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ABC News
ABC News
Health
Jessica Rendall

Queenslanders hit by COVID-19 and flooding are struggling to get their lives back on track

The Brodie family have endured flooding and two stints in isolation.  (Supplied)

As health authorities warn another wave of COVID-19 has hit Queensland, some families, like the Brodies, have been unlucky enough to be hit by COVID more than once while also dealing with the disruption of the floods.

The state recorded the highest number of daily cases since January on Wednesday, with more than 10,400 people testing positive.

The state recorded six more deaths and 11,018 new cases in the latest reporting period.

There are 271 people being treated for the virus in hospital. Eleven of those are in intensive care

A large proportion are school children and their families.

"We've got three children in three different childcare or school settings, so it's come from one of those somewhere at some point," Oxley mum Liz Brodie said.

"We just knew that that would happen and that's OK. You can't help it. Kids are in close proximity with each other at school and day care. It's bound to happen."

The first time, in February, the entire family caught the virus, but this time only her husband has so far tested positive.

She expects the rest of the family to get the virus soon, with her sons already showing mild symptoms.

Ms Brodie believes the virus most likely came from her son's primary school after his classmate tested positive last week.

"We tried to work out if it was any of his friends that might have been unwell and had it and he said, 'Who knows?' Ms Brodie said

"I'm not sure he really understood that they were all off because they were most likely unwell or isolating their families."

Infectious Diseases physician Paul Griffin said it was "unfortunately not as uncommon as we would like" for people to test positive twice in a short space of time.

He said the BA.2 sub-variant was more infectious than the original BA.1 variant of Omicron and was also starting to become the more dominant strain in Queensland.

"This is a little bit more infectious than the original Omicron, probably 30 to 50 per cent," he said.

"But I think this current wave in Queensland, is probably accounted for by a number of factors, potentially school going back, some changes in restrictions, including masks, and an inherent increase in interaction."

Flood damage forces Brodies to isolate with vulnerable grandparents

The Brodie family have had a rough trot. (Supplied)

The entire family are now in isolation at Mr Brodie's parents' house after their Oxley home went under in the recent floods that swept across south-east Queensland.

"I'm just not surprised that we're going through this wave now, because of course that is going to happen when we're fully open and we're living with it," Ms Brodie said.

"There's events happening and things like floods where people have to suddenly come together in groups, and for us we have to suddenly come and live with the grandparents."

She said it had been difficult to keep her young children away from her parents-in-law.

"It is basically impossible to keep kids away, especially a two-year-old.

"As soon as we walked in the door today after collecting my son from day care, he walked straight up to his grandpa and shoved a book in his hand and tried to climb up onto his lap.

"Like, they don't get it and it's so difficult for us all to try to keep apart from each other in one house. We just do our best."

People urged to stay on top of vaccinations

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath reiterated the importance of vaccines to protect the most vulnerable members of the community, like grandparents.

"You might be perfectly healthy and think, 'No, I'm fine if I get some mild flu-like symptoms', but what about the loved one that you want to go visit in aged care or in hospital who are vulnerable?," Ms D'Ath said.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath says the AHPPC was meeting today to discuss the new spread of the virus. (ABC News: Lucas Hill)

"Your friends or family, your neighbours, or your friendship group that may be more at risk with COVID?

"Please think of them as well as yourself when it comes to making decisions around getting your booster and getting your children vaccinated."

The Brodie family have been struggling to get their booster shots due to catching COVID.

"My mother-in-law was due to get her booster tomorrow, so obviously she's had to cancel that because she's now in isolation with us," Ms Brodie said.

"My husband again had to push his booster back because he got COVID.

"We are definitely a family that have tried to do our best and do the right thing getting our vaccinations and it's just been a difficult run this this year."

New wave 'shouldn't alarm people'

Dr Griffin said the new wave "shouldn't alarm people" but said he wanted to see increased rates of vaccination to boost the community's defence against the virus.

"It does look like we are going to see quite intense transmission, at least for a period," he said.

"We haven't seen hospitalisations significantly go up.

"Any death is too many deaths, of course, but we haven't seen the more severe consequences really take off yet, so while the case numbers are high, we aren't seeing those other things."

Dr Griffin said it was still important to keep up high rates of testing, wear masks in crowded and high-risk settings, and get vaccinated.

"We don't [need to] panic or become alarmed to any greater degree than that."

Will winter bring a COVID-19 onslaught?
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