Co‑Search is a collaboration of COVID‑19 researchers helping guide Aotearoa New Zealand's pandemic response.
The Public Health Expert blog regularly reports on topical issues and key Co‑Search members are often approached for expert opinion in New Zealand and international media.
Contact Co‑Search:
Email virginia.signal@otago.ac.nz
Email fiona.taylor@otago.ac.nz
The Briefing
These blogs includes colleagues from outside of the University of Otago, Wellington (UOW).
- Pandemic preparedness index and implications for NZ. Ready or not? Boyd, M., & Wilson, N. The Briefing, 19 July 2023.
- Aotearoa New Zealand's fourth wave of Covid-19 and why we should care. Baker M, Summers J, Kerr, J, Wilson N. (2023) The Briefing, 28 April 2023.
- It's been 3 years since COVID entered New Zealand – here are 3 ways to improve our response. Baker M, Kvalsvig A, Harewood M. The Briefing, 27 February 2023.
- An Official Inquiry into the Covid-19 Pandemic Response – It's Time and it's Vital. Wilson N, Thomson G, Summers S, Baker M. Public Health Expert Blog. 22 September 2022.
- The Covid-19 experience in Aotearoa New Zealand and other comparable high-income jurisdictions and implications for managing the next pandemic phase. Summers J, Wilson N, Telfar Barnard L, Bennett J, Kvalsvig A, Baker M. Public Health Expert Blog. 24 August 2022.
- Covid‑19 Case-Fatality Risk & Infection-Fatality Risk – important measures to help guide the pandemic response. Summers, J., M. Baker and N. Wilson, May 2022.
- The urgent need for a Covid‑19 Action Plan for Schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. Kvalsvig, A., M. Baker, J. Summers, L. Telfar Barnard, A. Dickson, J. Bennett, C. Timu-Parata and N. Wilson, May 2022.
- Longer-term harm from Covid-19 in children: The evidence suggests greater efforts are needed to protect children in Aotearoa NZ from infection. Kvalsvig, A., A. Brooks, N. Wilson, J. Bennett, J. Summers, C. Timu-Parata, C. Wild, B. Tuari-Toma, C. Jackson and M. Baker, March 2022
- Covid-19 Hospitalisations Now Peaking in Aotearoa NZ – But Key Covid-19 Control Measures Still Need to be Maintained. Baker, M., J. Summers and N. Wilson, March 2022
- The Omicron waves – Comparing Aotearoa NZ and Australia in four key graphs. Summers, J., M. Baker and N. Wilson, April 2022
- Mortality declines in Aotearoa NZ during the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr Jennifer Summers, Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson, February 2022
- Ventilation in NZ schools during the Omicron wave - results from a preliminary study. Dr Julie Bennett, Dr Tim Chambers and Dr Caroline Shorter, February 2022
- Strengthening Omicron mitigation strategies in Early Childhood Education settings. Julie Bennett, Philippa Anderson, Sarah Donovan, Amanda Kvalsvig, Alison Leversha, Subhadra Rajanaidu, and Jin Russell, February 2022
- COVID-19 hospitalisation peaks in Australian States since Omicron emerged: potential relevance to Aotearoa NZ. Summers J, Wilson N, Baker M, February 2022
- Protecting New Zealand children from the developing Omicron outbreak. Amanda Kvalsvig, Nick Wilson, Carmen Timu-Parata, Belinda Tuari-Toma, Jennifer Summers, Cheryl Davies, Constanza Jackson, Julie Bennett, and Michael G. Baker, January 2022
- Potential Impact of an Omicron Outbreak: A Look at the IHME Modelling for NZ. Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker, January 2022
- Preparing for Omicron: A proactive Government response is urgently needed to minimise harms. Prof Michael Baker, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Dr Matire Harwood, Prof Nick Wilson, January 2022
- COVID-19, Christmas, the New Year and Summer Holidays: What the NZ Government and individuals can do to minimise the risks. Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Dr Julie Bennett, Dr Lucy Telfar Barnard, Professor Michael G Baker, December 2021
- Management of Auckland's external border with the world and internal boundary with NZ needs major changes to reflect the city's shift from Covid-19 elimination to suppression. Dr Lucy Telfar Barnard, Dr Jennifer Summers, Lesley Gray, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick Wilson, November 2021
- Reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission through the use of air purifiers. Prof Mark Jermy, Dr Julie Bennett, Dr Jason Chen, Phoebe Taptiklis and Dr Caroline Shorter, October 2021
- COVID-19 in Aotearoa: what does public health do now? Dr Belinda Loring, Dr Ruth Cunningham, Dr Polly Atatoa Carr, October 2021
- In May 2022 the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 expires: what then? Louise Delany, September 2021
- Making the Most of Masks. Dr Nitasha Rimar, Dr Lucy Telfar Barnard, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Lesley Gray, Prof Michael Baker, September 2021
- Intensifying Covid-19 Control Measures: 5 Measures for Faster Elimination and 5 Measures to Prevent Future outbreaks. Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Julie Bennett, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Jin Russell, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Michael Baker, September 2021
