The Mike Hosking Breakfast

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said Monday that late-stage trials showed its coronavirus vaccine was up to 90 per cent effective, giving public health officials hope they may soon have access to a vaccine that is cheaper and easier to distribute than some of its rivals.
The results are based on interim analysis of trials in the UK and Brazil of a vaccine developed by Oxford University and manufactured by AstraZeneca. No hospitalisations or severe cases of Covid-19 were reported in those receiving the vaccine.
AstraZeneca is the third major drug company to report late-stage results for a potential Covid-19 vaccine as the world anxiously waits for scientific breakthroughs that will bring an end to a pandemic that has wrought economic devastation and resulted in nearly 1.4 million confirmed deaths.
Pfizer and Moderna last week reported preliminary results from late-stage trials showing their vaccines were almost 95 per cent effective. But, unlike its rivals, the AstraZeneca vaccine doesn't have to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures, making it easier to distribute, especially in developing countries.
"I think these are really exciting results," Dr Andrew Pollard, chief investigator for the trial, said during a news conference. "Because the vaccine can be stored at fridge temperatures, it can be distributed around the world using the normal immunisation distribution system. And so our goal … to make sure that we have a vaccine that was accessible everywhere, I think we've actually managed to do that."
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is also cheaper. AstraZeneca, which has pledged it won't make a profit on the vaccine during the pandemic, has reached agreements with governments and international health organizations that put its cost at about $2.50 a dose. Pfizer's vaccine costs about $20 a dose, while Moderna's is $15 to $25, based on agreements the companies have struck to supply their vaccines to the US government.
All three vaccines must be approved by regulators before they can be widely distributed.
Oxford researchers and AstraZeneca stressed that they aren't competing with other projects, and that multiple vaccines will be needed to reach enough of the world's population and end the pandemic.
"We're not thinking about vaccinations working in terms of one person at a time. We have to think about vaccinating communities, populations, reducing transmission within those populations, so that we really get on top of this pandemic,'' said Sarah Gilbert, a leader of the Oxford research team. "And that's what it now looks like we're going to have the ability to contribute to in a really big way.''
The results come as a second wave of Covid-19 hits many countries, once again shutting businesses, restricting social interaction and pummeling the world economy.
AstraZeneca said it will immediately apply for early approval of the vaccine where possible, and it will seek an emergency use listing from the World Health Organisation, so it can make the vaccine available in low-income countries.
The AstraZeneca trial looked at two different dosing regimens. A half-dose of the vaccine followed by a full dose at least one month later was 90 per cent effective. Another approach, giving patients two full doses one month apart, was 62 per cent effective. The combined results showed an average efficacy rate of 70 per cent.
The vaccine uses a weakened version of a common cold virus that is combined with genetic material for the characteristic spike protein of the virus that causes Covid-19. After vaccination, the spike protein primes the immune system to attack the virus if it later infects the body.
The vaccine can be transported under "normal refrigerated conditions" of 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, AstraZeneca said. By comparison, Pfizer plans to distribute its vaccine using specially designed "thermal shippers" that use dry ice to maintain temperatures of minus-70C.
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Steven Adams' NBA trade is a done deal.
After seven seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Kiwi star has reportedly been traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Respected NBA reporter Shams Charania first reported that the Thunder were in talks to send Adams to the Pelicans, before ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski added that Adams is set to be part of the originally-reported Jrue Holiday deal, which saw the Milwaukee Bucks pick up the high-profile guard in exchange for several draft picks from the Pelicans.
Charania has since tweeted the trade is complete.
Adams has spent his entire NBA career with the Thunder since he was drafted in 2013, playing 530 regular season and 59 playoff games, but with the Thunder rebuilding their roster for the future with an emphasis on collecting draft picks, Adams - and his US$27.5 million contract for the upcoming 2020-21 season -become less valuable.
Adams, 27, has one year remaining on his initial four-year contract before he becomes a free agent at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.
The Pelicans have the required cap space to include Adams' sizeable contract on their books for the season ahead and he will likely link up with rising sensation and 2019 No 1 draft pick Zion Williamson in the Pelicans' starting frontcourt.
Adams' departure from Oklahoma City will see him exit in 10th all-time in games played for the franchise, second in offensive rebounds, seventh in total rebounds, fifth in blocks and first in field goal percentage.
New Orleans has had a New Zealand influence in their team before, with Sean Marks playing 79 games over two seasons from 2008-2010, when the franchise was known as the New Orleans Hornets. New Zealand Breakers guard Corey Webster also spent pre-season with the squad in 2015.

