'Stop the fearmongering' ABC health guru called out

Dr Norman Swan / ABC

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• By Avi Yemini

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ABC healthy living guru Dr Norman Swan has been slammed by an infectious disease expert for spreading outdated health advice on complications related to Covid-19.

Swan, who describes himself as 'Australia's most trusted doctor' on the cover of his latest book, was called out by Melbourne University Professor Fiona Russell, an authority on infectious diseases in Australia, who said that he needed to talk to 'qualified people' after he tweeted an article from two years ago.

Swan has enjoyed a high-profile since the beginning of the pandemic and is often brought onto various news segments to explain pandemic implications to the national broadcaster's audiences on TV and radio as well as on the Coronacast podcast.

The Daily Mail reported:

Prof Russell was replying to Dr Swan's tweet of a Washington Post article from April, 2020, which was headlined: 'Young and middle-aged people, barely sick with covid-19, are dying of strokes' 

'This is not a benign virus,' Dr Swan wrote in the tweet.

'Wishful thinking won't make it go away. Currently on a stuffy plane. Few masks.'  

Prof Russell said the outdated article failed to account for current circumstances or recent research.

Norman this article is Apr20,' Prof Robson wrote.

'We have high uptake of vaxx & most ppl have already been infected. 

'There is no solid evidence to show reinfections are worse in vaxxed ppl or kids-actually the opposite. 

'The public deserve to hear from qualified ppl on these topics. Pls talk to them.' 

The fiery Twitter exchange comes as health experts claim the end of the Covid-19 pandemic is in sight, with Australia positioned to manage future cases and outbreaks in a similar way to influenza.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged the world to step up and “seize this opportunity” to end the pandemic after weekly reported deaths dropped worldwide to the lowest level since March 2020.