- Improving ventilation in schools: a key protection against Covid-19 outbreaks and an enduring legacy for healthier learning. Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Dr Julie Bennett, Dr Jin Russell, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Leah Grout, Prof Michael Baker, and Prof Nick Wilson, September 2021
- Lessons from jurisdictions that are battling their own Delta variant outbreaks. Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker, August 2021
- Throwing Open the Windows: The Need for Ventilation Improvements as Part of Covid-19 Outbreak Control in Aotearoa. Dr Leah Grout, Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Julie Bennett, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker, August 2021
- More Wastewater Testing Could Guide Optimal Covid-19 Control on the Path Back to Elimination. Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Matthew Parry, Dr Leah Grout, Prof Michael Baker, August 2021
- Five Potential Enhancements of Covid-19 Outbreak Control in Aotearoa NZ. Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Leah Grout, Prof Michael Baker, August 2021
- Five lessons for Aotearoa NZ from the current COVID-19 outbreak in New South Wales. Dr Leah Grout, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker, Prof Nick Wilson, August 2021
- Running into Trouble: COVID-19 in Japan during the Tokyo Olympics. Dr Leah Grout, Dr Jennifer Summers, Prof Nick Wilson, Prof Michael Baker, July 2021
- Covid-19 was no black swan, but a paradigmatic black elephant. Dr Matt Boyd, July 2021
- The alarms are flashing red: Five reasons to upgrade our Alert Level system before the next Covid-positive traveller visits a major city. Amanda Kvalsvig, Nick Wilson, Cheryl Davies, Carmen Timu-Parata, Virginia Signal, Michael G. Baker, July 2021
- The changing COVID-19 situation in Taiwan – what can NZ learn from Taiwan's latest outbreak? Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Leah Grout, Professor Michael Baker, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Professor Nick Wilson, 13 July 2021
- Health and Economic Impacts of the Covid-19 Response: NZ Compared to OECD Countries Prof Nick Wilson, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Nhung Nghiem, Prof Michael Baker, 4 December 2020
- Bioethicists, Scientists and Politicians; Decision Making in a Pandemic. Dr Ben Gray, 1 December 2020
- The COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa/NZ: A brief photo-essay with 10 photos. Luke Pilkinton-Ching, Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson, 25 November 2020
- Time to Stop Dodging Bullets? NZ's Eight Recent Border Control Failures. Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Leah Grout, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Prof Michael Baker, 16 November 2020
- How to Systematically Reduce the Border Failure Risk for COVID-19 in Aotearoa / NZ. Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Professor Michael Baker, 28 October 2020
- Covid-19: A planetary disease. Louise Delany, 14 October 2020
- The long-term health burden of COVID-19: further justification for NZ's elimination strategy. Professor John D. Potter, 24 September 2020
- Shifting all Isolation/Quarantine Facilities to a Single Air Force Base: The Need for a Critical Analysis. Professor Nick Wilson, Professor Michael Baker, 14 September 2020
- Tax policy as a key health determinant: Reform for the Covid-19 reset. Louise Delany, Associate Professor George Thomson. 7 September 2020
- Upgrade of NZ's COVID-19 Alert Levels Needed to Help Regain NZ's Elimination Status. Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Professor Michael Baker. 3 September 2020
- Children and young people and COVID-19: The urgent need for improved guidance in NZ. Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Amanda D'Souza, Professor Michael Baker. 27 August 2020
- NZ's COVID-19 response compared to selected other jurisdictions: Australia, Taiwan and the United States. Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Andy Anglemyer, Professor Tony Blakely, Professor Michael Baker. 26 August 2020
- Using a fun “Mask Day” at school to promote pandemic protection in the NZ community. Dr Ling Chan, Dr Sophie Febery, Professor Michael Baker, Dr Amanda Klasvig, Professor Nick Wilson. 25 August 2020
- Using the CovidCard to enhance protection from COVID-19 at the NZ border. Dr Tim Chambers, Professor Nick Wilson, Professor Michael Baker, 21 August 2020
- NZ's “Team of 5 million” has achieved the lowest COVID-19 death rate in the OECD – but there are still gaps in our pandemic response – Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Tim Chambers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Dr Anja Mizdrak, Dr Nhung Nghiem, Dr Jennifer Summers, Professor Michael Baker, 22 July 2020
- Weekly deaths declined in NZ's lockdown – but we still don't know exactly why – Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Anja Mizdrak, Dr Jennifer Summers, Professor Michael Baker, 10 July, 2020
