I’ve heard it been called scaremongering before. However QF 737s used be a regular on the PER - BME route and now they’re a rarity. Replaced by nice cheap crew flying A320s. What’s stopping QF from flying PER - BNE red eyes with A320s.... then BNE - SYD and then the virus could just continue...
The moment someone gets too expensive they’ll look for something cheaper to replace it. Ask the ex-DRW based 717 crews...