COVID-19

Featured image: The COVID-19 lab leak theory highlights a glaring lack of global biosecurity regulation

The COVID-19 lab leak theory highlights a glaring lack of global biosecurity regulation

Guest Author • Jun 15, 2021

Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato   The revived debate over whether COVID-19 could be the result of an accidental release from the Wuhan Institute of Virology may never be adequately resolved. Either way, we risk not seeing the wood for the trees. While the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in February such a leak was “extremely unlikely”, it … Read More

Featured image: Research now backs routinely offering pregnant women the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine

Research now backs routinely offering pregnant women the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine

Guest Author • Jun 11, 2021

Michelle Wise, University of Auckland New Zealand and Australia will now routinely offer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to women at any stage of pregnancy, following an update of vaccination advice. This comes as research suggests the risk of severe outcomes from infection is significantly higher for pregnant women compared to the general population. At the same time, … Read More

Featured image: From smallpox to polio, vaccine rollouts have always had doubters. But they work in the end

From smallpox to polio, vaccine rollouts have always had doubters. But they work in the end

Guest Author • Jun 08, 2021

David Isaacs, University of Sydney   In 2019, before COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten greatest threats to global health. Every year, vaccination saves around 4-5 million lives, although a further 1.5 million lives could be saved annually with improved global vaccine coverage. Now, we are seeing a … Read More

Featured image: How well your immune system works can depend on the time of day

How well your immune system works can depend on the time of day

Guest Author • Jun 04, 2021

Annie Curtis, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences   When microorganisms – such as bacteria or viruses – infect us, our immune system jumps into action. It’s highly trained to sense and eliminate infections and clear up any damage caused by them. It’s typically assumed our immune systems work the exact same way regardless of whether an infection occurs … Read More

Featured image: The real challenge to COVID-19 vaccination rates isn’t hesitancy — it’s equal access for Māori and Pacific people

The real challenge to COVID-19 vaccination rates isn’t hesitancy — it’s equal access for Māori and Pacific people

Guest Author • Jun 02, 2021

Jesse Whitehead, University of Waikato; Kate C. Prickett, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Polly Atatoa Carr, University of Waikato   Reports of potentially higher rates of vaccine hesitancy among Māori and Pacific populations have seen the government target COVID-19 vaccine and information campaigns at those communities. And there are excellent reasons for such … Read More

Featured image: Coronavirus variants have new names: we can finally stop stigmatising countries

Coronavirus variants have new names: we can finally stop stigmatising countries

Guest Author • Jun 02, 2021

Ed Feil, University of Bath   The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a new naming system for the coronavirus that uses Greek letters to refer to the different variants. For the variants of concern, B117 (the UK or Kent variant) will now be known as alpha, B1351 (South Africa) will be beta, P1 (Brazil) is gamma and B16172 … Read More

Featured image: Flights have resumed between New Zealand and NSW, but the temporary travel pause may not be the last

Flights have resumed between New Zealand and NSW, but the temporary travel pause may not be the last

Guest Author • May 11, 2021

Michael Plank, University of Canterbury and Andrew Chen, University of Auckland   New Zealand has resumed quarantine-free travel with New South Wales today, even though the Australian state’s government has extended restrictions in greater Sydney for another week. From New Zealand’s perspective, the fact no further community cases have been discovered gives us confidence we’re not overlooking a … Read More

Featured image: Could the COVID vaccines affect your period? We don’t know yet — but there’s no cause for concern

Could the COVID vaccines affect your period? We don’t know yet — but there’s no cause for concern

Guest Author • May 04, 2021

Michelle Wise, University of Auckland Over recent weeks, news reports have indicated some women are experiencing irregularities in their menstrual cycles after receiving a COVID vaccine. This has included periods arriving early and being heavier than usual, or being absent or late, among other changes. At this stage, there’s no research evidence to support these anecdotal reports. But it … Read More