Nine To Noon for Thursday 19 March 2026

09:05 The personal face of the hundreds of thousands with Long Covid

Six  years after the country went into its first pandemic lockdown, new data shows the impact of Long Covid on hundreds of thousands of Kiwis. On Tuesday the Ministry of Health published the Long Covid data drawn from its 2024/25 Health Survey. It found one in every 11 adults had experienced long covid symptoms at some stage. 185,000 adults were experiencing long Covid symptoms, in that year. But as public health experts warn we're entering a ninth wave of Covid - what, if anything, has changed for Long Covid patients and their treatment in the health system? The Ministry of Health says Covid incidence is monitored, but Long Covid isn't. It's not a notifiable disease,  and diagnosis is complex. There's no lab test for Long Covid and while there IS a clinical code for it, how it's used in primary care is variable, and there's no systematic collection of the data. That's long frustrated Long Covid sufferers. Many say it's hard enough to get a diagnosis - but there's no clear path for navigating the health system once you do. Renee Dingwall is  a former Palmerston North City Councillor who left her role after contracting Covid. Four years on, she's now a wheelchair user. Larisa Hockey is head of Long Covid Support Aotearoa. Also a Long Covid patient, along with three of her children. Also joining the conversation is researcher Dr Mona Jeffreys from Victoria University of Wellington, who's been working on guidance for doctors which was sent out last week.

09:25 Calculating the hidden costs of road crashes

The cost of road crashes is being undervalued by as much as 70 percent - according to analysis from transport consultancy firm Abley. Social costs for a road fatality are currently calculated at about $15 million. This includes elements such as the road closure, emergency service response, and the social costs for the life lost. But Chris Blackmore, who heads Abley's transport modelling and economics team says, more data - and more accurate data, about the impact to the roading network shows the total cost is far higher. The dataset he used to calculate these costs - called TomTom - uses information from sources such as Apple, data from the cars themselves, and other apps motorists might be using to show exactly how widespread the congestion is, for how long, and what activities might be affected. For example if a congested road is one where a lot of courier and freight vehicles travel - the productivity cost is higher. 

09:45 UK: Talks on Iran situation, migration background, warnings amid meningitis outbreak

UK correspondent Dan Bloom joins Kathryn as further strikes are reported on Mideast gas fields this morning and the UK mulls what contribution it should and could take to the crisis. He also looks at PM Sir Keir Starmer considering compromises on a plan to make it harder for migrants to permanently settle in the UK, following a backlash from Labour MPs, including his former deputy and frontrunner to succeed him, Angela Rayner. And doctors all over the UK are given guidance amid a meningitis outbreak in Kent that's killed two young people.

Dan Bloom is Political Editor of Politico UK

10:05 Neuroscientist Ben Rein on why we need friends to be at our most healthy

When it comes to living longer there's a lot of promised life-hacks out there. Everything from "eat, sleep and exercise well" to "take cold showers", "try intermittent fasting" or "walk with a weighted backpack". But what if it was simply: "hang out with your friends more"? US-based neuroscientist Ben Rein believes maintaining social connections has an enormous benefit to our brain. It can help improve our health and well-being, and reduce a range of conditions, including heart disease and dementia - as well as depression and anxiety. Ben's PhD research a decade ago was into autism spectrum disorder, and during the pandemic he started doing more science communication - reaching out to a growing audience to explain neuroscience and psychology on social media platforms. Last year he released a book called Why Brains Need Friends: The Neuroscience of Social Connection. It's a fascinating look at what goes right if we have strong social bonds - and what can go very wrong, if we don't.

10:30 Ellen Snelling's mission to get more women surfing 

At 18 years old a serious back injury took Ellen Snelling off the netball court, and into the swimming pool. A competitive sportsperson, an A-grade netballer in Australia, swimming was her rehabilitation from the operation. And despite being in the water and growing up around surfing and the sea - surfing wasn't a part of her life, until she decided to just do it for fun. It's sparked a lifelong passion to help people - especially women - find joy in surfing also. She's now coached for over 20 years, and relocated to New Zealand 10 years ago and runs Learn 2 Surf at Waipu Cove, alongside her husband. 

10:35 Book review: How to be an Alien: A sort of Memoir by Ann Beaglehole

Lynn Freeman reviews How to be an Alien: A sort of Memoir by Ann Beaglehole, published by Fraser Books.

10:45 Around the motu: Ché Baker, editor of the Southland Times.

 Ché talks about the possibility of a Bluff Oyster Festival with no oysters,  the massive data centre due to be built in Southland, Gore District Council quotes $70 thousand to process an Official Information Request and the race horse punters are hoping could win  Southern 3YO Guineas Series Triple Crown.

11:05 Tech: What's a tracking pixel, who's following me and why?

Technology commentator Alex Sims digs into cookies and tracking pixels - and explores what makes them different. Tracking pixels are literally a 1 x 1 image embedded in another image and can't be seen with the naked eye but they are used by many organisations to deliver a wealth of information - what page you're on, your IP address, location, even what you enter onto forms on that website. Alex looks at which NZ companies were using TikTok's tracking pixels, as an example, as well as what NZ law says about them and how can you protect yourself.

Alex Sims is a Professor in the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Auckland Business School and an expert on blockchain technology, copyright law and consumer law.

11:25 Parenting: What did you do at school today?

Speech and language therapist Christian Wright discusses the difficulty of asking children what they did at school that day and why often they'll simply say "nothing". Christian and Kathryn explore why this question is so hard for children to answer and how can parents turn it into a back-and-forth interaction, all while building a child's language and conversation skills.

11:45 Screentime: The Bride!, Reminders of Him, Project Hail Mary, Manosphere

Film and TV reviewer Tom Augustine joins Kathryn to talk about the new Frankenstein film that focuses on the monster's bride, played by Jesse Buckley in 1930s Chicago. Reminders of Him is another movie made from a book by Colleen Hoover, looking at woman trying to reconnect with her daughter after prison. Project Hail Mary is a sci-fi starring Ryan Gosling, who attempts to help save Earth with help from unexpected quarters. And Louis Theroux has delved into the Manosphere with his new documentary for Netflix.

Tom Augustine is a Tāmaki based filmmaker and critic. He writes for Rialto Channel's View Magazine and Metro Magazine. Tom is the co-programmer of the Capitol Cinema Film Club, which shows rare and underseen gems from throughout cinema history monthly.