"Hectic," the Hunter New England Health public health physician said.

"It's been hectic, but worthwhile. I've had incredible support along the way. While my wife and family were in lockdown I was working incredibly long hours, so they deserve a shout out. My wife is very long suffering and very patient and my kids have been wonderful."

Dr Durrheim's efforts throughout the pandemic have led to him being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) as part of a special COVID-19 Honour Roll in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

But Dr Durrheim's important work this past 18 months may not have happened if not for what he described as "either a little series of micro miracles or extraordinary coincidences" one morning almost seven years ago.

READ ALSO:

"I also should give a shout out to Hunter Heart Safe's Dr Mark Miller because in October 2014 he took a very brash and brave effort to resuscitate my dead body in Green Point Reserve early one morning," he said.

"I'd gone for a cross country run and had a massive widow maker heart attack.

"Mark came upon me and it was either a little series of micro miracles or extraordinary coincidences but I'm very grateful to God that Mark Miller found me. Where most of our emergency medicine colleagues might not have given it a go, he gave it a fantastic go and performed bystander, hands only CPR for 20 minutes on me. I've had a second shot at life and it's wonderful to be able to make a contribution."

That contribution has included more than just his work through COVID-19. Dr Durrheim began his career in South Africa, where he ran a successful disease control program in one of the country's more impoverished provinces. He moved to Townsville to head up a World Health Organisation collaboration centre in 2002, before relocating to the Hunter health district in 2005.

"Which means I must be enjoying this because it's the longest period I've ever been in a job," he said.

Dr Durrheim has also held regional roles with the World Health Organisation, most of which involved preventing children's deaths through vaccines.

"That's something I'm really passionate about," he said.

"I'm also part of a global push to change needles and syringes to see if we can deliver vaccine protection through little micro ray patches that won't need fridges or needles and syringes. Those can be administered by people in the community. To me there's a big equity focus when we've got such wonderful vaccines we really want everybody to benefit."

A lot of his work has been in the area of measles, and he has also chaired the Australian Polio National Certification Committee.

But Dr Durrheim said the current pandemic has been a much different challenge to his past work.

"With measles and polio we had effective vaccines," he said.

"There the main issue was to get the vaccine out. Here with COVID the main issue was to keep the community safe until we had a safe and effective vaccine and now the key issue is to make sure that everybody benefits from the vaccine.

"I've never seen a health system work so well together, with such camaraderie and everybody going the extra mile because we all realise just how devastating this virus would be if it got to the community."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: