Health Apps

Jeremy Fiske

School Health Promotions Nurse

My name is Jeremy, and I am a member of the DET Secondary School Nursing Program. I am happily familiar with a whole lot to do with Brunswick Secondary College as I was the School Nurse here between 2010 and 2018. But a lot of change can happen in 4 years, so while I took the opportunity to share and gain experience at other schools during what has been (to put it mildly) unusual times, I am very pleased to be back at BSC and to be working again with the totally terrific team we have here. 

I am passionate about health education. I have worked at the pointy, painful, bloody and messy end of the health spectrum (both physical and mental) and truly believe that if we want to avoid the nasty stuff then the best place to start is to ensure a strong foundation of health knowledge and literacy. These past couple of years has shown clearly that while some stuff never changes (think of hand washing and cough & sneeze etiquette), other stuff evolves due to the many and varied cutting edges of science (think of data collection, information checking and sharing and the wonders of microscopy and micro-biology. Also, think of the science behind the understanding of handwashing and cough & sneeze etiquette. It’s actually pretty involving). 

So, without rambling any further may I draw your attention to 3 cutting edge (but user friendly) apps that help us to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe from stuff that never changes.

Three Useful Apps

The Sun Vs The SunSmart App     

We are well into the heart of summer now and I’m betting that some of you may have already fallen foul of the suns harsh rays (was it desperation or did all those lockdowns allow you to forget just how strong the Melbourne UV is?). Sunburn is never a good thing but the damage caused to the delicate skin of children and teenagers by only a few episodes of excessive UV exposure can have lifelong consequences. Please plan for the day, but also plan for the unexpected (getting stuck somewhere or the sun coming out hot and strong on what was supposed to be a gloomy and overcast day). Do keep a long-sleeved shirt, a hat and sunscreen close by. Also, the Sun Smart app from the Cancer Council will warn you of the daily UV rating and when it’s opportune to take special precautions. You can personally program it to suit your skin type (fair skin may burn easily but darker skin can lead to a false sense of security) and even what you are planning to do and wear on a day by day basis. To those parents new to the world of teenager-hood, please be aware that while we encourage it, secondary schools do not mandate the wearing of hats and your teens are encouraged to take an active self interest in sun protection eg: their own hat or cap and sunscreen on hand if they need it etc. 

The free Cancer Council - Sun Smart app… https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/causes-and-prevention/sun-safety/be-sunsmart/sunsmart-app

Allergies and Asthma Vs The Melbourne Pollen App 

The good people at the University of Melbourne department of Bio-Sciences have provided a free app that will alert you to daily pollen counts during the peak pollen season. Pollen counts can vary from day to day and place to place depending on any number of variables, from temperature and air pressure to wind direction. This is super good information for anyone that suffers from mild to severe hay-fever, and could even prove to be life saving for those with asthma and pollen allergies.

The free Melbourne Pollen app https://www.melbournepollen.com.au/mobile-app/

The Pandemic Vs The Vic Gov’ Corona Virus Check-In App 

Yep, I agree. I also wish Covid was way behind us, or even better…that it never ever happened. Unfortunately it did happen and equally importantly…it’s still happening. The good people of Melbourne are the unsung champions of lockdown and Australia would be in a far worse place if we as a city hadn’t done what we needed to do to safe guard not just ourselves but the rest of the country.

We may feel like we want to forget and just move on but I urge you to recall all the twists and turns we’ve endured so far. Yes, it would be great if we didn’t have to bother with RATs and masks and so forth, but we do. We really do! Like every other health professional I am only too aware that another variant may be on the horizon, so it’d be a wonderful thing if we all continue with the covid flattening practices we have learned. That includes continuing to use the Vic’ Health QR code Check-In app. I’ve noticed an increasing number of people neglecting to do it, and while it’s up to everyone to exercise their judgement and conscience please allow me to suggest that, at a minimum, if you are at a venue of any sort, be it for example a café, supermarket or sporting venue for any duration where you are likely to come into close or semi-close contact with others or where you may remove your mask to eat or drink then it would be extremely useful to continue to check in with the QR code. Remember, data collection is at the heart of understanding virus transmission and goes hand in hand with opening up safely.

If you need to update the free app...  https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/checking-in-qr-codes