For all The Spinoff’s latest coverage of Covid-19 see here. Read Siouxsie Wiles’s work here. New Zealand is currently in alert level four. The country is shut down, apart from essential services. For updated official government advice, see here.

The Spinoff’s coverage of the Covid-19 outbreak is funded by The Spinoff Members. To support this work, join The Spinoff Members here.

7.15pm: The day in sum

There were nine new cases in New Zealand, and no new deaths. Of all confirmed and probable cases, 78% are now recovered. The total number of active cases is now 310.

Public health expert Michael Baker suggested air crews should possibly no longer be exempted from the requirement to self-isolate for 14 days after returning to New Zealand.

Finance minister Grant Robertson defended the size of some payouts under the wage subsidy scheme, but criticised a business owner who received $239,000 but has only paid $80,000 to his staff.

The government announced a $107 million fund to provide housing and other wraparound services to vulnerable people during the pandemic.

The Green Party released a proposal for a $1bn package centred around “nature-based jobs” to aid the country’s economic recovery.

National’s finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith laid out his own recovery plan, which unsurprisingly has a stronger focus on the private sector.

The global death toll passed 200,000.

6.45pm: On The Spinoff today

The curve and the kākā: conservationist Paul Ward wonders whether we will listen to the scientists once all this is over

Chris McDowall shares his latest collection of data visualisations of the Covid-19 outbreak in New Zealand

Cecilia Robinson, founder of My Food Bag, writes about how business will rebuild

A different headspace: Six people on being neurodivergent during lockdown

Good news, bad omens: Danyl Mclauchlan on about New Zealand identity during strange times

All 142 biscuit flavours in New Zealand ranked from worst to best by Madeleine Chapman

Fat activism in Aotearoa is having a moment, writes Elizabeth Heritage

6.10pm: McDonalds’ reopening plans draw fire from union

As the country readies itself for level three, many hungry McDonalds fans are looking forward to the prospect of their first Big Macs in almost a month. However there is concern over what reopening the drive-through restaurants will mean for customer-facing staff. According to training materials, staff at drive-through windows will be required to pass product directly to customers at a distance of closer than two metres, while those taking payment need to receive cash directly from customers, if it’s offered. Both requirements are in apparent contravention of level three rules, says Unite Union national director Mike Treen. McDonalds say its plans for reopening follow official government advice.

Earlier today Stuff also reported what will be missing from the menu when McDonald’s restaurants reopen on Tuesday morning. Because of physical distancing restrictions, and resulting staffing reductions, icy treats including shakes, sundaes, McFlurries and frozen Cokes will be off the menu for the time being.

4.00pm: What’s really going on with those anti-lockdown protests in America?

If you’ve been following the US news you’ve probably seen reports of anti-lockdown protests outside state capitols across the country, a movement against the stay-at-home rules that is apparently “spreading” and “gathering momentum“. However what initially appeared to be a collection of spontaneous local protests were in fact promulgated in large part by a single family of pro-gun, anti-abortionist alleged financial scammers, NBC reports.

Writing for The Conversation, political journalist Marc Ambinder notes that these new protests have a lot in common with the early days of the Tea Party, the conservative movement founded during the height of the Global Financial Crisis. As then, these protests appear to be a case of “astroturfing” – concealing the involvement of vested financial and political interests in order to give the impression of an organically occurring grassroots movement.

“The fact that protests happened in different places at different times doesn’t actually mean they’re spreading. When organised by the same small group of political operatives, sequential protests reflect the creators’ skill at mobilising people – not a naturally rising level of frustration that ultimately pushes people to act,” Ambinder writes.

2.15pm: Robertson defends ‘lolly scramble’ wage subsidy scheme

Finance minister Grant Robertson has defended making sizable payments to large, profitable companies under the government’s wage subsidy scheme, in an interview on The Hui this morning. Host Mihingarangi Forbes pointed out that the $66 million payment made to Fletcher Building under the wage scheme was as much as Taranaki iwi had received from their entire Treaty settlement. Robertson said he wasn’t going to defend Fletcher, but that the subsidy was paid to ensure New Zealanders stayed in work during alert level four. “We’ve got to bear in mind that businesses like Fletcher employ thousands and thousands of New Zealanders and the wage subsidy is to… make sure they [don’t] lose their jobs,” he said.

