Nau mai haere mai, welcome to this week’s newsletter.
After two years of a global pandemic, you might be feeling ready to relax and “go back to normal”. But winter is coming and, with it, a resurgence of other respiratory viruses.
According to University of Canterbury and Auckland researchers, New Zealand’s health system is in for a battering over the coming winter months.
As Dr Matthew Hobbs and his co-authors write, “Conditions are also primed for potential outbreaks of other illnesses including measles, whooping cough and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
"If we are to weather the coming storm, there will need to be a recommitment to public health measures that slow the spread of respiratory infections, as well as a renewed drive for widespread vaccination.”
The problem is, people are tired of mask wearing and vaccinations. Hospitals are already struggling to cope with early winter infections. But there is more we can do now, and longer term, to avoid the worst this winter has to offer, as they also explain.
You can read that and much more here and on our homepage, including an excellent analysis on the heavy environmental toll farming takes on our water resources and a look at a new approach to manage the stinking seaweed plaguing Caribbean beaches.
Until next time, take care and mā te wā.
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