One Health Aotearoa investigators have been highly sought after as opinion leaders on the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to providing technical advice to various authorities, our investigators have featured prominently in the media in the effort to provide accurate and timely expert opinion on this developing situation and to keep New Zealand informed.
A number of OHA investigators, along with invited international and local speakers discussed COVID-19 at the sixth One Health Aotearoa Symposium in December 2020. Some of these speakers have consented to sharing their presentation slides on the symposium webpage.
Here is a selection of opinion pieces and interviews given by our infectious diseases experts:
August 2021
- COVID is different this time
Siouxsie Wiles, The Spinoff, 31 August - Dr Richard Webby: ‘We’ll all catch COVID-19 eventually’
Richard Webby, RNZ, 29 August - Airborne transmission of COVID-19 more widespread than previously believed – study
Leah Grout, Stuff, 27 August - A new way to make vaccines
James Ussher, RNZ Our Changing World, 19 August - COVID vaccines for early teens
Tony Walls, Amanda Kvalsvig, Science Media Centre, 19 August - Why rapid genome sequencing is key to finding out how long Delta has been in NZ, and how large this outbreak might be
Nigel French, Jemma Geoghegan, The Conversation, 19 August - When can we safely open the borders?
Amanda Kvalsvig, Science Media Centre, 11 August - Eradicating COVID-19 globally is ‘feasible’, NZ analysis says
Michael Baker, Nick Wilson, TVNZ, 10 August - COVID-19’s Delta variant is spreading rapidly
Michael Baker, RNZ, 5 August - COVID-19 infection causes worrying brain changes
Siouxsie Wiles, Stuff, 2 August
July 2021
- AstraZeneca vaccine provisionally approved for NZ
David Murdoch, SMC Expert Reactions, 29 July - Don’t underestimate COVID-19 in children
Amanda Kvalsvig, Newsroom, 28 July - Trans-Tasman bubble suspended
Nick Wilson, Michael Baker, SMC Expert Reactions, 23 July - We need to talk about the delta variant
Siouxsie Wiles, Stuff, 19 July - UK’s ‘awful experiment’ will threaten NZ
Siouxsie Wiles, Jemma Geoghegan, 13 July - Fiji faces large rise in COVID-19 deaths, lockdown needed
Michael Baker, Newshub, 10 July - No, we shouldn’t aim to live with Covid-19 like we live with the flu
Michael Baker, David Murdoch, Stuff, 8 July - COVID-19 will evolve to get around vaccines says expert, as govt looks at long-term MIQ options
Jemma Geoghegan, RNZ, 6 July
June 2021
- When will NZ have herd immunity against COVID-19?
Mick Roberts, SMC Expert Reactions, 30 June - Understanding the Delta variant
Michael Maze, Jemma Geoghegan, SMC Expert Reactions, 24 June - Will New Zealand have to one day let COVID-19 in?
Michael Baker, The Spinoff, 17 June - Why has the Wuhan lab leak theory re-emerged?
Siouxsie Wiles, Jemma Geoghegan, RNZ, 9 June - “We have been warned”—preparing now to prevent the next pandemic
David Murdoch, Nigel French, Patricia Priest, NZMJ Editorial, 4 June - Kiwi scientist reveals where the next pandemic is likely to begin
David Hayman, Newshub, 2 June
May 2021
- COVID-19 surges in Taiwan, Vietnam, Fiji – could NZ be next?
Michael Baker, Newsroom, 26 May - ‘We must not be complacent,’ NZ experts warn in wake of Melbourne’s COVID-19 outbreak
Siouxsie Wiles, 1News, 26 May - The Whole Truth: COVID-19 vaccination
David Murdoch, Stuff Interactives, 14 May - “Weak links” found at every point in pandemic response
David Murdoch, Nigel French, SMC Expert Reactions, 13May - COVID-19 vaccine should be mandatory for health workers, expert says
Michael Baker, Stuff, 9 May - US to back waiver of patent protection on COVID-19 vaccines
- James Ussher, RNZ, 6 May
- Experts urge politicians to depoliticise pandemic management
Nick Wilson, RNZ, 4 May
April 2021
- Public Health Agency ‘the legacy of the pandemic’
Nick Wilson, Michael Baker, Amanda Kvalsvig, Newsroom, 22 April - Blood testing finds undiagnosed COVID-19 cases in NZ
Amanda Kvalsvig, SMC Expert Reactions, 22 April - Is it too soon for the trans-Tasman travel bubble?
