Tagged: COVID-19

Featured image: The cold supply chain can’t reach everywhere – that’s a big problem for equitable COVID-19 vaccination

The cold supply chain can’t reach everywhere – that’s a big problem for equitable COVID-19 vaccination - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jan 19, 2021 •

Timothy Ford, University of Massachusetts Lowell and Charles M. Schweik, University of Massachusetts Amherst To mitigate health inequities and promote social justice, coronavirus vaccines need to get to underserved populations and hard-to-reach communities. There are few places in the U.S. that are unreachable by road, but other factors – many rural hospitals can’t afford ultralow-temperature freezers or might … Read More

Featured image: What the Blood Supply Shows About Covid-19’s Spread

What the Blood Supply Shows About Covid-19’s Spread - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jan 19, 2021 •

Nathaniel Scharping In March, as the Covid-19 pandemic began to shut down major cities in the U.S., researchers were thinking about blood. In particular, they were worried about the U.S. blood supply — the millions of donations every year that help keep hospital patients alive when they need a transfusion. The researchers were able to put to rest … Read More

Featured image: Coronavirus: few vaccines prevent infection – here’s why that’s not a problem

Coronavirus: few vaccines prevent infection – here’s why that’s not a problem - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jan 18, 2021 •

Sarah L Caddy, University of Cambridge Vaccines are a marvel of medicine. Few interventions can claim to have saved as many lives. But it may surprise you to know that not all vaccines provide the same level of protection. Some vaccines stop you getting symptomatic disease, but others stop you getting infected too. The latter is known as “sterilising immunity”. Read More

Featured image: Aristocracy of Pull continues

Aristocracy of Pull continues - The Dismal Science

Eric Crampton • Jan 18, 2021 •

RNZ reports on continued arbitrariness on decisions at the border.  British comedian Russell Howard is about to tour New Zealand and other acts allowed in through managed isolation this summer include drag queen RuPaul and musicians at Northern Bass in Mangawhai and the Bay Dreams festival. The vice-president of the Promoters Association, Gray Bartlett, said despite being an approved … Read More

Featured image: The Plan B implosion – what Brazil teaches us about the herd immunity hogwash

The Plan B implosion – what Brazil teaches us about the herd immunity hogwash - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Jan 18, 2021 •

As families around the world mourn more than two million people dead from Covid-19, the Plan B academics and their PR industry collaborator continue to argue that the New Zealand government should stop focusing on our managed isolation and quarantine system and instead protect the elderly so that they can reopen the border and allow everyone else to get on … Read More

Featured image: With COVID-19 mutating and surging, NZ urgently needs to tighten border controls

With COVID-19 mutating and surging, NZ urgently needs to tighten border controls - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jan 13, 2021 •

Nick Wilson, University of Otago and Michael Baker, University of Otago The global COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying, with more infectious variants of the virus, and more rapid spread, especially in countries such as the US and UK. This deterioration has meant a higher number of infected returnees arriving at New Zealand’s MIQ facilities — with 31 new cases in … Read More

Featured image: Post-pandemic cities can permanently reclaim public spaces as gathering places

Post-pandemic cities can permanently reclaim public spaces as gathering places - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jan 08, 2021 •

Anne-Marie Broudehoux, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Will the COVID-19 pandemic prompt a shift to healthier cities that focus on wellness rather than functional and economic concerns? This is a hypothesis that seems to be supported by several researchers around the world. In many ways, containment and physical distancing measures have contributed to an increased recognition of the … Read More

Featured image: Long COVID: who is at risk?

Long COVID: who is at risk? - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jan 06, 2021 •

Frances Williams, King’s College London For most people, infection with SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – leads to mild, short-term symptoms, acute respiratory illness, or possibly no symptoms at all. But some people have long-lasting symptoms after their infection – this has been dubbed “long COVID”. Scientists are still researching long COVID. It’s not well understood, though our … Read More

Featured image: Oxford COVID vaccine authorised in the UK – global health expert on why this is a key moment

Oxford COVID vaccine authorised in the UK – global health expert on why this is a key moment - COVID-19

Guest Author • Jan 05, 2021 •

Michael Head, University of Southampton The UK has become the first country to authorise the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for public use, with roll-out to start in the first week of 2021. This vaccine is the second to be authorised in the UK – following the Pfizer vaccine. The British government has ordered 100 million doses of the … Read More