- COVID-19 and the law in Aotearoa NZ – Louise Delany, 6 July 2020
- Kiwi public health doc reporting back from Victoria (Australia): “Do quarantine well!” – Professor Tony Blakely, 3 July 2020
- Pandemic terminology: getting it right matters for effective risk communication and management – Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Professor Michael Baker, 30 June 2020
- Preventing Outbreaks of COVID-19 in NZ Associated with Air Travel from Australia: New Modelling Study of Alternatives to Quarantine – Professor Nick Wilson, Professor Michael Baker, Professor Martin Eichner, 16 June 2020
- Five Key Reasons why NZ Should have an Official Inquiry into the Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic – Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Associate Professor George Thomson, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Dr Matt Boyd, Professor Michael Baker, 11 June 2020
- When can COVID-19 be declared eliminated from NZ? New modelling study – Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Matthew Parry, Dr Ayesha Verrall, Professor Michael Baker, Professor Martin Eichler, 25 May 2020
- Why a “mouth and nose” lockdown with masks might help avoid a “full body” lockdown at home - Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Sophie Febery, Dr Ling Chan, Dr Jennifer Summers, Professor Michael Baker, 20 May 2020
- The strong case for mask requirements in public transportation and border control settings in NZ's current COVID-19 pandemic context - Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Sophie Febery, Dr Ling Chan, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Professor Michael Baker, 11 May 2020
- The need for a robust scientific definition for the elimination of COVID-19 from New Zealand - Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson, Professor Shaun Hendy, Professor David Skegg, 5 May 2020
- What we would like to see on the Ministry of Health's website to better inform progress on Covid-19 elimination – Gordon Purdie, Professor Nick Wilson, Professor Michael Baker, 2 May 2020
- Be careful what you wish for: ICU is no panacea – Associate Professor Angela Ballentyne, Professor Wendy Rogers, Prof Vikki Entwhistle, Dr Cindy Towns – 24 April 2020
- Why New Zealand should consider adopting “mass masking” as an additional step to speed elimination of the COVID‑19 pandemic – Dr Ling Chan, Dr Sophie Febery, 22 April 2020
- Why eliminating COVID‑19 is critical: Since more waves of infection, hospitalisations and deaths are inevitable for other countries until a vaccine arrives – Professor Rod Jackson, 19 April 2020
- Science-informed policy: Considerations in support of judicious, circumspect changes to Aotearoa/NZ alert levels during the COVID-19 pandemic – Professor John D. Potter, 18 April 2020
- Covid recovery or sustainable transformation? – Associate Professor Ralph Chapman, Dr Paul Blaschke, 17 April 2020
- We need rapid response on digital solutions to help eliminate COVID‑19 from New Zealand – Dr Tim Chambers, Professor Nick Wilson, Professor Michael Baker, 15 April 2020
- Changes in mobility in response to the COVID‑19 pandemic: New Zealand vs other countries and the stories it suggests – Dr Matt Boyd, Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson, 12 April 2020
- COVID‑19 and Māori health – when equity is more than a word – Dr Paula King, Dr Donna Cormack, Dr Melissa McLeod, Associate Professor Ricci Harris, Dr Jason Gurney, 10 April 2020
- ICU triage: How many lives or whose lives? – Associate Professor Angela Ballentyne, 7 April 2020
- Testing for COVID‑19 in New Zealand to achieve the elimination goal – Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Ayesha Verrall, Len Cook, Alistair Gray, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Professor Michael Baker, 6 April 2020
- From across the Ditch: How Australia has to decide on the least worst option for COVID‑19 – Professor Tony Blakely, 4 April 2020
- Might a 'Coasean' social contract mitigate overall societal harm from COVID‑19? – Brian Williamson, Professor Nick Wilson, 3 April 2020
- Avoidable hospitalisations: Helping our health system get through COVID‑19 – Associate Professor George Thomson, Louise Delany, Professor Nick Wilson, 25 March 2020
- The maths and ethics of minimising COVID‑19 deaths in New Zealand – Professor Tony Blakely, Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson, 23 March 2020
- Getting through together: Ethical values for a pandemic – Dr Ruth Cunningham, Professor Charlotte Paul, Associate Professor Andrew Moore, 14 February 2020
- New Zealand should prepare for a potentially severe global coronavirus pandemic – Professor Nick Wilson, Professor Michael Baker, 6 February 2020
Opinion pieces, including The Conversation
- The costly lesson from COVID: Why elimination should be the default global strategy for future pandemics. Baker, M., Durrheim, D., Hsu, L. Y., Wilson, N. The Conversation, (2023).
