I agree that it's not possible to distinguish whether BA.3.2 is more virulent in children, infects more children, or (more likely) some combination of the two.

"Policymakers and the public are reluctant to even speak of Covid in the present tense, but the evidence shows it is still a major infectious disease in Aotearoa New Zealand, with wide-ranging negative impacts". #longcovid www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-...

Almost 200,000 New Zealanders now living with long Covid - where is the government plan? A high prevalence of #longCovid is perhaps the starkest reminder that the pandemic is far from over. @amandakvalsvig.bsky.social www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-...

Really excited to be able to share our latest preprint, describing how during its evolution in cattle, H5N1 has got better at using a type of alternative receptor that's abundant in cows, but not found in humans and birds. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

For anyone wanting a deep-dive into the regulation of indoor air quality in Australia, the recent NSW Parliament enquiry into Clean Indoor Air offers a treasure-trove of great information about the present sorry situation and possible ways forward. My commentary: petervogel.legal/rubyprincess...

you gotta get your doctor to write you a note, unfortunately i managed to get another booster this time. but i did get long covid after getting denied a booster a few years ago. whatever they saved on the extra shot they lost a thousand times over in a reduction in lifetime tax paid by me

As people are again hitting the confusion generated by the IMAC rewording, I want to re-up something Living Safely with Covid posted a couple of weeks back- Pharmac is the authority, they won't (shouldn't) be changing without consultation, so watch for consultation

This was what we managed to avoid in AoNZ. As an intensive care specialist, I will forever be grateful that the COVID response was driven by expertise and values. A central role of government has always been responding to society level threats, delivered by ideas of fairness and collective good.

Flu vaccine update: FLUAD adjuvanted influenza vaccine (unfunded) is now available in Ao NZ to anyone aged 50+ years. The MF59 adjuvant boosts immune response in older people and can lead to more durable immunity. 1/2

Spoke to the local pharmacist last week. He confirmed that although the IMAC recommendations have changed to annual boosters Pharmac is still funding 6-monthly Covid boosters. Hopefully by now you’ve found a pharmacist to give your the LP.8.1 vaccine!

MasqFit, developed by @edderic.bsky.social, is now available in the iOS App Store “MasqFit recommends masks that are most likely to fit your face, based on real fit data and mask performance.” apps.apple.com/nz/app/masqf...

“Most people think of the flu vaccine as preventing a week of unpleasant symptoms, but the evidence now shows it also significantly reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.” #kikorangi www.phcc.org.nz/briefing/inf...

Wearing masks, opening windows, receiving vaccinations, participating in testing, staying home when sick, running HEPA filters, practicing good hygiene... We are capable of taking so many actions to reduce viral infections! I don't understand the "well, what can you do?" attitude. LOTS, just try.

My new research is out "Overview and Pathophysiology of Long Covid" I provide an updated overview of key concepts, terminology and epidemiology of LC. I also offer an analysis of key mechanisms of pathology and multi-organ involvement in #LongCovid www.mdpi.com/2673-8112/6/...

@durhamhealthnc.bsky.social gives good advice. Where is every other public health unit's advice??

“We're shocked and concerned that so many people have been underserved by New Zealand's health authorities. "Now that the scale of the problem is clearer, we want to know why there are still no plans to monitor it." Excellent question, and, as in the article, deeply concerning results.

Thank you! Here's the audio recording: www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

Quite a comeback of BA.3.2* in New South Wales, Australia 🇦🇺. Dominance can be expected. #BA32

Shingles vaccine drastically cuts risk of serious cardiac events bit.ly/47Prvoy

How the Covid Disinformation Ecosystem was established Network mapping the international network's development in 2020, with a particular focus on the UK. open.substack.com/pub/counterd...

RAT reminder. If you’re in Aotearoa NZ you can get bulk covid tests from Sober Check. They have 2 flavours straight covid or covid/rsv/flu a&b. it ends up about 40% cheaper than buying single tests #covid

From the NZ data: Māori were more likely to report having LC symptoms after having COVID-19 compared to non-Māori adults. Approximately 1 in 6 Māori adults (15.5%) reported ever having Long Covid symptoms, compared to approximately 1 in 9 non-Māori adults.

The first NZ data from MOH on #longcovid numbers is out It's based on data collected in the 2024/2025 health survey Around 1 in 11 NZ adults reported having at least one Long Covid symptom for over three months www.health.govt.nz/publications...

"Vote for me! I’m competing for the Ms. Health & Fitness title as a masked athlete to stand with people w/ disabilities and those who mask to protect their health."—Dr. Bailey Devine needs us to VOTE every 24 hrs to help her advance to the quarterfinals! mshealthandfit.com/2026/bailey

The Covid-19 Royal Commission's second report has been published, I've read (almost) all of it and here are the key takeaways: newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/10/l...

Study links working while sick to higher risk of future absence Employees who work while sick have a roughly 30% higher likelihood of later absenteeism than those who don’t. www.cidrap.umn.edu/p...