Michael Baker, RNZ, 20 April - Professor Michael Baker wins Prime Minister’s Science Communication Prize
Michael Baker, Otago Press Release, 14 April - The data behind the decision to suspend arrivals from India in NZ
Siouxsie Wiles, The Spinoff, 12 April - Govt sets up scientist group to advise on vaccine rollout, border changes
David Murdoch, RNZ, 8 April - 147 adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines in New Zealand ‘not unexpected’ – doctor
James Ussher, NewsHub, 7 April - “Eek” COVID-19 mutation circulates in Japan ahead of Olympics
Jemma Geoghegan, RNZ, 6 April - How New Zealand’s COVID-19 success made it a laboratory for the world
Jemma Geoghegan, Siouxsie Wiles, The Guardian, 3 April - How Siouxsie Wiles became ‘the Covid lady’, then New Zealander of the year
Siouxsie Wiles, The Spinoff, 1 April
March 2021
- New Zealand could be model for world if trans-Tasman travel bubble opens
Michael Baker, NewsHub, 29 March - Experts Siouxsie Wiles and Michael Baker reflect on a year of the virus
Siouxsie Wiles, Michael Baker, RNZ, 23 March - Scientists solve the rubbish bin mystery
Jemma Geoghegan, NZ Herald, 19 March - Saliva tests may have a place at the border, but not in the community
David Murdoch, Stuff, 18 March - We must have a better plan for the next pandemic, say Otago researchers
Amanda Kvalsvig, Michael Baker, Otago Press Release, 10 March - Aviation worker tests positive for Covid-19 shortly after vaccination
James Ussher, 8 March, SMC Expert Reactions - COVID-19 alert level drop ‘right thing to do’
Michael Baker, RNZ, 5 March - Poo probe: The science behind testing wastewater for the COVID-19 virus
Joanne Hewitt, Brent Gilpin, David Murdoch, Stuff, 3 March
February 2021
- A year of COVID-19 in NZ
David Murdoch, Joep de Ligt, SMC Expert Reactions, 25 February - Too early to suggest opening up trans-Tasman bubble
Michael Baker, Newstalk ZB, 24 February - Advice for family members of casual plus contacts ‘may need a rethink’
Amanda Kvalsvig, Siouxsie Wiles, Stuff, 24 February - The ‘edge’ cases and when transmission gets weird
Siouxsie Wiles, Mick Roberts, Stuff, 19 February - Spit take: Saliva testing is something extra, not a nose swab replacement
James Ussher, The Spinoff, 17 February - Why more contagious variants are emerging now, more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic
Jemma Geoghegan, Joep de Ligt, Nigel French, The Conversation, 16 February - How do the COVID-19 saliva tests stack up?
David Murdoch, SMC Expert Reactions, 16 February - What new COVID-19 jargon ‘CT values’ means and why they’re important
James Ussher, Seven Sharp, 15 February - How we detect historical cases of COVID-19 and why it matters
Siouxsie Wiles, Stuff, 15 February - Prosecute MIQ rule breakers, say epidemiologists
Leah Grout, Michael Baker, Nick Wilson, Stuff, 12 February - Frontline border workers to be vaccinated first as New Zealand approves Pfizer vaccine
David Murdoch, The Conversation, 3 February - COVID long haulers fighting to be heard
Michael Maze, RNZ, 1 February
January 2021
- NZ one of few countries to have new variant
Jemma Geoghegan, RNZ, 26 January - Expert warns New Zealand shouldn’t wait for COVID-19 wake-up call to improve border
David Murdoch, Newshub, 25 January - Poor ventilation and double-bunking led to health workers contracting COVID-19
Joshua Freeman, Stuff, 22 January - The Plan B implosion – what Brazil teaches us about the herd immunity hogwash
Siouxsie Wiles, The Spinoff, 18 January - COVID-19 emerging variants
David Hayman, SMC Expert Reactions, 14 January - New COVID-19 strain reaches NZ
Michael Baker, RNZ, 4 January
December 2020
- Government warned against introducing pre-departure Covid-19 testing
