Tagged: coronavirus

Featured image: Beating the evolving COVID-19 pandemic – unprecedented human collaboration in discovery and innovation

Beating the evolving COVID-19 pandemic – unprecedented human collaboration in discovery and innovation - Diplomatic Immunity

Helen Petousis Harris • Feb 26, 2020 •

Less than two months after China told the WHO there was a problem, a lot has happened. Sadly, deaths, confirmed cases and countries affected are increasing every day. However, on a scientific and medical level, what is going on to contain, cure and prevent this new disease is truly inspirational. Let’s look at the build-up to this global health emergency … Read More

Featured image: Coronavirus update: spread outside China and a new name

Coronavirus update: spread outside China and a new name - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Feb 16, 2020 •

With over 69,000 confirmed cases and 1,600 deaths, here’s your round-up of the latest coronavirus news. New disease and virus have now officially been named On the 11th February, the WHO Director General announced a new name for the disease: COVID-19 which is short for coronavirus disease 2019. The naming follows the WHO’s commitment not to call diseases after … Read More

Featured image: The numbers are the numbers, except when they’re not.

The numbers are the numbers, except when they’re not. - Physics Stop

Marcus Wilson • Feb 14, 2020 •

I’m not quite sure of what to make of the new figures for COVID-19 (as we must now call the novel coronavirus – though I’m not sure the capitalisation is correct) from Hubei province: Image from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51495484  The spike yesterday is a consequence of a using a different way of defining a case – one based on a clinical diagnosis (i.e. Read More

Featured image: Getting Through Together: Ethical Values for a Pandemic

Getting Through Together: Ethical Values for a Pandemic - Public Health Expert

Public Health Expert • Feb 14, 2020 •

Ruth Cunningham, Charlotte Paul, Andrew Moore Public health responses to infectious diseases such as COVID-19 require us to draw on our common humanity and be explicit about our values. Recognising this will help us make good decisions in difficult situations so that, for example, the need to impose restrictive measures and to protect ourselves does not conflict with fairness, respect, … Read More

Featured image: What’s in a name? Why the coronavirus needed its own

What’s in a name? Why the coronavirus needed its own - Lately, In Science

Sarah-Jane O'Connor • Feb 12, 2020 •

As of today, the novel coronavirus spreading in China is called COVID-19. Why does it matter? Around the office, we’ve had several conversations over the past few weeks about how 2019-nCoV needed its own name. First, it was getting annoying calling it by the above designation, and ‘novel coronavirus’ doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue either. And it was … Read More

Featured image: NZ Should Prepare for a Potentially Severe Global Coronavirus Pandemic

NZ Should Prepare for a Potentially Severe Global Coronavirus Pandemic - Public Health Expert

Public Health Expert • Feb 10, 2020 •

Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Michael Baker In this blog we briefly summarise our assessment of the highly uncertain new coronavirus threat. Given its potential to become a severe and prolonged global pandemic, a precautionary response now means activating all components of our pandemic plan, with a particular focus on ‘keep it out’. NZ has many natural and institutional advantages in … Read More

Featured image: Is 2019-nCov a pangolin coronavirus?

Is 2019-nCov a pangolin coronavirus? - Code for life

Grant Jacobs • Feb 08, 2020 •

Tonight’s news suggests the coronavirus outbreak may have originated from pangolins. Details are very sketchy, almost nothing at all beyond a claim of high similarity. My impression is this claim comes from a press release by South China Agricultural University. Initial discussion online suggests this is a more likely candidate for an intermediate host than previous speculations. It is also … Read More

Featured image: COVID-19 coverage

COVID-19 coverage - News

Sarah-Jane O'Connor • Feb 04, 2020 •

Our Scibloggers have been providing updates on the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. This page will be updated as more posts are published. As of 11 February 2020, the virus has been officially named COVID-19. 10 February 2020 NZ Should Prepare for a Potentially Severe Global Coronavirus Pandemic Given the virus’ potential to become a severe and prolonged global pandemic, … Read More

Featured image: Coronavirus ‘infodemic’

Coronavirus ‘infodemic’ - Lately, In Science

Sarah-Jane O'Connor • Feb 03, 2020 •

Lately, my morning routine includes opening up our work email and checking the latest World Health Organization coronavirus situation report. It’s sobering to see the numbers increasing so rapidly – about 2,500 new confirmed cases every day and about 45 reported deaths. But I’m also reminded of the stark contrast between this outbreak and previous situations in terms of how … Read More

Featured image: Coronavirus: travel restrictions now in place for New Zealand

Coronavirus: travel restrictions now in place for New Zealand - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Feb 02, 2020 •

With reports that several people in New Zealand have been tested for suspected coronavirus – they were all negative – and the WHO declaring the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, our government has just announced entry restrictions for foreign nationals arriving from or transiting through mainland China.   A Public Health Emergency of International Concern … Read More