Fletcher Building had a total revenue of $8.3 billion and after-tax earnings of nearly $300 million last year. Forbes contrasted that with New Plymouth hair salon owner Charlotte Ward, who has taken on a supermarket job to keep her business afloat. Robertson said he hoped Ward had accessed the wage subsidy scheme. “All power to her for being prepared to get out there and do that,” he said. “All we wanted to make sure was those thousands of tradies who are reliant on Fletcher also were able to keep feeding their whānau and making sure that they have jobs.”

The Sunday-Star Times today published a story on a company owner who is reportedly refusing to return a profit gained under the government wage subsidy scheme. Black Steel owner Tony Black received a $239,000 subsidy to keep his company afloat during lockdown but told the paper he has only incurred costs of $80,000 so far. “I’m at a loss as to why the government gave away so much money in a lolly scramble,” he said. “I’m going to use it to pay my staff and keep my cashflow up and ensure that my guys have still got a job in five months time.”

1.35pm: The plateau?

Here’s Chris McDowall’s visual account of the latest numbers. His full set of charts will be posted on the site any minute.

1.00pm: Nine new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand

A further nine people in New Zealand have Covid-19, the Ministry of Health has just announced. There are four new confirmed cases and five new probable cases.

It’s the highest number for six days, but the eighth consecutive day of single figures. Importantly, four of the cases are linked to existing clusters, and five to confirmed cases.

There was no media briefing today, with the information arriving a few minutes ahead of the 1pm mark via a ministry press release.

There were 5,966 tests completed yesterday, with a combined total to date of 120,981.

The director general of health, Ashley Bloomfield, said in a statement: “Although it’s encouraging to have another day of single digit cases, vigilance remains crucial. As we prepare to move to Alert Level 3 on Tuesday morning, it’s really important not to slacken off the effort.”

He added: “Even though all these new cases are linked to existing community-based cases or clusters, or are a result of overseas travel, nine cases highlights the need for everybody to maintain a high level of vigilance in Level 4 and as we move to Level 3.”

There are 24 further recoveries, meaning the combined total of confirmed and probable cases in New Zealand is now 1,470, with 1,142 reported as recovered. That means 78% of all confirmed and probable cases are now recovered. The total number of active cases is now 310.

There are seven people in hospital, unchanged from yesterday. One person is in the ICU in Middlemore.

There are still 16 significant clusters, again unchanged.

This means the 31 days since lockdown began look like this, in terms of new cases: 78, 85, 83, 63, 76, 58, 61, 89, 71, 82, 89, 67, 54, 50, 29, 44, 29, 18, 19, 17, 20, 15, 8, 13, 9, 9, 5, 6, 3, 5, 5, and today, 9.

12.40pm: Standing by for the latest numbers

A reminder that for the second consecutive day there is no 1pm briefing: no Ashley Bloomfield and Jacinda Ardern at the Beehive. Instead the latest information on the number of new cases, tests, and so forth, will come via a press release from the Ministry of Health. We’ll have all the latest just as soon as it lands.

Meanwhile, while you wait, if you’re yearning for high-level data, we can recommend this deeply controversial biscuit ranking by The Spinoff’s head of food rankings, Madeleine Chapman. Or fill the void with Ashley Bloomfield saying kia ora 44 times.

12.15pm: Ayesha Verrall, contact tracing guru

One of a group of scientists in the broad field of public health that has been thrust into the spotlight in recent weeks is infectious diseases physician Ayesha Verrall, whose expertise on contact tracing has been at the heart of the push to substantially restructure and scale up the mechanisms to identify who has come into contact with infected people.

“On April 10, she had a day to audit New Zealand’s contact tracing system and recommend improvements,” writes Nikki MacDonald for Stuff. “On Easter Saturday, she emailed her report, which found problems with timeliness, incorrect contact details and staff numbers. The system could trace just 185 cases a day.

“As Verrall put it succinctly on Twitter: ‘Our contact tracing capacity is a fire extinguisher, we need a fire engine.’ Then she went back to parenting her six-year-old daughter Laila, whose care she had guiltily abandoned to her partner Alice for four days.

