Nine To Noon for Wednesday 22 April 2020

 

09:05 Covid and cancer, treatment & diagnosis

How has Covid 19 impacted on cancer patients, and those who may have the disease but cannot be diagnosed? Since lockdown began four weeks ago many patients' cancer treatment regimes have been changed in order to minimise their time in  or at hospital. Screening programmes have been halted, meaning those who may have cancer cannot have it detected. Once the country moves to alert level 3 next week, some cancer screening will be able to restart, but colonoscopy procedures to diagnose bowel cancer remain on hold. Chief Executive of the Cancer Control Agency, Professor Diana Sarfati, says it's important that patients know they will be cared for. The agency published this video yesterday.

09:25 Hospitals waiting for the post Covid-19 surge

Private hospitals that were forced to defer thousands of operations over fears Covid-19 would overwhelm the health system are preparing to start returning to do normal surgeries under alert level 3, but as well as facing a huge backlog there are mounting fears over squeezed budgets. Private Surgical Hospital Association President is Richard Whitney.

 

09:30 Witheld millions for General Practice will cause cutbacks

Dr Kate Baddock, Chair of the Medical Association talks to Kathryn about a government promise of a further $22 million dollars in Covid-19 funding that's been witheld, and the possibility some practices will close and others are facing cutting back medical staff.
 

09:35 Making sense of historically low oil prices

Global demand for oil has collapsed because of the pandemic, because no one's going anywhere, and there's a shortage of space to store the excess supply. Apart from cheaper petrol at the pumps, what could the ramifications be? Bob McNally is the founder and president of The Rapidan Group, a leading energy consulting firm. From 2001 to 2003, he served as the top international and domestic energy adviser on the White House staff. He is also the author of 'Crude Volatility: The History and the Future of Boom-Bust Oil Prices'.

09:45 Covid-curve flattens, no bailout for Virgin Australia

Australia correspondent Bernard Keane joins Kathryn to talk about the latest Covid numbers which suggest the curve is flattening, as the country looks to ease some restrictions on surgery. Scott Morrison's government indicates it won't bail out Virgin Australia, but is mulling tax-breaks for big business, deregulation and industrial relations reform to climb out of the Covid economic downturn. And just what did Malcolm Turnbull's book reveal about the Murdoch family's hold on Australian politics?

10:05 Immunity: our sixth sense. Dr Jenna Macciochi.

Immunologist Dr. Jenna Macciochi specialises in understanding the bearing nutrition and lifestyle have on our immune system.  She describes immunity as our "sixth sense", responsible for connecting our health to our environment and emotions. She talks to Kathryn Ryan about the science of immunity, which she discusses in her new book  Immunity - The Science of Staying Well

10:35 Book review - Queen Bee by Jane Fallon

Louise O'Brien reviews Queen Bee by Jane Fallon, published by Penguin Random House.

10:45 The Reading

The Bright Side of My Condition, episode 2 by Charlotte Randall, read by Brian Sergent.

11:05 Songs to cure the lockdown blues

If you've been feeling a little lonely in isolation, RNZ music journalist Kirsten Johnstone has some songs that aim to lift the spirits.

11:20 First South Island Tuatara hatchlings in hundreds of years

Two tuatara hatchlings have been sighted at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary near Dunedin. They're the first to be seen since adult tuatara were released at the ecosanctuary eight years ago.  It's thought tuatara haven't thrived in this part of the world for eight hundred years.  Kathryn Ryan speaks with Professor Alison Cree,  Otago University's Department of Zoology, whose team made this exciting discovery.

11:45 Testing the Covid tests, and how lemurs attract the girls

This week, Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles tells Kathryn about an initiative to independently put the 500-odd Covid-19 tests through their paces, an Icelandic study on Covid-19 in the general population and a new study about pheromones in lemurs.

Associate Professor Dr Siouxsie Wiles is the head of Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland.