Nau mai, haere mai.

Where were you four years ago today? Chances are you were just going about your normal daily business when news broke of New Zealand’s first confirmed case of COVID-19. After that, it all happened quickly – more cases, travel restrictions, emergency budgets, and then a nationwide lockdown in late March.

Normal daily business was not resumed for a long time – some might say it still hasn’t been, given the successive waves of infection by new variants that have swept the country. If we didn’t know what to expect four years ago, this pandemic clearly still holds surprises.

Writing on the fourth anniversary of New Zealand’s first COVID case, Michael Baker and colleagues make the point that “it wasn’t meant to be like this”. The (albeit terrible) 1918 influenza pandemic had been and gone within months, returning as a seasonal flu, but with nothing like the tenacity and adaptability of the SARS CoV-2 virus.

And while there will be few of us who didn’t feel some form of COVID fatigue from lockdowns and restrictions, they write, that can’t be allowed to get in the way of ongoing and sensible measures to minimise harm.

“One way to keep a focus on prevention and control would be to include these measures in an integrated respiratory infectious disease strategy. This would combine COVID-19 control measures with those used to protect against influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other respiratory infections.”

Meanwhile, a new study of vaccine mandate effectiveness raises questions about just how well that controversial policy worked. As Jan Dewar and colleagues outline today, the mandates don’t appear to have driven any noticeable increase in (already very high) vaccination rates among health workers, but caused considerable distress in other ways.

Anticipating the unintended consequences of compulsion, the authors argue, should be a key part of any future pandemic policy. On this anniversary of the country’s first COVID case, let’s hope that day is a long way off.

Finlay Macdonald

New Zealand Editor

A pandemic that won’t go away – as COVID enters its 5th year, NZ needs a realistic strategy

Michael Baker, University of Otago; Amanda Kvalsvig, University of Otago; Matire Harwood, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

On the fourth anniversary of New Zealand’s first COVID case it’s clear this is not a normal pandemic. Despite fatigue and indifference, New Zealand must heed the evidence and improve its response.

Unintended consequences of NZ’s COVID vaccine mandates must inform future pandemic policy – new research

Jan Dewar, Auckland University of Technology; Denise Wilson, Auckland University of Technology; Gail Pacheco, Auckland University of Technology; Lisa Meehan, Auckland University of Technology

Mandates were meant to ensure continuity of public services during the pandemic. But a new study suggests they had limited impact on vaccination rates, while significantly hurting careers and eroding trust.

Joining AUKUS could boost NZ’s poor research and technology spending – but at what cost?

Sian Troath, University of Canterbury

Potential economic gains are partly driving interest in joining pillar two of AUKUS. The risks and rewards need to be more widely debated before any decision is made.

Climate change is fanning the flames of NZ’s wildfire future. Port Hills is only the beginning

Nathanael Melia, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

The recent Port Hills fires highlight the increasing wildfire risks caused by climate change. Reducing the threat is going to take a shift in strategy, investment and community engagement.

Privilege or poisoned chalice? As deputy chair at next week’s WTO meeting, NZ confronts an organisation in crisis

Jane Kelsey, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Power politics and lack of progress on vital issues mean there are low expectations for the World Trade Organization’s ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi next week.

Taiwan’s Indigenous languages are under threat – what can NZ learn from their successes and failures?

Chien Ju Ting, Auckland University of Technology

The indigenous languages of Taiwan are struggling in the face of Chinese dominance. The answer to language revitalisation could lie in grassroots efforts rather than government legislation.

From our foreign editions

Why economists are warning of another US banking crisis

Ru Xie, University of Bath

The Ides of March will coincide with one or two changes to the financial system that could cause problems for banks and the economy.

I want to eat healthily. So why do I crave sugar, salt and carbs?

Hayley O'Neill, Bond University

We all want to eat healthily, especially as we reset our health goals at the start of a new year. But sometimes these plans are sabotaged by powerful cravings for sweet, salty or carb-heavy foods.

QANTAS pays women 37% less, Telstra and BHP 20%. Fifty years after equal pay laws, we still have a long way to go

Angela Jackson, Monash University; Leonora Risse, University of Canberra

The naming for the first time of specific companies, not just industries, and what they pay their male and female workers is set to pressure employers to take action.

Earth’s early evolution: fresh insights from rocks formed 3.5 billion years ago

Jaganmoy Jodder, University of the Witwatersrand

Cratons are pieces of ancient continents that formed billions of years ago.

In Putin’s Russia, the death of Navalny has left the opposition demoralised but not defeated

Stephen Hall, University of Bath

Most of Vladimir Putin’s opponents are either dead, in jail or in exile. But it might just be ordinary people who can take over the battle for democracy in Russia.

The US just returned to the Moon after more than 50 years. How big a deal is it, really?

David Flannery, Queensland University of Technology

A private company has successfully delivered cargo to the Moon’s surface for the first time. Here’s what that means for future space exploration.

Writing is a technology that restructures thought — and in an AI age, universities need to teach it more

Joel Heng Hartse, Simon Fraser University; Taylor Morphett, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Undergraduate writing courses are about learning to think, synthesize and judge the credibility of sources — and interact with an audience.

Should world leaders worry about another Trump presidency?

Lester Munson, University of Sydney

Here’s what to understand about Trump’s world view and what to expect, should he be elected president again.