- With COVID on the rise again, here are some simple steps to help us socialise safely during the holidays. Baker, M., Welch, D., O'Neale, D. The Conversation, (2022).
- New Zealand's new cut-down COVID response is a missed opportunity: Here are 5 ways to improve it. Baker, M., Wilson, N. The Conversation, (2022).
- How are Australia and NZ managing the rising COVID winter wave: And is either getting it right? Blakely, T., Baker, M. The Conversation, (2022).
- As winter bites, NZ urgently needs a COVID action plan for schools: Here's how to do it. Kvalsvig, A. The Conversation, (2022).
- Two years on from the first COVID case, New Zealand's successful pandemic response still faces major challenges. The Conversation (Blog), Baker, M., A. Kvalsvig, M. Harwood and N. Wilson, February 2022
- To protect children during Aotearoa's Omicron outbreak, we need to consider their families, not just schools. The Conversation (Blog), Kvalsvig, A, February 2022
- Meaningless slogans like 'freedom day' harm our ability to properly debate pandemic responses – Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson. The Guardian, 20 July 2021
- No more acting like stunned mullets – bigger, better, faster responses needed to meet future bio-threats – Professor Nick Wilson. The Conversation, 5 February 2021
- COVID-19: the science and law are clear – it's time for NZ to turn down the travel tap from high-risk countries – Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Professor Michael Baker The Conversation, 29 January 2021
- With COVID-19 mutating and surging, NZ urgently needs to tighten border controls – Professor Nick Wilson, Professor Michael Baker The Conversation, 12 January 2021
- New Zealand needs a 'traffic light' system to stop COVID-19 creeping in at the border – Professor Nick Wilson, Professor Michael Baker. The Conversation, 4 November 2020
- 6 months after New Zealand's first COVID-19 case, it's time for a more strategic approach – Professor Michael Baker, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Professor Nick Wilson, The Conversation, 26 August 2020
- Masking the outbreak: Despite New Zealand's growing COVID-19 cases, there are more ways to get back to elimination faster – Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Amanada Kvalsvig, Professor Michael Baker. The Conversation, 13 August 2020
- 100 days without COVID-19: how New Zealand got rid of a virus that keeps spreading across the world – Professor Michael Baker, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Professor Nick Wilson. The Conversation, 12 August 2020
- 'It's not going to be easy': experts on what Australia must do to curb Covid's spread – Professor Tony Blakely, Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson. The Guardian, 4 August 2020.
- What next for New Zealand in its post-COVID-19 era? – Professor Nick Wilson, Professor Michael Baker. East Asia Forum, 27 July 2020
- Five ways New Zealand can keep Covid-19 cases at zero – Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson. The Guardian, 8 June 2020
- Elimination: What New Zealand's coronavirus response can teach the world – Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson, The Guardian, 10 April 2020
- Coronavirus: Five reasons why we must fight, and how it could make New Zealand better – Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson, Stuff, 4 April 2020
- Self-isolating for coronavirus is impossible for tens of thousands of New Zealanders – unless we help them fast – Clare Aspinall, The Conversation, 27 March 2020
- 'Overjoyed': A leading health expert on New Zealand's coronavirus shutdown, and the challenging weeks ahead – Professor Michael Baker, The Conversation, 24 March 2020
- Why New Zealand needs to continue decisive action to contain coronavirus – Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson, The Conversation, 20 March 2020
- New Zealand must learn lessons from China's success in managing COVID‑19 – Dr Ayesha Verrall, Stuff, 9 March 2020
- COVID-19 has now reached New Zealand. How prepared is it to deal with a pandemic? – Professor Michael Baker, Professor Nick Wilson, The Conversation, 4 March 2020
- What does the coronavirus epidemic mean for New Zealand? – Professor Michael Baker, Sunday Star Times, 29 January 2020