Siouxsie Wiles

Contributing writer

Dr Siouxsie Wiles is an Associate Professor and head of the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland. She and her team make nasty bacteria glow in the dark to find new medicines and to study how bacteria evolve to cause disease. Siouxsie recently published her first book, Antibiotic Resistance: the End of Modern Medicine? She is also a keen blogger, tweeter and podcaster and was a finalist for the 2018 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year.

Society
Aug 12, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Don't panic. We can do this. Together

The sneaky bastard called Covid-19 has got back into New Zealand. Here's why we're going hard.

Read on.

Society
Aug 4, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Victoria's lockdown 'an endless game of Covid-19 whack-a-mole'

Without a state-wide lockdown, Victoria runs a very high risk of having to do it all again in a few months’ time.

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Science
Aug 1, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Four possible scenarios for the Australian and South Korean travellers

Three travellers from NZ have tested positive for Covid-19 overseas. How could this have happened?

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Science
Jul 28, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: The race for a Covid-19 vaccine, explained

Well over 150 vaccine candidates for Covid-19 are in development, and they take a myriad of forms.

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Society
Jul 25, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: What the Victoria outbreak means for New Zealand

Crucially, Australia's ambition has been suppression, rather than elimination.

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Science
Jul 21, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: A ray of light amid Covid clouds – what the vaccine news means

Results of two vaccine trials are in and the news is encouraging. Here's what it all means, and what happens next.

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Society
Jun 25, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Why I’m confident there is no community transmission in NZ

The most critical line of defence remains the isolation and quarantine system.

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Science
Jun 23, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Why are we seeing these new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand?

Anxiety is totally understandable, and there have been a few own goals. But what we’re seeing is no great surprise, and it’s no time to panic.

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Science
Jun 15, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles to Paleo Pete: I’ll take medical qualifications over your ‘common sense’ any day

Every time Pete Evans talks about his 'wellness' beliefs, scientists and doctors line up to rebut them. That's because Evans' 'common sense' sounds a lot like utter nonsense.

Read on.

Society
May 31, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Many want to go to alert level one right now. I get that. But we’d be fools to rush

With NZ on the brink of zero known active cases of Covid-19, the clamour for an immediate move to alert level one is growing.

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Society
May 23, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Contact tracing apps, explained

Speed is of the essence when breaking any chains of transmission, and that's where contact tracing apps come in.

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Science
May 18, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: A note on noisy places and Covid-19

Covid-19 loves environments full of shouting and singing, so it's a good idea to avoid them.

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Society
May 14, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Simple rules to play it safe at alert level two

Siouxsie Wiles explains the state of Covid-19 in New Zealand, the risks we face in alert level two, and some simple ways we can keep safe.

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Society
May 7, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Why our run of low Covid-19 numbers does not mean jump now

It’s all about the lag. We’d be idiots to throw away what we’ve achieved.

Read on.

Society
May 6, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: What we don’t know about Covid-19

A crucial part of the puzzle is when, and for how long, are people infectious?

Read on.

Members
May 4, 2020
Science
May 4, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Toxic lies of the ‘church’ pushing bleach as a Covid miracle cure

If you think we are immune in NZ, according to its website, we have two 'chapters' of Genesis II. Both say they're selling MMS.

Read on.

Society
Apr 30, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Why getting tested quickly matters so much

Even after weeks of lockdown, people are still testing positive. Here’s why that is – and why getting tested swiftly if you have symptoms is really important.

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Members
Apr 29, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Where did the name ‘Covid-19’ come from?

In the third in our new video series 60 Seconds with Siouxsie, Dr Wiles explains why we've heard so little about Covids 1-18.

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Science
Apr 29, 2020

The prevalence puzzle: Siouxsie Wiles on understanding the Covid-19 numbers

50 to 85 times the confirmed number in one US county had the coronavirus? Here's why we should be sceptical.

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Society
Apr 28, 2020
Members
Apr 24, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Are disinfectants effective against Covid-19? Yes, but…

The American president suggested injecting or inhaling disinfectant could cure people of Covid-19. Dr Wiles says absolutely not, Mr Trump.

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Science
Apr 24, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: What do we mean when we talk about the ‘elimination’ of Covid-19?

NZ is pursuing an 'elimination strategy'. But that word, as with many terms in science, may not be the same as its common usage.  

Read on.

Society
Apr 23, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: What we know about children and Covid-19

A lot of people are very reasonably concerned about the implications of schools and early childhood education reopening.

Read on.

Society
Apr 21, 2020
Members
Apr 20, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Tested negative? You still have to follow the rules

Dr Wiles has a message for anyone who has tested negative for Covid-19: you're not off the hook yet.

Read on.

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