Know-C19 is whole of institute initiative that brings together Burnet’s multi-disciplinary skills to tackle the complex challenges of pandemics and health emergencies caused by infectious diseases. This includes generating and translating knowledge to respond to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including long COVID. Know-C19 identifies emerging health threats and solutions to better prevent, prepare and respond to pandemics.
The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the greatest global challenges in human history. It has had a profound effect on the health and wellbeing of communities, the economy and society, exacerbating inequities within and between countries.
During the emergency phase, Burnet played a major role in the Australian and global response, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. We did this through collaboration with communities, research and public health partners and governments to create and translation knowledge into solutions and support community-centric responses.
Key strategies included providing evidence-based strategic advice through modelling, intelligence and evidence synthesis and our own research, through the Know-C19 Knowledge Hub. We supported responses on the ground through technical assistance, laboratory strengthening, training and capacity building, supporting essential services and partnerships with communities.
Our current focus includes knowledge generation and research translation to:
We continue to work in collaborative partnerships to solve these complex challenges with a focus on addressing inequities, applying multi-disciplinary technical skills through a ‘one health’ approach and strengthening systems.
A standout lesson from COVID-19 was the knowledge gained, and paradigm shift around the airborne transmission of pathogens, and how to effectively respond. Undoing the “droplet dogma”—that SARS-CoV-2, and many other pathogens predominantly transmit through the air—has been a huge leap in science and public health policy.
As a result of this knowledge gain, there is rationale for wider deployment of interventions to prevent airborne pathogens spread in indoor environments, where transmission occurs. A future with clean indoor air will be a major advance in addressing current airborne pathogens and pollutants and puts us in a better position to preventing the next pandemic.
Despite the evidence these interventions work in laboratory settings, there has been limited implementation outside health care settings or policy adoption. Burnet Institute, in collaboration with partners (University of Melbourne, Monash, QUT, CSIRO and Amazon Web Services) is implementing two clean indoor air research projects, supported by the Victorian government to address the knowledge and implementation gaps.
The Pathway to Clean Indoor Air project will generate optimised and scalable IAQ models, an investment case and policy and guidance. The ELUCIDAR study will provide evidence on the real-world effectiveness of upper room germicidal UV in reducing COVID-19 in aged care facilities. These studies will inform the scale-up of interventions to reduce the indoor impact of airborne pollutants and pathogens and enhance our preparedness for future airborne pandemics.
If you’re interested in any of our projects, please reach out to siddhanth.sharma@burnet.edu.au.
We’re open to honours, masters and PhD students.
This project aims to find out how Victorians are experiencing COVID-19 and responding to the measures introduced to stop the spread of the virus.
Rapid high-throughput neutralisation assays are essential for analysis of immune responses in human infection and animal experiments.
The COVID-19 Healthcare E-Learning Platform is an online training portal providing essential knowledge needed to respond to the COVID-19 crisis in Papua New Guinea.
Burnet Institute has officially opened a new office in Vanuatu.
A new Burnet study examined how probiotics could potentially treat gut-related conditions in pregnant women.
Australia’s generation X face the highest risk of death from methamphetamine-related causes among all age groups, according to a new Burnet Institute study.
The Medical Journal of Australia
Alisa Pedrana, Margaret Hellard
PLOS Global Public Health
Brendan S. Crabb, S. S. Majumdar
The Medical Journal of Australia
Michelle J. L. Scoullar, Gabriela Khoury, S. S. Majumdar, Emma Tippett, Brendan S. Crabb
Journal of Hospital Infection
Fenella McAndrew, Romesh Abeysuriya, Rachel Sacks‐Davis, Sharmila Majumdar, Nick Scott, Fenella McAndrew, Romesh Abeysuriya, Rachel Sacks‐Davis, Sharmila Majumdar, Nick Scott
Frontiers in Public Health
Fenella McAndrew, Rachel Sacks‐Davis, Romesh Abeysuriya, Dominic Delport, S. S. Majumdar, Margaret Hellard, Nick Scott
The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific
S. S. Majumdar
Public Health Action
Aidan Murray, Stefanie Vaccher, Tafireyi Marukutira, Kun Huang, Gabriel Hoi Huen Chan, Stephen M. Graham, S. S. Majumdar, Stefanie Vaccher, Tafireyi Marukutira, Kun Huang
Australian Journal of Social Issues
Jospeph Doyle, Shelley Walker, Paul Dietze, Peter Higgs, Bernadette Ward, Mark Stoové, Kasun Rathnayake, Margaret Hellard, Lisa Maher, Shelley Walker
Global Public Health
Rachael Farquhar, Caroline Homer
The 2024 Clean Indoor Air report highlights the significant health and economic impacts of poor indoor air quality. It urges national collaborative action for transformational public health benefits and productivity gains.
2024 Clean Indoor Air report [PDF 6.6 MB]AIID urges Australia to adopt amended International Health Regulations, enhancing pandemic preparedness, cooperation, and equity, citing COVID-19’s lessons and future global risks.
Submission document [PDF 240.0 kB]Experts at Burnet have conducted a comprehensive analysis of deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, with comparison to other countries and territories.
COVID-19 mortality report [PDF 1.4 MB]The submission provides an analysis of the outcomes and impact of the pandemic in Australia and identifies lessons to assist in planning for future pandemics.
Burnet's submission to the COVID-19 Response Inquiry [PDF 367.4 kB] Supporting documentation for Burnet's submission to the COVID-19 Response Inquiry [PDF 580.6 kB]These reports describe COVID-19 global epidemiology and trends during 2020 and 2021.
December 2020 – Global Trends [PDF 589.7 kB] March 2021 – Global Trends [PDF 647.1 kB] April 2021 – Global Technical [PDF 628.5 kB] May 2021 – Science Snapshots [PDF 1.2 MB] June 2021 – Research Snapshots [PDF 992.6 kB] July 2021 – Technical Snapshots [PDF 3.0 MB]These reports describe COVID-19 global trends and analysis of vaccines and vital variants during 2021.
December 2020 – SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load Dynamics and Infectivity [PDF 461.1 kB] March 2021 – Vaccines and Viral Variants Update [PDF 827.7 kB] April 2021 – Vaccines and Viral Variants Update [PDF 786.5 kB] May 2021 – Vaccines and Viral Variants Update [PDF 1.2 MB] June 2021 – Vaccines and Viral Variants Update [PDF 922.8 kB] July 2021 – Vaccines and Viral Variants Update [PDF 3.4 MB]This document contains key points and examples that must be read before using Burnet Institute’s Excel-based tool that summarises Covasim's COVID-19 simulations.
COVASIM modelling report June 2021 [PDF 426.9 kB]This 2020 policy brief incorporates COVASIM modelling with estimates of a third COVID-19 wave in Victoria if stage 4 restrictions were eased on certain dates. Prepared for the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services.
Abeysuriya Et Al 2020 Policy Brief [PDF 1.0 MB]