COVID-19 on the Frontline: A Conversation on Risk, Disability, and Resilience

In this episode, Dr Tanya speaks with a frontline emergency doctor — who is also a spinal cord injury survivor and disability advocate — about the pandemic from a perspective rarely discussed: how COVID-19 uniquely affects people with disabilities, both medically and socially.

What's covered:

• How Australia's early, decisive pandemic response compared to other countries like the US and UK
• Why people with spinal cord injuries and other chronic conditions face significantly higher COVID-19 risk
• The confronting ethical dilemmas around ventilator rationing faced overseas, and the risk of bias against people with disabilities
• What it's like being a frontline doctor with an underlying health condition during a pandemic
• The mental health toll of COVID-19 on both healthcare workers and people with disabilities
• The added social and economic isolation faced by disabled people during lockdowns
• Practical support available at the time, including NDIS resources and dedicated shopping hours