Siouxsie Wiles, RNZ, 29 December - How the Sydney cluster grew – and what it could mean for NZ
Siouxsie Wiles, The Spinoff, 22 December - COVID-19 vaccine portfolio rounded out
Michael Baker, Siouxsie Wiles, David Murdoch, James Ussher, SMC Expert Reactions, 17 December - COVID-19 vaccines secured: enough for everyone
David Murdoch, RNZ, 17 December - Expert explains why NZ can’t get complacent about COVID-19 over summer
Michael Baker, Newshub, 15 December - Coronavirus: Keeping Santa safe this Christmas
Siouxsie Wiles, Stuff, 14 December - COVID-19 smart science’s next target: The flu
Jemma Geoghegan, Sue Huang, Michael Baker, NZ Herald, 13 December
November 2020
- How COVID-19 genome sequencing maps the spread of the virus
Joep de Ligt, RNZ, 25 November - COVID-19 mutations in mink – the repercussions
David Hayman, RNZ, 23 November - Latest developments in COVID-19 vaccines
David Murdoch, SMC Expert Briefing (with video), 19 November - Catching COVID-19 from surfaces
Nigel French, SMC Expert Q&A, 18 November - Epidemiologist: Masks are one of our limited tools to combat COVID-19
Michael Baker, Newstalk ZB, 15 November - Koch’s postulates, COVID-19, and misinformation rabbit holes
Siouxsie Wiles, The Spinoff, 15 November - Pfizer announces COVID-19 vaccine
David Murdoch, RNZ, 10 November - November quarantine cluster
Amanda Kvalsvig, SMC Expert Reactions, 9 November - ESR expands sampling for COVID-19 in wastewater
Brent Gilpin, Joanne Hewitt, ESR Press Release, 5 November - ‘Pandemic era:’ Report links biodiversity crisis & pandemics
David Hayman, RNZ, 4 November - New Zealand needs a ‘traffic light’ system to stop COVID-19 creeping in at the border
Nick Wilson, Michael Baker, The Conversation, 4 November
October 2020
- COVID-19 and the Swiss cheese system
Siouxsie Wiles, The Spinoff, 22 October - Pub visit a ‘concern’ but COVID-19 system working – expert
David Murdoch, Newshub, 22 October - ‘Major outbreak’ at Christchurch isolation facility housing dozens of international fishermen
Michael Baker, Stuff, 21 October - Study unpacks the New Zealand experience of COVID-19 during the first wave
Sarah Jefferies, ESR Press Release, 14 October - Can we improve coronavirus testing?
Joshua Freeman, David Murdoch, Joep de Ligt, SMC Expert Q&A, 2 October - New Zealand and the COVID-19 vaccine
James Ussher, RNZ, 1 October
September 2020
- Cross-country review highlights NZ’s COVID-19 strategy
Patricia Priest, SMC Expert Reactions, 25 September - Historical cases were ‘inevitable’, more cases possibly out there – infectious disease expert
Siouxsie Wiles, Newshub, 24 September - When is a COVID-19 test result a weak positive, why more of them are being found, and how the cases are dealt with
Joshua Freeman, Stuff, 24 September - New case after quarantine ‘very unusual’
David Murdoch, Newstalk ZB, 21 September - Rapid ESR genome sequencing assists in crucial COVID-19 case investigation
ESR, Press Release, 14 September - Vaccine trial pause a positive sign – expert
David Murdoch, RNZ, 11 September - ‘Runs of zero new cases’ needed before Auckland moves out of Level 2.5 – health expert
Nick Wilson, 1 News, 4 September - Steroids help treat critically ill COVID-19 patients
Michael Maze, SMC Expert Reactions, 3 September
August 2020
- Alert level update and mandatory masks on public transport
Siouxsie Wiles, Michael Baker, Amanda Kvalsvig, Nick Wilson, SMC Expert Reactions, 24 August - Government urged to launch inquiry into its pandemic response
Michael Baker, Nick Wilson, New Zealand Herald, 20 August - They say, ‘learn to live with Covid-19’. Here’s what I say back
Siouxsie Wiles, The Spinoff, 18 August - Genome detective: Otago scientist tracking origin of outbreak
Jemma Geoghegan, Otago Daily Times, 14 August - COVID-19 explainer: What are the symptoms?