“This week, the Health Ministry accepted her recommendations and promised another $55 million and 300 staff, and her face and voice beamed around the nation as she did 10 media interviews in two days.”

Verrall’s personal and professional background is fascinating. Read the feature by MacDonald (there is no better profile writer in New Zealand) here.

11.35am: Paul Goldsmith lays out post-Covid plan

National’s finance spokesman Paul Goldsmith has laid out his plan for New Zealand’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. He calls for the country to get out of lockdown as soon as possible, and for clear and consistently enforced workplace rules once restrictions are eased. Australia is a good example of a country taking a pragmatic approach, he says.

Those points mostly echo the government’s strategy, but Goldsmith draws a point of difference between National and Labour on how to best position the country to succeed in the post-Covid world. National would emphasise the role of the private sector, while Labour would be inclined to centralise power and planning in Wellington, he argues. “The core engine of growth will always be private sector investment – men, women and their businesses taking on new ventures, rebuilding their businesses, expanding, hiring people – taking mad risks. No committee would have thought Kiwis should get into rockets, or into online accounting systems. The recipe hasn’t changed.”

10.40am: $107 million fund for vulnerable New Zealanders

A $107 million fund has been established to provide housing and other wraparound services to vulnerable people during the Covid-19 pandemic, government has announced. More than 1100 motel units were set aside for people living rough or in accommodation where social distancing wasn’t possible at the start of alert level four. Housing minister Dr Megan Woods says 876 of those units are now occupied. She has announced a further $107.6 million to ensure they will continue to be housed for the longer term.

The new fund will go toward ensuring 1600 motel units are available, with $31 million going to provide other wraparound services. “Many of the people living in the motels have high and complex needs and it’s crucial they get support. This government investment will provide certainty for the people and whānau living in motels and the providers supporting them during this difficult time,” Woods says.

Woods says work is underway on providing more permanent housing once lockdown ends. Radio New Zealand published a detailed report on efforts to move homeless and otherwise vulnerable people into motel accommodation on April 13. It’s here, and worth a read.

10.01am: Baker hints at rethink on isolation for returning air crew

New Zealand moves to a more relaxed version of the lockdown, “alert level three”, at the end of tomorrow, but public health expert Michael Baker has cautioned against getting too relaxed. People should “hold off on the celebrations and the parties for another month at least,” he told RNZ. “To make it all worthwhile, everyone just needs to stay with this pattern of keeping physical distancing while working.”

Baker, a member of the government’s Covid-19 technical advisory group, also suggested there may need to be further thinking on the current exempting of air crew from the requirement to isolate for 14 days after returning to New Zealand. This was “a really critical area”, he said. “We need to look at our border security really intensely.”

Checkpoint has been asking whether returning Air New Zealand crew should continue to be exempt from the government’s quarantine rules for returning travellers. The Bluff wedding cluster, where 97 people were infected with Covid-19, was linked to international travel, and an Air New Zealand employee reportedly attended the reception. Air New Zealand initially refused to provide Checkpoint with the number of its staff who had been infected with Covid-19, though it has since revealed that 30 of its employees contracted the virus.

9.32am: Greens propose $1 billion environmental restoration fund

With the prime minister centrestage in the one story that towers over everything, and most ministers quite literally stuck at home, it has been a difficult time for smaller parties to be visible at all. The Green Party has this morning released a proposal for a $1 billion package centred around “nature-based jobs” to aid the country’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The scheme would fund iwi, NGOs, and other businesses to take on nature restoration or predator-free projects. Green environment spokeswoman Eugenie Sage says environmental projects create more jobs than spending on “big infrastructure like new motorways”. “Most of the funding will go directly to employing people – the tools needed for wetland restoration such as spades and seedlings are far cheaper than big excavators and asphalt,” she says.

National is also looking to siphon a little attention away from the prime minister. Its building and construction spokesman Andrew Bayly says the construction sector, which employs around 250,000 people, still needs more clarity on how to conduct business during alert level three. Firms haven’t been given guidance on issues like whether building sites that have been sitting vacant for five weeks need to be inspected before reopening, he says. “It’s time for decisive action from MBIE. They must be very clear about the rules for the construction sector and be ready to support building firms as they rebuild our economy.”

