The Wire with Caeden

Today on the Thursday Wire, Jemima Huston is hosting from the station while Conor Head-McCarthy and Charlie Parker produce from home. 

Jemima speaks to Director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre at the University of Auckland, Dr Nikki Turner, to clarify some of the confusion around catching Covid-19 after you have been vaccinated, whether the vaccine protects against the Delta Variant, feeling unwell after being vaccinated and following through with your vaccine appointment during the national Level 4 lockdown. 

For Neighbourhood Watch, Conor speaks to Radio Adelaide’s Zoe Kounadis about the Delta outbreaks in Australia and here in New Zealand, the Afghanistan crisis and debt collectors in Australia chasing people for money on behalf of the government. 

Amnesty International Executive Director Meg de Ronde talks to Jemima about the organisation's petition that calls for the government to provide safe passage for people fleeing from Afghanistan. 

Conor investigates support for family volence and mental health during lockdown here in New Zealand. He speaks to Holly Carrington, Policy Advisor at SHINE, and Anna Elders, Clinical Lead at Just a Thought, about this. 

Charlie speaks to Debra Ashton, the CEO of animal right’s charity SAFE, to discuss the welfare of horses in equestrian sports, animal rights and the future of equestrian.

Professor Miguel Quiñones-Mateu, of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, is part of an international team investigating how wastewater can be used to get a more accurate picture of COVID-19 cases in low-to-middle-income countries. 

Led by Otago and Western University, Canada, the project involves researchers in Uganda, Ghana, Colombia, Venezuela and Fiji. They are trying to gain an understanding of infection in the populations and look for emerging variants of concern.

Zazi asked Professor Quiñones-Mateu about the details behind the investigation: how it is conducted, why it is significant for low-to-middle-income countries, and whether there are benefits that go beyond COVID-19. 

As of last night, all of New Zealand entered an Alert Level 4 Lockdown, due to one community case that has now been confirmed to have the Delta variant. New Zealand is now being told to stay in their bubble, stay safe and to act as though they already have COVID-19 to reduce the spread of the virus. 

As well as this, Jacinda Ardern announced last night that all vaccinations will be paused for 48 hours to allow them to be undertaken safely. 

So today, Zazi spoke to ACT Party’s Brooke van Velden to hear her thoughts on New Zealand’s Alert Level 4 Lockdown, as well as talk to her about the vaccinations being paused for 48 hours.

This week on Dear Science, Frances speaks with AUT professor Allan Blackman about a new analysis of a scurvy study that is leading to updates on vitamin C needs, critics who say a childhood asthma study unethically withheld care from its participants, and a new laser-powered nuclear fusion effort which neared ignition.