Michael Maze, RNZ, 14 August - ‘We felt we had beaten it’: New Zealand’s race to eliminate the coronavirus again
Amanda Kvalsvig, Nature, 14 August
Alert Level 3 lockdown the right thing to do
David Murdoch, Newstalk ZB, 12 August - New COVID-19 cases in NZ community
Garry Nixon, Siouxsie Wiles, Amanda Kvalsvig, SMC Expert Reactions, 12 August - 100 days without COVID-19: how New Zealand got rid of a virus that keeps spreading across the world
Michael Baker, Amanda Kvalvsig, Nick Wilson, The Conversation, 7 August - Tracking COVID-19 through sewage
Brent Gilpin, RNZ, 6 August - COVID-19 unmasked: experts discuss coronavirus
Miguel Quinones-Mateu, Jemma Geoghegan, Michael Baker, David Murdoch, RNZ, 6 August
July 2020
- COVID-19 expert Siouxsie Wiles urges Kiwis not to get complacent – and get tested
Siouxsie Wiles, 1 News, 31 July - New Zealand has developed world’s lowest death rate
Nick Wilson, RNZ, 24 July - Every Kiwi should have masks handy in case of Covid-19 resurgence
Michael Baker, 1 News, 23 July - Christchurch professor helping with Covid-19 vaccine trials says new results are ‘promising’
David Murdoch, Stuff, 21 July - New Zealand to quarantine people ‘for months, maybe years’ as COVID-19 rages around world
Michael Baker, NewsHub Nation, 11 July - Zoonotic diseases will become more common
Nigel French, RNZ, 9 July - Siouxsie & the Virus
Siouxsie Wiles, Loading Docs, 4 July - Government to test sewage at managed isolation facilities
Brent Gilpin, Stuff, 1 July
June 2020
- Pandemic terminology: getting it right matters for effective risk communication and management
Nick Wilson, Amanda Kvalsvig, Michael Baker, SciBlogs, 30 June - COVID-19 testing at the border
Joshua Freeman, SMC Expert Reactions, 23 June - COVID-19 at the borders
Patricia Priest, Science Media Centre Expert Briefing, 18 June - The next once-a-century pandemic is coming sooner than you think – but COVID-19 can help us get ready
David Murdoch, The Conversation, 15 June - A novel enemy: Outflanking the pathogen behind Covid-19
Miguel Quinones-Mateu, James Ussher, David Murdoch, David Hayman, Michael Baker, Michael Maze, Stuff, 10 June - New Zealand hits zero active coronavirus cases. Here are 5 measures to keep it that way
Michael Baker, Nick Wilson, The Conversation, 8 June - ESR receives $1.6M for research into COVID-19 in wastewater
Brent Gilpin, ESR Press Release, 5 June - Otago and ESR collaboration gets funding to track COVID-19 spread and evolution in NZ
Jemma Geoghegan, Joep de Ligt, Otago Press Release, 1 June
May 2020
- Misinformation found in a quarter of COVID-19 videos
Siouxsie Wiles, Stuff, 25 May - Testing times: How a health workforce jumped up to help stamp-out New Zealand’s coronavirus crisis
Joshua Freeman, James Ussher, Lauren Jelley, Stuff, 24 May - Epidemiologist on Alert Level 1
Michael Baker, RNZ, 20 May - Dr Siouxsie Wiles calls for NZ restaurants to lower music volume to help limit spread of COVID-19
Siouxsie Wiles, 1 News, 19 May - Christchurch researchers asking parents what information they need about COVID-19 and children’s health
Tony Walls, University of Otago Press Release, 13 May - Monday ‘too soon’ to decide COVID-19 alert level drop
Siouxsie Wiles & David Murdoch, Stuff, 8 May - Influenza during COVID-19
Sue Huang, Science Media Centre Expert Briefing, 7 May - Man-made virus claim falls flat with scientists
David Hayman, Stuff, 4 May - There are zero new COVID-19 cases today, now what?