6/ In classrooms with clean filtered air, test scores go up and absences go down. The evidence is right in front of us.

2/ Measles, flu, COVID-19, norovirus, MRSA, Aspergillus, TB—most infectious diseases spread through the air we breathe. We just accept everyone gets sick indoors. It doesn't have to be this way.

Long COVID remains a significant health and economic burden, resulting in $170 billion in lost wages in the United States alone. This underscores the need for more support for patients plus effective research to rapidly develop and distribute treatments for #LongCOVID

Bailey (cleanairathletics on IG) wants to represent maskers on the cover of Muscle and Fitness Hers. We think masking representation is really important! To help see both Bailey and masks on the cover, all you need to do is vote here: mshealthandfit.com/2026/bailey

The surge of HPAI in cattle has had an intersting side effect - way more research, and detections, of influenza D virus. 👉 www.science.org/content/arti...

Interesting fact from Mike Coston’s blog: Today domestic cats are the most commonly reported mammal with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in the U.S., except for dairy cows.

This 7-minute video by @ukhadds.bsky.social should inspire every parent & teacher to ask their school board & local govt to track & improve indoor air quality in schools. Why Clean Air in Schools is Important youtu.be/CGjcvfTD5SQ

Excellent explainer of how to prevent airborne spread of viruses such as Covid and measles with masks, air purifiers and ventilation

An airborne virus is a virus that can infect other people through unseen particles in the air, sometimes for hours after the sick person has left the area! Masks and clean, ventilated air can reduce the risk of getting sick from airborne viruses or infecting others.

Yet more evidence that mandated clean air in schools is needed to combat predictable, recurring waves of within-school illness spread. In New Zealand, individual school BoTs are not equipped or prepared to take this necessary step. It must be mandated and funded by govt. #nzpol @greens.org.nz

Our results indicate that extended periods spent in poorly ventilated classrooms may be a stronger driver of within-school transmission than individual contact rates.

LP.8.1 vaccine availability From 2 March 2026, the COVID-19 vaccine for people aged 12+ will be updated from JN.1 to Comirnaty LP.8.1. The vaccine for children has already moved to LP.8.1 and the vaccine for infants will change during February. www.pharmac.govt.nz/medicine-fun...

This first probable case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a dairy cow in Europe raises two points. First, it suggests that virus incursion is possible in the Dutch housing system, which differs from that in the southern U.S., where cows were first infectted. www.science.org/content/arti...

Preprint: Long COVID, POTS, and LC-POTS are biochemically distinct diseases. Their differences are encoded in post-translational modifications inside fibrinaloid microclot complexes; not in protein abundance. 🧵 by @resiapretorius.bsky.social threadreaderapp.com/thread/20063...

BA.3.2 now 13.0% in NZ wastewater "Cicada" is making itself known in New Zealand with a big jump in the last fortnight. BA.3.2 was below 1% in the fortnight to 30 November, increased to 11.7% week of 7 Dec and is now at 13.0% Also present: 28% MC.10.2.1 24% PE.1.4 19% NB.1.8.1 16% XFG

Clean air for kids & staff in schools & daycares shouldn’t be controversial No IAQ policy at any level of govt ensuring indoor air is clean & safe to breathe atm Petition to Toronto Board of Health to direct TO Public Health to adopt Health🇨🇦's new IAQ Guidance: bsky.app/profile/mama...

Long Covid’s long reach: Long Covid & ME/CFS are post-infectious chronic conditions that can change people’s lives and sense of identity. "For parents and caregivers, it’s scary seeing a child with such a debilitating condition and with no clear treatment or pathway to recovery." #LongCovidKids 1/

At present, there is no evidence of an increased hospitalization rate associated with BA.3.2 cases in Germany. influenza.rki.de/Wochenberichte…

Today’s WHO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition update is already out of date. The TAG-CO-VAC recommends a monovalent LP.8.1 vaccine stating available data indicate BA.3.2 does not currently exhibit a clear fitness advantage over JN.1-derived variants 1/

🚨🧵by Zdenek Vrozina: "COVID-19 is often described as an inflammatory disease. But new research shows SARS-CoV-2 goes deeper. It alters regulatory layers inside cells at the RNA level, weakening antiviral defense from within..." Full 23-tweet 🧵 threadreaderapp.com/thread/20013...

'John Muir, co-founder of the Corsi-Rosenthal Foundation, a UK charity campaigning for the improvement of clean indoor air, said any investment in the devices was well worth the money'. There's a poll in this article - please vote. www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/educati...

Immunity theft: COVID infection may leave people more susceptible to other infections

AFD Blog `The Lancet: The Threat of Another #Coronavirus Pandemic' afludiary.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-...

Current H5N1 avian influenza viruses replicate better in human respiratory tissues than a historic one, warranting "the urgency to prevent cross-species transmission to humans by controlling spillover events to mammals and limiting viral spread in farmed mammals." www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...