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
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.

Read on.

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.

Read on.

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.

Read on.

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.

Read on.

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.

Read on.

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.

Read on.

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.

Read on.

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.

Read on.

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.

Science
Apr 20, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Putting the Covid-19 tests to the test

With hundreds of testing alternatives available, it is crucial that we pay close attention to the what is in play, and which are most effective.

Read on.

Society
Apr 18, 2020
Society
Apr 15, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: About those cries of ‘over-reaction’ on NZ’s Covid-19 response

According to a group of academics, the New Zealand response doesn't match the threat posed by Covid-19 and should be substantially loosened.

Read on.

Society
Apr 12, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: What we should expect next from Covid-19

The nature of this coronavirus means that we need to steel ourselves for more tough news in the coming weeks.

Read on.

Members
Apr 8, 2020
Society
Apr 6, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Should we all be wearing face masks to prevent Covid-19 spread?

Yes, put on a mask if you're heading into a supermarket or to access other essential services. There's just one very big 'but'.

Read on.

Covid-19
Apr 5, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: On Covid-19, we have to build the plane as we fly it

Siouxsie Wiles on the vitriolic correspondence she's received since Covid-19 struck, and the realities of communicating evidence. 

Read on.

Covid-19
Apr 3, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: A note on apartments and bubbles

About those handles and rails and communal areas ...

Read on.

Covid-19
Apr 2, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: A simple thing you can do in seconds to help make NZ healthier

The more people take part, the better it will be at detecting potential clusters of Covid-19.

Read on.

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