COVID-19

Our main objectives are to:

• actively seek to address gaps in knowledge and to collate and provide novel strategic information on COVID-19 in order to inform the Australian and international response
• work closely with international partners and communities in our region to strengthen their COVID-19 response, achieve vaccine equity and minimise impacts on the health system.

Our COVID-19 research is focused on:

• vaccines. For example, Burnet researchers are currently working on developing a second-generation COVID-19 vaccine that aims to be effective against all variants.
• antivirals. Our scientists are working to develop COVID-19 antivirals, biological medicines that can prevent and treat the infection caused by the virus.
• diagnostics. Our team worked in collaboration with Doherty Institute researchers to develop a new finger prick test that can measure the level of neutralising antibodies to COVID-19. This test can be used to analyse a person’s current level of immunity to the virus and help determine whether they might need a booster shot.
• public health. Burnet researchers have been working to provide timely and high-quality data to assist governments in making informed, precise and impactful policies during the COVID-19 response
• modelling. Burnet’s COVASIM model has helped inform public health policy by the Victorian, NSW and Australian governments in the challenging first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, the model was used to assess the impact of easing COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria which included an analysis of different intervention options and combinations, e.g. testing, contact tracing and quarantine of close contacts and their household contacts, isolation of confirmed cases, physical distancing policies in venues, COVID-19 protection measures such as mask wearing and vaccination programs.