There is no evidence that the coronavirus has evolved into a deadlier strain. It is almost certainly less lethal than initially reported, but that might mean there are more cases than we realised.
Humans are innately social, so periods of enforced quarantine or isolation will be a challenge. But there are some things we can do to ensure being isolated doesn’t translate to feeling lonely.
New Zealand will spend NZ$12.1 billion – or 4% of its GDP – to support businesses, increase benefits for seniors and low-income families, pay people in self-isolation, and boost health care capacity.
Disasters and times of crisis bring out the best in most of us. Despite the media focus on initial panic at the COVID-19 pandemic, we are are starting to see a more heartening community response.
Enforcing the 14-day self-isolation mandate for those entering Australia is a matter for states and territories. This could include door-to-door police checks and possible detentions and fines.
If the IOC does postpone the games, it will have to deal with consequences such as the impact on athletes, broadcasting obligations, insurance pay-outs and its brand reputation.
Tourism is vital to NZ and small economies in the Pacific. But as the Samoa Tourism Authority’s CEO says, “we can always get money back, but once there’s a loss of life you’ll never have that back”.
During the Global Financial Crisis, the US and the G20 led the way to recovery. As the coronavirus pandemic takes hold, there is a leadership vacuum, and we may all suffer for it.
The food we eat influences our bodies’ immune responses to infection. So focusing on nutrition is one thing we can do to help protect ourselves in the face of the coronavirus threat.
Computer chip and circuit board factory, Jiangxi, China.
Shutterstock
Expert advice is divided on the best way to tackle COVID-19.
An entire section of meat and poultry is left empty after panicked shoppers swept through in fear of the coronavirus at a grocery store in Burbank, Calif. on March 14, 2020.
(AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
COVID-19 is showing us we must work collectively to put resilience alongside efficiency as the primary drivers for the systems we depend upon each and every day for food.
Passengers waiting at the ferry terminal in Dartmouth, N.S. on March 16, 2020. The number of passengers has been limited as part of the effort to control the spread of COVID-19 in Nova Scotia.
(Andrew Vaughan/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Canadians have a reputation for compassion; in the current COVID-19 pandemic, this means helping each other by staying away.
A man walks past a large display promoting the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Organizers have resisted calls to postpone or cancel the Games, which are scheduled to start July 24.
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
While sporting events around the world have put their seasons on pause, the International Olympic Committee has refused to cancel the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. For athletes, the delay is a dilemma.
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne