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.
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”.
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.
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.
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
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