and controlling owner Rob Cohen. The group features investments from Project Level, a subsidiary of Ariel Investments led by Mellody Hobson and former Washington Commanders president Jason Wright; FirstTracks Sports Ventures LLC, led by siblings Jon-Erik Borgen and Kaia Borgen Moritz; and investors Neelima Joshi and Dhiren Jhaveri and Molly Coors. 'Mikaela's commitment to excellence, her global impact, and her deep Colorado roots make her a perfect addition to our ownership group,' Cohen said in a statement. 'We're building a club with purpose, and having Mikaela's vision and voice in that journey will be invaluable.' Advertisement NWSL Denver is the league's 16th club, beginning play alongside fellow expansion team Boston Legacy FC in 2026. The club, which was awarded expansion rights in January, has steadily released a stream of updates in recent months. They unveiled plans for a 12,000-seat temporary stadium and performance center in Centennial, Colorado, and announced plans for a permanent stadium in Denver's urban core. The team hired its first front-office employee, with Jen Millet joining the club as their inaugural president from Bay FC. For Shiffrin, joining NWSL Denver marks her first investment in a professional sports team, as the skier expands her portfolio and finds ways to give back through sport. The latter is something she's committed to more extensively in recent years. In February, the 30-year-old announced a partnership with the Share Winter Foundation to celebrate her 100th World Cup victory at Sestriere in Italy's western Alps. The group's mission is to make winter sports more accessible, with Shiffrin aiming to raise $100,000 for youth programs. She also co-founded the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund in memory of her father, who died in 2020. The fund provides need-based, direct-to-athlete stipends to support U.S. ski and snowboard athletes' careers. Investing in NWSL Denver for Shiffrin is another way to give back. The hope is that, by investing, she can help create a foundation so women's professional sports teams in Colorado can reap the benefits of their state's rabid fan base. Advertisement 'I'm excited to see that in the context of the women's side, because it's been very male-centric in Colorado for quite a while,' Shiffrin said. 'We have incredible female athletes. We have incredible women soccer players, but, you know, playing everywhere else. 'It would be so cool in the future if we could see some of our Colorado-born soccer players coming back and playing for this team. … Then it's that trickle-down effect of what you see over the next 10 years, the next 15 years, and then it gets really exciting in the next 20 years, when it's like, these kids who were not even born, necessarily, when this was starting to be developed.' Shiffrin envisions her role with NWSL Denver to be 'very low-level.' She hopes to make it to games, so long as her schedule allows. She spends about two or three months in the calendar year at her home in Edwards, Colorado, juggling between her demanding athletic schedule and making time for family and friends. Right now, she's in the thick of preparing for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina next year. 'The most that I can do, and like love to do, is talk about it and talk about the women's teams and just help bolster the sport,' Shiffrin said. 'Hopefully I'll be able to go to some games and be able to pump everything up and just take part in it.' Advertisement While this is her first professional investment, it's unlikely to be her last. She said she'll keep her eyes open for what's next. 'Over the next years, as I continue to grow and maybe become better positioned, I'm going to keep looking for opportunities,' Shiffrin said, 'because it's just incredible to see how sports are growing and growing, and the young kids out in the world are able to look at both male and female athletes, and athletes of all shapes and sizes and colors, and say, 'This is an avenue that I can take. This is real for me, and I could aspire to be like that,' and I think it's really cool to help support that dream for the next generation.' This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Soccer, NWSL, Sports Business, Olympics 2025 The Athletic Media Company
The Star
06-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Olympics-Brisbane 2032 welcomes Jaworski as new IOC point person
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Brisbane 2032 Olympics chief Andrew Liveris has welcomed the appointment of former show jumper Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski as the new chair of the coordination commission for the Games. The coordination commission plays an important role overseeing preparations for the Games on behalf of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The previous chair, Kirsty Coventry, was elected as the first female head of the Olympic movement in March and will take over from Thomas Bach as IOC President in late June. Filipina Jaworski was announced as her successor in the coordination commission on Monday. "I congratulate Mikaela on her elevation ... and welcome the opportunity to continue to work closely with her ... as our attention shifts from strategy to planning and eventually delivery of our Games," Brisbane 2032 organising committee president Liveris said in a statement on Tuesday. Jaworski, who was elected to the IOC executive board in 2020, trained in Australia for two decades during her competitive career, which peaked with a gold and silver at the 2002 Asian Games. "Mikaela has a deep understanding and history of time in Australia and amongst Australians and has been a positive and supportive voice as part of Brisbane 2032's coordination commission since its formation," Liveris added. Bach, Coventry and Cojuangco Jaworski will visit Brisbane later this month for the first "in person" coordination commission inspection of the city since it was awarded the Olympics in 2021. After three years of political wrangles and several U-turns, the Queensland government announced what it said was the final venue plan for the Games in March. Despite bid commitments on sustainability in line with Bach's "New Norm" reforms for host cities, the plan included the building of a new Olympic stadium and a national aquatics centre in an inner city Brisbane park. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Michael Perry)
CNA
06-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Brisbane 2032 welcomes Jaworski as new IOC point person
SYDNEY :Brisbane 2032 Olympics chief Andrew Liveris has welcomed the appointment of former show jumper Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski as the new chair of the coordination commission for the Games. The coordination commission plays an important role overseeing preparations for the Games on behalf of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The previous chair, Kirsty Coventry, was elected as the first female head of the Olympic movement in March and will take over from Thomas Bach as IOC President in late June. Filipina Jaworski was announced as her successor in the coordination commission on Monday. "I congratulate Mikaela on her elevation ... and welcome the opportunity to continue to work closely with her ... as our attention shifts from strategy to planning and eventually delivery of our Games," Brisbane 2032 organising committee president Liveris said in a statement on Tuesday. Jaworski, who was elected to the IOC executive board in 2020, trained in Australia for two decades during her competitive career, which peaked with a gold and silver at the 2002 Asian Games. "Mikaela has a deep understanding and history of time in Australia and amongst Australians and has been a positive and supportive voice as part of Brisbane 2032's coordination commission since its formation," Liveris added. Bach, Coventry and Cojuangco Jaworski will visit Brisbane later this month for the first "in person" coordination commission inspection of the city since it was awarded the Olympics in 2021. After three years of political wrangles and several U-turns, the Queensland government announced what it said was the final venue plan for the Games in March. Despite bid commitments on sustainability in line with Bach's "New Norm" reforms for host cities, the plan included the building of a new Olympic stadium and a national aquatics centre in an inner city Brisbane park.