9.12am: Covid-19 causing strokes in young people – US reports

Young people are suffering debilitating strokes after contracting even mild cases of Covid-19, according to US reports on new medical evidence. Dr Thomas Oxley, a neurosurgeon at Mount Sinai Health System in New York, and his colleagues have rapidly compiled a report on five patients they’ve treated who suffered significant strokes. All were under 50, with mild or no symptoms of Covid-19. Oxley told CNN and other media it appeared Covid-19 was causing blood to clot in unusual ways.

Three US medical centres are preparing to release studies on the links between strokes and Covid-19 infections, The Washington Post reports. Analysis shows Covid-19 patients are more vulnerable to the most deadly type of stroke – large vessel occlusions, or LVOs, it says. LVOs are more damaging than other strokes because they can destroy parts of the brain responsible for movement, speech and decision-making in one blow.

8.50am: More international praise

If you’re keeping a scrapbook of overseas praise for New Zealand, another significant addition has arrived. The New York Times has dug into the Covid-19 responses from New Zealand and Australia and found they are among the most effective in the world. Dr Peter Collignon, a physician and professor of microbiology at the Australian National University, told the Times the countries have been successful because expert advice has taken precedence over traditional politicking. “This is certainly distinct from the United States,” he told the paper.

The story is written by the Times’ Australian bureau chief Damien Cave, who shows a familiarity with both our geographical advantages in the fight against Covid-19 and distinct national character. “If there are any two countries that could pull off a clear if hermetically sealed victory — offering a model of recovery that elevates competence over ego and restores some confidence in democratic government — it may be these two Pacific neighbors with their sparsely populated islands, history of pragmatism and underdogs’ craving for recognition,” he writes.

7.55am: Death tolls passes 200,000

The death toll from Covid-19 has passed 200,000, with more than a quarter of the casualties coming in the US. Figures compiled by John Hopkins University show 200,698 people had died of Covid-19 as of Saturday (US time). The US death toll was 51,017.

Those figures are likely to significantly underestimate the true cost of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many countries suspected to be underreporting infections and deaths. In the UK, the government has been criticised for only recording deaths as being linked to Covid-19 if they take place in hospitals. Its toll has still surpassed 20,000. Other countries have different methods for reporting deaths. Some record deaths as being linked to Covid-19 when there’s symptoms but no positive test result, while others require a positive test.

Meanwhile, WHO researchers have said there’s no evidence that recovering from Covid-19 confers immunity to a second infection. Global leaders committed to finding a vaccine for the virus at a virtual summit attended by the WHO and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Despite having the most Covid-19 infections and deaths, the US did not take part in the summit. US President Donald Trump didn’t take questions at yesterday’s Covid-19 media briefing after his earlier speculation on the efficacy of using UV light and disinfectant injections to treat Covid-19 was rebuffed by medical experts and producers of cleaning products.

5.00am: WHO on ‘immunity passports’ for Covid-19

The World Health Organisation has issued a briefing note on suggestions that those who are proven via an antibody test to have had Covid-19 might gain an “immunity passport” or “risk-free certificate” that would allow the holder “to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection”. The main problem with the idea? “There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from Covid-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.”

The WHO notes that there is insufficient evidence at this point to determine either way, but: “People who assume that they are immune to a second infection because they have received a positive test result may ignore public health advice. The use of such certificates may therefore increase the risks of continued transmission.”

7.00am: Yesterday’s key New Zealand stories

There were five new cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand.

There was also one further death related to Covid-19, the Ministry of Health reported. A woman in her 70s died in Waitakere Hospital, where she had been transferred from CHT St Margarets Hospital and Rest Home.

This brought the total number of Covid-19 cases reported in New Zealand to 1,461, and the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 18.

Health officials processed 6,777 Covid-19 tests were processed, just short of the record 6,961 tests processed a day earlier.

Earlier, prime minister Jacinda Ardern stood in the driveway of Premier House at dawn, joining thousands of other New Zealanders in unique Anzac Day commemorations.

US president Donald Trump had a much shorter-than-usual press conference, after appearing to suggest people should inject themselves with disinfectant to prevent Covid-19 at his press conference the day before.