Ayesha Verrall, Stuff, 4 May - Genetic scientists map spread of COVID-19 in New Zealand
Joep de Ligt, Jemma Geoghegan & David Murdoch, RNZ, 1 May
April 2020
- NZ wasn’t ready for a pandemic
Nick Wilson & Michael Baker, Newsroom, 29 April - Pacific doctor praises ‘fantastic response’ from NZ Pasifika community in fight back against COVID-19
Kiki Maoate, Breakfast, 28 April - Reopening schools as safe as ever, health experts say
Tony Walls, Stuff, 27 April - Getting sick in lockdown
Matloob Husain, SMC Expert Reactions, 24 April - Digital element needed to fight COVID-19
Michael Baker, RNZ, 21 April - Rapid audit of contact tracing for COVID-19 in New Zealand
Ayesha Verrall, Ministry of Heath Report, 20 April - The next level
Patricia Priest, RNZ, 19 April - Kiwi flu studies expand to include COVID-19
ESR, Newshub, 16 April - Relying on other countries for vaccine ‘wrong approach’, top scientists say
Miguel Quinones-Mateu & James Ussher, Stuff, 15 April - Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in NZ
- Amanda Kvalsvig & David Murdoch, SMC Expert Reactions, 9 April
- Rural health academics call for move to district reporting of Covid-19 data
- Garry Nixon, Press Release, 9 April
- Epidemiologists feeling ‘reasonably positive’ about NZ progress
Michael Baker, RNZ, 7 April - Pharmac restricts access to hydroxychloroquine
Steve Chambers & David Murdoch, RNZ, 3 April - Virus research in Dunedin containment lab
Miguel Quinones-Mateu, ODT, 1 April - Understanding the evidence behind quarantine
Ayesha Verrall & Mick Roberts, SMC Expert Reactions, 1 April
March 2020
- “We predicted this”
Eddie Holmes, The Latest from Science (Australian Academy of Science, 31 March - Medics answer your virus questions
One Health Aotearoa, Stuff, 30 March - COVID-19 modelling shows Kiwi lives will be saved
David Murdoch, RNZ, 27 March - The COVID-19 risk for rural communities
Garry Nixon & Nigel French, SMC Expert Reactions, 26 March - What you can and can’t do after New Zealand’s alert level increase
Steve Chambers, Newshub, 23 March - Why New Zealand needs to continue decisive action to contain coronavirus
Michael Baker, Nick Wilson, The Conversation, 19 March - Social distancing: A way to everybody’s friend
Patricia Priest, RNZ, 19 March - Simple, common factor in success against COVID-19 in Asia
James Ussher, Newsroom, 18 March - New border restrictions to tackle COVID-19
David Murdoch, Michael Baker, Siouxsie Wiles & Joshua Freeman, SMC Expert Reactions, 14 March - Calls to resist the urge to politicise the coronavirus
David Murdoch, RNZ, 13 March - ESR performs first New Zealand genome sequencing on COVID-19 sample
ESR, Press release, 9 March - New Zealand must learn from China’s success in managing COVID-19
Ayesha Verrall, Stuff, 6 March - ESR provides COVID-19 testing for Pacific Island countries
ESR, Press release, 5 March - Scientific hand-washing advice to avoid infection
Siouxsie Wiles, RNZ (with video), 3 March - Coronavirus: The facts
David Murdoch, Newstalk ZB (with video), 2 March
February 2020
- Is New Zealand ready?
Ayesha Verrall, Sunday, 23 February - COVID-19: another infectious disease emerging at the animal-human interface
David Murdoch & Nigel French, NZMJ Editorial, 21 February - SARS-CoV-2: a novel deadly virus in a globalised world
Anja Werno, NZMJ, 21 February - COVID-19: ‘High chance’ coronavirus will arrive in New Zealand – expert
David Murdoch, NewsHub, 21 February - Coronavirus update: spread outside China and a new name
Siouxsie Wiles, Sciblogs, 16 February - Pandemic expert says NZ too slow to act on coronavirus
Nick Wilson, RNZ, 13 February - Novel Coronavirus has characteristics of a pandemic – expert
Michael Baker, RNZ, 10 February - Reducing human consumption of wildlife key to stomping out deadly viruses
David Hayman, Stuff/Manawatu Standard, 6 February - NZ should prepare for a potentially severe global coronavirus pandemic
- Michael Baker & Nick Wilson, Blog post, 6 February
- Bracing for novel coronavirus on NZ shores
Nick Wilson, Michael Baker, SMC Expert Reaction, 4 February - Coronavirus: Infectious disease expert
David Murdoch, Newstalk ZB (with video), 3 February - Hygiene practices, not masks, key to avoiding viruses
Patricia Priest, RNZ, 2 February
January 2020
- Test to detect novel coronavirus available in New Zealand
ESR, Press release, 31 January - Novel coronavirus and border screening
Patricia Priest, David Murdoch, SMC Expert Reaction, 30 January - New Zealand teenagers caught up in China’s strict coronavirus lockdown
James Ussher, 1 News, 29 January - Coronavirus: Everything you need to know
David Hayman, Siouxsie Wiles, Mick Roberts, NZ Herald, 28 January - Novel coronavirus origins and wider impacts
David Hayman, Mick Roberts, SMC Expert Reaction, 28 January - Novel coronavirus spreads
Siouxsie Wiles, SMC Expert Reaction, 22 January - Novel coronavirus detected in China
Michael Baker, SMC Expert Reaction, 14 January