Skip to content

Health

COVID-19 Update: 5 April 2020

COVID-19 Update: 5 April 2020

We are at Level 4 of New Zealand’s four-level COVID-19 alert system. It is likely Level 4 measures will stay in place for a number of weeks. More information on alert levels. * Everyone must now stay home, except those providing essential services. * Only make physical contact with those that

Members Public
Government Ideology Obstructs Pandemic Decision-Making

Government Ideology Obstructs Pandemic Decision-Making

Despite new data in the US showing half of the people with the virus have no symptoms,  the government still stubbornly refuses to quarantine all Kiwis returning home. Back on February 18th Michael Woodhouse, shadow health spokesperson, was saying “The government needs to make sure adequate quarantine facilities are available

Members Public
Ardern’s ‘Chariddy of Silence’…

Ardern’s ‘Chariddy of Silence’…

It’s my own fault. Believing it was, surely, not possible to say anything more arrogant than her performance on March 19th when she declared herself and her administration “your single source of truth”, I hadn’t taken the opportunity to recalibrate my supersiliometer which carefully measures the contemptuous arrogance

Members Public
News from the Front

News from the Front

Antibodies to ‘neutralize’ novel coronavirus before it invades cells? University of Toronto researcher Sachdev Sidhu and his collaborators are engineering antibody molecules that can neutralize the novel coronavirus in the body before it invades cells. […] “With our two funded projects, we are working to develop molecules that can target the

Members Public
The BFD Community Noticeboard

The BFD Community Noticeboard

This post is a place to: 1. Notify others of COVID-19 related news in their areas 2. Arrange for help for those unable to go out to get food or medicine 3. Ask for help If you are needing help the Friends in need group may be able to assist

Members Public
It’s In The Bag

It’s In The Bag

It is very interesting to watch the ‘single-use’ plastic bag becoming a warrior in the war on COVID-19.  Here among the sensible folk at The BFD it has always been a given that reusable shopping bags were a health hazard.  Never more so than now. New York San Francisco Massachusetts

Members Public
COVID-19 Update: 4 April 2020

COVID-19 Update: 4 April 2020

We are at Level 4 of New Zealand’s four-level COVID-19 alert system. It is likely Level 4 measures will stay in place for a number of weeks. More information on alert levels. * Everyone must now stay home, except those providing essential services. * Only make physical contact with those that

Members Public
Lockdown Envy

Lockdown Envy

How far we can travel from home under lockdown is the source of much debate. Safely and locally says Ashley Bloomfield. A walk, jog or cycle around the block is okay, how about a bit further? How much further? An app that records the route and length for runners and

Members Public
The BFD Face of the Day

The BFD Face of the Day

Health Minister David Clark has been forced to apologise to PM Jacinda Ardern for thinking that the lockdown rules for exercise apply to everyone except himself. He was caught out after driving his van to a park in order to go mountain biking. He broke not one but two of

Members Public
The BFD Community Noticeboard

The BFD Community Noticeboard

This post is a place to: 1. Notify others of COVID-19 related news in their areas 2. Arrange for help for those unable to go out to get food or medicine 3. Ask for help If you are needing help the Friends in need group may be able to assist

Members Public
COVID-19 Update: 3 April 2020

COVID-19 Update: 3 April 2020

We are at Level 4 of New Zealand’s four-level COVID-19 alert system. It is likely Level 4 measures will stay in place for a number of weeks. More information on alert levels. * Everyone must now stay home, except those providing essential services. * Only make physical contact with those that

Members Public
Lockdown a Constitutional Outrage

Lockdown a Constitutional Outrage

As I write, the global death toll attributed to Covid-19 approaches 50,000. The Lancet puts the annual global death toll from flu in the year 2017 at between 250,000 and 500,000. [Editor’s note: COVID-19 has a higher fatality rate than seasonal influenza and is more contagious.

Members Public
On Behalf of the Immune Compromised Minority

On Behalf of the Immune Compromised Minority

Rachel Along with the daily tally of new COVID-19 cases, our news feeds shine the spotlight on the fact that there continue to be those who can’t follow the simple rules of ‘go home stay home’. It’s a frustrating reality to be faced with for the majority of

Members Public