Broadcasting minister Kris Faafoi told Newshub Nation the government’s next media priority would involve beefing up its local democracy reporting fund. 

Victoria University of Wellington was criticised for asking students to start paying next week for hall of residence rooms they won’t be allowed to live in until level two.

Director general of health Ashley Bloomfield encouraged New Zealanders to thank health and disability workers as part of a new Ministry of Health social media campaign.

Read more on yesterday’s live updates

Living with a differently-wired brain is challenging at the best of times – never mind in the midst of a global pandemic. Erin Kavanagh–Hall chats with six neurodivergent New Zealanders who share the obstacles they’ve overcome during the Covid-19 lockdown.

‘I was terrified of being stuck inside’

Cate, 31, Wellington

Diagnosis: Autism

As a person with autism, the lockdown has been pretty unbearable. It has been absolute terror for me knowing that things are so very different – from what I knew, and from what the world has been, and should be. The terror comes and goes, but, to be honest, it never lets up.

I was initially diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder as a child, due to my stringent reliance on and obsessive need for routine. Even as a baby, I had very ingrained patterns – according to my mum, I would cry and cry if things weren’t running to a particular schedule. However, I was experiencing a lot of other difficulties – such as extreme anxiety in some social situations, and feeling overwhelmed and panicked by loud noises, to the point where I’d stamp my foot and shriek involuntarily if a motorbike passed me in the street.

At 21, Mum took me to see a neuropsychologist who was, at the time, one of New Zealand’s leading experts on the autism spectrum. She had me do a whole lot of diagnostic tests for autism – and I ended up scoring 49 out of 50 for most of them. My first thought was, “Hallelujah, it all makes sense”.

Like a lot of neurodiverse people, I manage my condition through routine. I find huge comfort in patterns and repetition. A massive part of my routine involves my gym: training, doing classes in a group environment, and connecting with the network of friends I have built. Exercise is like medicine for me – the best way to cope with my anxiety is to convert it into kinetic movement. If I don’t make it to the gym, I’ll go on a bush walk. I’m also someone who craves connection, so my routine often includes meeting up with close friends.

My routine is my anchor – it’s crucial for helping me feel safe. But, with the lockdown, many of the things that I rely on to stay well have been taken away, and I’ve been thrown right off balance. Doing yoga classes as an outlet, being part of a community, hugs from friends – I never realised until now what a privilege these were.

I’m not someone who does well just staying at home. We’ve been given permission, as a country, to sit on the couch and watch Netflix – but I don’t particularly enjoy watching series or movies. I’ll sit down, and watch maybe two minutes of a TV programme, and then I’ll get bored, anxious, and just want to move. I feel like I should enjoy it – but I’d rather do something than watch someone else do it on a screen. At the start of the lockdown, I wanted to go for a walk but it was pouring outside – and I got so upset that I ended up self–harming. I was just terrified of being stuck inside.

I’ve worked hard to modify my routine during the lockdown, and keep myself grounded. I play the piano and sing. I do a lot of housework – there’s something very cathartic about vacuuming. I’ve been doing body combat and balance classes online every morning – though I did panic when the internet went down last week, halfway through a yoga session.

A big misconception about us “Aspies” is that we don’t feel empathy or compassion for others. But, in fact, we feel these emotions very strongly – on a global scale. Hearing about elderly people left to die in their beds, abandoned by their support workers, in Italy and Spain tears at my heartstrings. Every time I hear of someone dying of Covid-19 in New Zealand, I cry. I’ve spent a lot of the last few weeks crying for our world. We Aspies do feel – we just don’t always know how to express it in a typical way.

‘I’ve been able to buy wine, but not the equipment I need’

Zari, 24, Auckland, legal researcher

Diagnosis: Dyspraxia

I was diagnosed with dyspraxia as a small child. Despite the fact dyspraxics make up 2 to 5% of the population – more common than red–heads, who make up about 1% – our condition isn’t well known or understood. Basically, we have dubious control over our bodies.

