When the coronavirus copies itself, there is a chance its RNA will mutate. But new variants must jump from one host to another, and the more infections there are, the better chance this will happen.
‘Breakthrough’ infections can happen because of waning immunity or high viral doses. But our vaccines are still excellent at preventing severe disease and death.
Most kids will be unvaccinated if schools in the two largest states re-open in term 4. There may still be community transmission, but there are measures we can take to shield kids from the virus.
Fighting against federal authority is a political tradition in the South – and resisting federal guidance to wear masks in schools is just the latest example, an education policy expert writes.
With no vaccination yet in children under 12, preventing COVID-19 spread in schools depends on fine-tuning policy interventions according to local epidemiology and vaccination rates.
A 2015 paper on chicken virus evolution is being taken out of context and used to fuel fears about COVID-19 vaccines. Its lead author aims to clarify the science in hopes of saving lives.
Rachelle Binny, Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research; Michael Plank, University of Canterbury; Shaun Hendy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Siouxsie Wiles, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Several superspreading events had likely infected more than 200 people before New Zealand’s Delta outbreak was detected and the country went into a strict lockdown last week.
Another wave of COVID-19 in Russia is undermining public health and threatens economic recovery. But widespread mistrust of institutions will stymie the country’s efforts to move past the pandemic.
Trials are under way to ascertain whether COVID vaccines are safe and effective for children under 12. In the meantime, it’s reassuring to note that generally, young kids cope OK with the virus.
After enduring a devastating wave of infections, deaths and lockdowns at the start of the pandemic, Italy is putting in place tougher anti-COVID measures, including a vaccine passport.
A public health scholar based in New Delhi explains how India has emerged from the massive spike in COVID-19 cases, even as the country braces for a new wave.
As more genomes are sequenced, it will become clearer when and how the Delta variant slipped through the New Zealand border. The greater the diversity in genomes, the older and larger the outbreak.
Andrew Chen, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Models show at least 60% of the population would need to use the COVID-19 tracer app to have enough data to control an outbreak without a lockdown – but only about 10% of New Zealand adults scan in.
Dean Faculty of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand; and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, University of the Witwatersrand
Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Health Governance; Scientific Director, Pacific Institute on Pathogens, Pandemics and Society, Simon Fraser University