Books editor Catherine Woulfe reviews Bethany Clift’s Last One at the Party. What lots of reviewers mean when they say “compelling” is, I think, something like, “Reading is my job now; thank god this one was actually quite good.” I’m going to say “compelling” about this one and I mean something closer to the dictionary … Read more
Summer reissue: History warns that we should be wary of the misuse of power in the name of public health, writes Scott Hamilton. First published on April 2, 2020. Content warning: This feature contains distressing descriptions of racism against Māori. In the winter of 1913 a group of Māori appeared in the office of Arthur … Read more
A small but vocal movement calling for the end of lockdown restrictions is gaining steam globally. Dr Siouxsie Wiles explains why such an approach would be a bad idea. As life in Aotearoa gets back to some kind of normal after our latest Covid-19 outbreak, cases in the northern hemisphere are on the rise again … Read more
With over 24 million confirmed cases and more than 820,000 people dead, Covid-19 is playing out differently in various parts of the world. To understand this a little better, Siouxsie Wiles and Toby Morris walk you through the Covid-19 ‘triangle’. Since this pandemic started, I’ve been getting lots of messages from people and hearing an … Read more
The president of the Howick-Pakuranga branch of Grey Power has sent out a newsletter packed full of conspiracy theories about Covid-19, accusing the government of ‘brainwashing’ and trying to create a ‘potential medical/police state’. Alex Braae reports. In the “President’s Page” column of the latest newsletter from the Howick-Pakuranga branch of Grey Power, president Peter … Read more
The current pandemic will be a brand new experience for most, but others have been here before. Kevin Hague explains what we can learn from the LGBTQ+ community’s experience of the HIV/Aids outbreak from decades past. If there’s one group in our country who really knows about beating pandemics, it’s surely the gay community. Before … Read more
Laura Jean McKay is hunkered down in Palmerston North but her much-hyped novel The Animals in That Country is out there in the world – earlier than expected, too, because it’s about a strange new flu. Two women stand close to each other in an aisle labelled CANS. They’re young, with strong pink arms in … Read more
History warns that we should be wary of the misuse of power in the name of public health, writes Scott Hamilton. Content warning: This feature contains distressing descriptions of racism against Māori. In the winter of 1913 a group of Māori appeared in the office of Arthur Manning, the mayor of Hamilton. The visitors had … Read more
With Covid-19 causing major downturns and worried investors wondering what to do next, Kiwi Wealth’s head of fixed interest shares her thoughts and experience on how to get through these challenging times. From the City of London to New York’s Wall Street, Diana Gordon has worked at the frontlines of global investing for more than … Read more
Want to avoid Covid-19? Skip the high dose vitamin C, and take a moment to learn about the statistical modelling that helps us understand how diseases spread. Shaun Hendy explains. Infectious diseases like Covid-19 spread from person to person. If, on average, every person who gets it goes on to infect two other people, then … Read more
The alert system signals the start of a new phase in NZ’s battle against Covid-19. Siouxsie Wiles explains what it means, with illustrations by Toby Morris. The Spinoff’s ongoing expert-led, evidence-based coverage of Covid-19 is funded by Spinoff Members. To support this work, join Spinoff Members here. For the last few weeks, I’ve been urging you … Read more
Widespread community transmission of Covid-19 would be calamitous in the Pacific Islands, where health infrastructure is limited. What steps are they taking to fend it off? The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by Spinoff Members. To support this work, join Spinoff Members here. Update 19/03, 2:45pm: Fiji has confirmed its first case of … Read more
Māori have fared worst in every pandemic New Zealand has seen. Measures must be taken to ensure equity during the Covid-19 outbreak or history will repeat, writes public health physician and senior lecturer Dr Rhys Jones. Covid-19 is about to hit Aotearoa in earnest. The New Zealand government’s response to date has generally been received … Read more
The spread of misinformation about Covid-19 seems greater than the spread of the infection itself. But what’s the best way to tackle these if they come up in everyday conversation? Is it best to ignore them, jump in to correct them, or are there other strategies we could all use? Public health officials expect misinformation … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: March 15 memorial service to go ahead, more travel restrictions likely to be announced, and moves against migrant exploitation in spotlight. Unless there is a last minute cancellation, commemorations of the March 15 mosque attacks will be going ahead this weekend. Stuff reports that because of a … Read more
It is not a time for panic. It is, however, a time to draw up a pandemic preparedness plan. Where to begin? Siouxsie Wiles to the rescue. The Spinoff’s ongoing expert-led, evidence-based coverage of Covid-19 is funded by Spinoff Members. To support this work, join Spinoff Members here. Now that Covid-19 has officially been declared … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Covid-19 officially declared to be a pandemic, abortion clinic Safe Zones stripped from legislation, and Hauraki Gulf under extreme biodiversity pressure. Overnight, the World Health Organisation officially declared that the Covid-19 outbreak has become a pandemic, reports AP News. That’s a term defined as a disease spreading … Read more
How is the coronavirus likely to play out, how does it end, and does our behaviour make a difference? Here infectious diseases expert Dr Siouxsie Wiles walks us through the epidemic curve, with illustrations by Toby Morris. The Spinoff’s ongoing expert-led, evidence-based coverage of Covid-19 is funded by Spinoff Members. To support this work, join … Read more
There is a surge of cases of the virus outside China. Australia says it expects Covid-19 to turn into a global pandemic. We cannot afford to panic in New Zealand. But we must prepare, writes Dr Siouxsie Wiles. Update: since publication, Coronavirus has been confirmed as having arrived in NZ. The following is a practical … Read more
The conversation around how we prepare for coronavirus here needs to be guided by a sense of our common humanity, write Ruth Cunningham, Charlotte Paul, Andrew Moore, Ayesha Verrall of the University of Otago. Borders have been closed, arrivals from Wuhan are in quarantine, and New Zealanders who have travelled from China are being asked … Read more
The coronavirus outbreak is testing New Zealand’s emergency plans, but public health experts warn there are much bigger threats to prepare for. RNZ’s John Gerritsen investigates. “Super volcanic eruption, asteroid strike, artificial intelligence gone wrong.” Researcher Matt Boyd is listing some of the possible threats to human existence. They sound terrifying, but what is really … Read more
If you’re looking for Christmas gifts or just trying to fill the void of silence with your friends and family this festive season, look no further than the humble board game. Christmas is coming which means long, lazy days with your nearest and dearest, perhaps eating too much and definitely still spending too much time … Read more