The Greek word praxis translates as “action”, so we have difficulty with things like movement, balance and motor skills.  For me, it hurts to write. I find it difficult to pick up and hold certain objects. I feel very tired if I have to run anywhere or walk up and down long flights of stairs, as I have to concentrate on co-ordinating my limbs in that sequence. I often joke to my friends that I’m like a video game that has lag. Or like YouTube when it’s buffering.

I also have some of the traits of autism and ADHD, in that my executive function and concentration is impaired. So, dyspraxia sometimes feels like an “everything and the kitchen sink” diagnosis.

I’ve been working from home for the past few weeks. Before the lockdown, I brought as much work equipment as I could home in my bag. I couldn’t take my ergonomic keyboard, however; I had to borrow one from my brother. I use two monitors at work, which means less flicking back and forth between tabs. For example, I have something open that I’m reading and something that I’m writing at the same time. Tabbing in and out isn’t great for my concentration, so it’s been a challenge at home with just the one screen.

I’ve been doing my best to replicate my regular working hours, even clocking in an hour early. Though I would say my productivity has been affected. I usually work in an open plan office, but it’s fairly quiet. I find I do get distracted easily – and there are a lot of distractions at home. As we speak, my five month old kitten is right beside me, goofing off. Her litter tray is in my room, and sometimes the ammonia smell really throws me. People come into my room to ask questions, or wanting a chat. Our house is over 100 years old, and noise travels really easily. The sounds of the vacuum cleaner, my dad having phone conferences in the next room, someone making a coffee in the kitchen all make their way into my room. Once my concentration breaks, it can be hard to get back on task.

I find wearing headphones and listening to music and podcasts, really helps. It gives my distractible Pointer brain something to chew on while I’m doing all the repetitive tasks, like spreadsheets. And I’ve been going for walks where I can. Usually, at the end of the day, I get the bus and walk the rest of the way home. My mental health has been adversely impacted without my evening walk – I didn’t realise how much I needed it until I was without it.

There are several ways in which the wider community can better support people with disabilities, but one thing that strongly comes to mind is access to equipment. Of course, the lockdown happened quickly, so there wasn’t a lot of time to plan – but it would be helpful if, during a crisis, there was more of a focus on the products and services we need to function. For example, stores like PB Tech were deemed non-essential. It was weird to me that I could buy wine, but not a keyboard or a computer monitor to help me do my work. It would be good if there were more awareness of the essential services for people who are neurodivergent.

‘My brain is a liar’

Gina*, 31, Lower Hutt, technical writer

Diagnosis: Autism

I received my diagnosis in October last year. I initially thought I might have ADHD but, actually, I sit on the autism spectrum. It certainly put a lot of my life experiences into context. Things like spending hours researching my favourite topics, my emotions going from zero to 100 all at once, not being able to tune out the whir of the fridge or the buzz of the fluorescent lights at the office – turns out, not everyone has that. Not everyone can literally hear the electricity.

I’ve always tried to avoid the idea of working from home. Home is where all my comforts are – and thus all my distractions. If my supervisor can see what’s on my screen, I’m held accountable. But then the lockdown happened and my company was declared essential. We had almost no time to plan, and get our heads around all the logistics. So, I went home and basically commandeered the dining room table as my workplace.

Working from home while neurodivergent has been interesting. On one hand, it’s good to be away from the bright lights and cold temperatures at my regular office. If I want to switch the lights off and blast the heat pump at 28 degrees, I can. On the other hand, when I’m on my own, it’s harder to get on top of the mental underload side of things. If I’m working on tasks that I don’t find as interesting, I can lose concentration – and I have to really white-knuckle in order to be a functional adult and get myself through it. During the lockdown, I’ve had colleagues call me when they’d usually email, and when that happens it’s harder to pick up the threads of concentration.

It doesn’t help that my brain is a liar. I tell myself that I’m going to use the Pomodoro Timer method – work solidly for 20 minutes, then take a break for five. But my brain knows how to undermine that. It will be like, “well, you could go back to work after five minutes – or you could spend the next 25 minutes fucking around.” Luckily, I feel very supported and understood by my supervisor.

