Should I Deliberately Catch Covid-19?

The scarily fast surge in Omicron cases across Australia has just about everyone collectively singing the phrase: “We are all going to catch Covid at some point.”

Even the NSW Health Minister himself Brad Hazzard said it recently at a press conference.

It’s certainly may help one come to terms with the fact that the likelihood is increasing but it could prove dangerous to go out with the deliberate intention to catch Covid. The jury is still out over how severe any individual’s symptoms will be as the health system scrambles to gather enough data on Omicron. Plenty of people report experiencing mild symptoms whilst others have experienced more severe symptoms, not to mention the long term symptoms that last weeks or sometimes months after their infectious period including “brain fog”, tiredness and persistent headaches.

Then there is Long Covid – reports of the lingering symptoms lasting weeks and sometimes months after the infectious period including extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pains, memory loss and poor concentration.

Do you still want to catch Covid?

On today’s Briefing, we hear from some of our listeners who say they are keen to get Covid and Tom Tilley and Jan Fran chat to Professor Catherine Bennett, chair of epidemiology at Deakin University, who says it’s not a good idea.

Listen to the audio below.