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Expansion of “green zones” may provide a chance for the global eradication of COVID-19

Thursday, March 18th, 2021 | tedla55p | No Comments

Nick Wilson, Matt Boyd, Osman D Mansoor, Louise Delany, Michael G Baker

With effective vaccines for COVID-19 comes the potential for disease eradication (elimination at the global level). Here we consider the advantages and the challenges, but ultimately suggest consideration of progressive expansion of “green zones” towards a target of COVID-19 eradication. Even if eradication is not achieved, establishing and maintaining “green zones” with no local spread will have many medium term benefits by liberalising travel between “green zone” countries (eg, between NZ and Australia).

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The COVID-19 house fire and the unbearable silence of fire alarms

Wednesday, February 24th, 2021 | tedla55p | No Comments

Dr Matt Boyd (syndicated from the blog site of “Adapt Research”)

WHO? The Emergency Committee

The international health regulations (IHR) provide for the Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in appropriate circumstances.

PHEIC is meant to be a signal to all countries that significant actions, aid and cooperation may all be needed. Critics have lambasted the late timing of PHEIC declaration for COVID-19 and also the opaque nature of the acronym.

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Health and Economic Impacts of the COVID-19 Response: NZ Compared to OECD Countries

Friday, December 4th, 2020 | tedla55p | 2 Comments

Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Nhung Nghiem, Prof Michael Baker (author details*)

Aotearoa/NZ has achieved the lowest death rate in the OECD from the COVID-19 pandemic, equivalent to around 2000 lives saved compared to the OECD average. With regard to economic harm, NZ appears to be close to the OECD average, with the IMF predictions for GDP in 2020 overall being -6.1% for NZ and -6.3% for the OECD. Nevertheless, a fuller accounting of health, economic and equity impacts probably needs to wait until vaccination is sufficiently available and border restrictions are lifted. Despite NZ’s health success there is still a need to improve border controls (eg, with a “traffic light” system), until the population is protected by vaccination.

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Bioethicists, Scientists and Politicians; Decision Making in a Pandemic

Tuesday, December 1st, 2020 | tedla55p | No Comments

Dr Ben Gray*

To date New Zealand has come through the pandemic well. The role of political leadership and scientific input has been well covered. Part of this success was built upon having a clear ethical framework for managing a pandemic that had been developed in advance following the SARS outbreak. This blog considers the interaction between the science the ethics and the decision makers.

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The COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa/NZ: A brief photo-essay with 10 photos

Wednesday, November 25th, 2020 | tedla55p | No Comments

Luke Pilkinton-Ching, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick Wilson

In this photo-essay of the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa/NZ, each photo is accompanied by a brief comment on the pandemic impact or response. In some instances these images reflect success factors such as the relatively early introduction of border controls and the stringent nature of the “lockdown”. But we also consider some weaknesses: the slow adoption of mandated mass mask use and the recent run of eight border control failures.

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