I know a lot of people have found it comforting to be able to go outside for a break, or go and get the groceries. But, to be honest, I feel scared to go outside at the moment. Going outside means interacting with people, even for a short time – and, with my autism, I find I can either manage my emotions or other people’s, but not both. There’s been a lot of tension and stress out there, and I’m sensitive to that. Plus, it’s really hard for me to read body language, especially when people are tense. I feel like if I go outside, I just bring the bad back inside. So, it’s safer to stay inside, and spend my breaks gaming or looking at memes on Tumblr.

There’s been a lot of talk over the years about flexibility in the workplace. The pandemic has forced companies to be more flexible as to when and where their employees are working. I’m hopeful we will learn some lessons from the pandemic, and allow people to continue working in the ways which allow them to be the most productive. I’m hoping that we don’t forget the pandemic happened, and just go back into our regular workplace boxes.

‘I’ve been able to lead others who’ve been falling apart’

Jacob*, 29, Auckland, nursery worker

Diagnosis: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Research has shown that us ADHD folk can excel in times of crisis – like a pandemic. In my experience, that’s absolutely true.

I was diagnosed with ADHD two years ago. I mainly have the inattentive sub-type (likely to struggle with limited attention span, distractibility and procrastination), but I also experience hyperactivity – if I’m not medicated, I go into Labrador puppy mode. It took me a long time to get a correct diagnosis. In the end, I paid for a private assessment, as the public health system had categorised me as bipolar and wouldn’t entertain the idea of anything else. Before taking Ritalin, my life was messy and disorganised – now I like to look at it as organised chaos.

Lockdown was hard to start with. But then, things started settling down. It was interesting, I’m not sure if it was the adrenaline kicking in, but I almost feel like I stepped out of my body and could see the world burning – and it didn’t faze me.

According to research, people with ADHD produce more theta brain waves which appear when you’re nodding off to sleep – indicating deep relaxation. So, while other people’s brains overload during a major event, ours feel relatively normal. Where there’s a panic situation, we can become relaxed, laid back and under control. I find crises, like Covid-19, kickstart me into action – I’ve been able to lead others who’ve been falling apart, taking them under my wing and helping ground them. Instead of going crazy, I’ve felt more clear minded than ever – in fact, in the days leading up to lockdown, I was functioning so highly my medication was having almost no effect.

The first couple of days of lockdown, I was thinking of all these things I could do to occupy and fill my time. But it became chaotic – I started a hundred projects and wore myself out. My mind is like spaghetti junction in rush hour, and it can be exhausting. So each day, I decide to do one thing – and anything after that is a bonus. I’ve learned not to expect too much of myself.

I have started cooking again rather than eating takeout every night, and have actually started to enjoy it. The sudden switch off has given me a chance to think about things I want to change about myself – in order to grow and move forward. I feel optimistic and excited about resuming a regular life.

‘It’s OK to have days in your jammies’

Rosie, 49, Auckland, occupational therapist

Diagnosis: ADHD/dyspraxia

In all honesty, I think people with neurodivergence are superheroes. We have to work so hard to adapt to a world that’s straight and linear, when our brains are made up of squiggly lines and we have four conversations with invisible people going on at once. Some of us have been suicidal, or in prison. And now we’ve had to adapt to a pandemic and a national quarantine. But we cope, because coping is what we do.

I was diagnosed with ADHD at the end of last year, and have been on Ritalin since January. I was working in an office job, and really struggling – it was paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork. I was getting more and more overwhelmed, and thought perhaps I might be perimenopausal. I saw a counsellor through EAP Services, and she asked me if I’d done any research into ADHD in adult women. I read some articles online, and burst into tears of relief. Turns out I’m not just a lazy fuck up who loses her keys in her car. It’s just how my brain is. It’s a reason, not an excuse.

I’ll admit it’s been difficult these past weeks without the usual routine and structure. Usually, in the mornings, I’m up and getting my kids ready for school, and then I get stuck into schoolwork (I’m doing extra occupational therapy papers through Otago University) before going to work with my in-home care client. But before the lockdown, we didn’t come up with a schedule as a family – we’ve just kind of barreled along. I spend a lot of time wandering about in my pyjamas, and my kids spend a lot of time on their computers.

In some ways, it’s nice to have the pressure taken off a bit. In others, the lockdown adds another layer of pressure. People with ADHD actually tend to be very high achievers – we hyper focus on the things we’re most passionate about. We set high standards for ourselves. I’ve been scared to waste this opportunity – I’ve felt the pressure to use this time wisely, and do all the things I’ve been putting off.

