As New Zealand's Omicron infections rise rapidly, genome surveillance is shifting gears

By David Welch, Senior Lecturer, University of Auckland
James Hadfield, Bedford Lab / Nextstrain, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Jemma Geoghegan, Senior Lecturer and Associate Scientist at ESR, University of Otago
Joep de Ligt, Science Lead Genomics & Bioinformatics, ESR
Michael Bunce, Professor, Principal Scientist (Genomics), ESR

Without genome sequencing, we would be blind to new variants of COVID-19. As Omicron surges in New Zealand, the sequencing focus is shifting to learning about what causes severe or long-term disease.

Read complete article

~	Next UN Secretary-General Should Champion Rights

~	Hong Kong: Conviction of Activist’s Father a Grim Milestone

~	Trump administration losing credibility with judges and grand juries – a former federal judge explains why this is “remarkable and unprecedented”

~	How bird poo fuelled the rise of Peru’s powerful Chincha Kingdom

~	How Indigenous ideas about non-linear time can help us navigate ecological crises

~	4 lessons NZ should take from another summer of weather disasters

~	For $40, you can name a star for your Valentine. But it won’t mean much

~	West Bank: UN rights chief warns against deepening Israeli control over Palestinian land

~	Acquittal of Palestine Action Protesters Spotlights UK’s Protest Crackdown

~	US-Nigeria Security Cooperation Should Prioritize Rights