I had all these grand plans to get into the garden, do some house painting, and work on the bach we’ve been building. But, with all the business closures, I can’t get hold of the supplies I need. I’m not doing all these amazing macrame and crochet projects I see some of my friends doing on Facebook. Since my diagnosis, however, I’ve found my self-talk has changed. It’s OK not to get everything done at once. It’s OK to have days in my jammies, and park myself in front of Netflix with a wine.

I’m a member of several online ADHD communities, and they have been a great source of support. I’ve found I’ve been a lot more sociable during this time – I’m having video chats with friends I haven’t seen in months. I feel like I need to stay connected, keep being part of the world. Shopping has been pretty horrible; ADHD people don’t do well with queues. It would be helpful if supermarkets reinstated their “quiet hours” for neurodivergent people during this time – it would reduce anxiety for a lot of people.

People with ADHD have plenty of adaptability and tenacity. If society ends up forever changed by this pandemic, I think we will come out of it pretty well.

‘If I want to do the dishes in a superhero costume, I will’

Emma, 31, Tauranga, student

Diagnosis: ADHD/bipolar disorder

I’m a solo mum of three boys (a 10 year old and eight year old twins), and I’m in my third year of a Bachelor of Creative Industries, majoring in Fashion, at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology. I have a dual diagnosis of ADHD and bipolar type 2. I’m also about 95% sure I’m on the autism spectrum. To put it simply, the lockdown has been a learning experience.

I initially sought a diagnosis for ADHD after my twins were born, but a lot of my symptoms were dismissed as just hormonal or related to postnatal depression. I was finally diagnosed by a psychiatrist in Auckland four years ago. I got my bipolar diagnosis not long afterwards. It was freaky – my personality almost completely changed. During my first hypomanic episode, I’d do things like jumping on the desks in the lecture theatre, and getting a kick out people’s “what the heck?” expressions. My 10 year old son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder last year and, frankly, a lot of his symptoms feel very familiar. Specifically, sensory overload, intense exhaustion from social contact, and rigidity when it comes to routine and pattern. It’s interesting – I showed no emotion while giving birth, but I’ll feel unreasonable anger if ever my mum helps me with the washing up, and she puts the dishes away in the wrong order.

The lockdown has definitely been an adjustment. I miss my way of doing things which may not be “normative”, but are normal for me. For example, I don’t think according to the days of the week – I think according to events. I usually have my rock n’ roll dance classes on Fridays – and I’ll think to myself “OK, I’ll need to have my assignment done before dancing”, as opposed to before Friday. Most neurotypical people might shower every day to get clean, whereas I’ll shower so I don’t smell while out in public. I just randomly realised last week that I’d not had a shower in five days. Not having these outside cues to base my life around has been a bit weird and scary.

I’m definitely getting a lot of sensory input from having my sons at home. They’re very hyped up, and going to bed later and later. And one of the biggest triggers of my bipolar is a lack of sleep. Homeschooling has been a challenge – they don’t really want to learn from their mum. I’ve been trying to get my own study done while they’re doing their schoolwork but that’s almost impossible with the boys coming at me with constant questions. I don’t like how irritated I’ve felt myself getting. On bad days, the idea of spending more time with them fills me with despair.

But, we’re getting there. We’re thinking outside the box, and doing things our way. No one’s going to come into the house and tell us off, so if I want to start school later in the day because we hate mornings, I will. If I want to do the dishes in a superhero costume, because it makes my kids happy, I will. Being possibly autistic, I find I’m more able to relate to my older son’s style of learning – I understand what he’s going through. I’m not putting any pressure on my boys, or myself. I’d rather them fall behind than watch their mum have a mental breakdown.

Being a solo parent, I wouldn’t say I’m lonely as such. But it would be great to have another adult in the house. At the moment, I’m keeping sane by exercising, talking to my best friend online, and drawing. I do a lot of cartoons – girls with big eyes in vintage-style overalls. I’d love to put together a comic book at some stage.

* Some names have been changed, and all portraits are fictionalised representations.