Once again, the US smashed its record for people hospitalised with Covid-19 -- putting enormous strain on the health care system and threatening to reduce care for even those who don't have coronavirus.
At least 83,227 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised Saturday, according to the Covid Tracking Project. That's the 12th straight day that the US has broken its record for Covid-19 hospitalisations.
Nearly a quarter of all Covid-19 cases reported in the US were recorded just in November, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
And health experts say new infections, hospitalisations and deaths will get worse before they get better, as the upcoming holidays and colder weather trigger more indoor socialising.
More than 12 million people in the US have been infected with coronavirus, and more than 256,000 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins. About 2.8 million of the infections were reported in November.
Testing has increased, but not nearly at the same pace as new infections have increased. As of Friday, the number of daily new cases over the past week was 25% higher than the previous week, according to Johns Hopkins.
By contrast, the number of new tests increased only 14.55%, according to the Covid Tracking Project.
Saturday marked the country's 19th straight day of more than 100,000 new cases reported, according to Johns Hopkins.
And more new infections mean more new hospitalisations and deaths in the weeks ahead.
At least 24 hospital leaders warned the American Hospital Association they're having staffing shortages, said Nancy Foster, the association's vice president for quality and patient safety policy.
Why infections might be higher than we know
The real case count is likely to be "multitudes" higher than the 12 million reported because not enough people are getting tested, said Dr. Esther Choo, professor of emergency medicine at Oregon Health & Science University.
Choo said she's especially concerned by how quickly new cases are accelerating.
"So many states have test positivity rates above 20%, which means that we are vastly lagging behind in our confirmed cases," she said.
A test positivity rate is the percentage of tests performed that turn out to be positive. For context, the World Health Organisation has recommended governments not reopen until they keep their test positivity rate at or below 5% for 14 days.
As of Sunday, only Vermont, Hawaii, Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia met that WHO standard, according to Johns Hopkins data.
Of the remaining 44 states, several had test positivity rates of more than 40%: Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa and Idaho.
The CDC urges Americans to stay home this Thanksgiving
With this unprecedented surge of Covid-19, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned against Thanksgiving travel and against celebrating with anyone outside your own household.
The CDC said in new guidance last week that more than 50% of Covid-19 infections are spread by people who don't show symptoms.
The combination of people wanting to get tested before Thanksgiving and more people getting infected nationwide are causing long lines outside testing sites around the country.
And commercial labs say their capacities are being stretched.
But even a negative test result doesn't necessarily mean you're safe to see friends and family.
The safest way to enjoy a holiday meal with friends and family outside your household is to strictly quarantine for 14 days beforehand.
"If you do that properly, you don't need a test," said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, chief of the infectious diseases division at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Americans can now get Trump's antibody treatment
On Saturday, the US Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization of Regeneron's antibody cocktail to treat Covid-19 in high-risk...

An eating disorder group is uneasy with parts of a portrayal of Princess Diana's battle with bulimia.
The Crown has included her eating struggles in some of the darker moments of her life.
Eating Disorders Clinic co-director Kellie Lavender told Mike Hosking there are positives and negatives in the way bulimia was displayed in the programme.
She says it shows Diana being bored and unhappy which prompts her to go to the fridge and vomit.
"Although bulimic behaviour can take on a role in managing emotions for somebody, this usually is something that becomes a maintaining factor over time, rather than its initiated in this way."
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Victoria’s rules around masks are being adjusted as the state begins rolling back restrictions that have helped it register no new cases of coronavirus for 23 straight days.
Premier Dan Andrews announced at a press conference on Sunday morning that the rules for when Victorians are required to wear masks are among those being changed from midnight on Sunday night.
“We are making a fundamental change,” Mr Andrews said.
“Masks will be required inside in all settings, they will not be required when you are outside.”
Mr Andrews said Victorians still needed to carry their masks with them in case they find themselves in a situation where they can’t socially distance even while outside.
“If you go to Bunnings and you are inside the store, you are wearing a mask. If you are in the car park, you do not have to wear your mask. But if you are queuing up for a sausage, and you are with other people, and you are simply not keeping a distance, you are part of a crowd, you need to put the mask on,” Mr Andrews said.
“Carry the mask, because you never know, even outside, when you might need to wear it.”
Mr Andrews said masks “have played a very important part in these low numbers”.
“We just have to see this through and part of playing your part is wearing a mask,” Mr Andrews said.
South Australia has avoided a “catastrophic” situation in the state with one new case linked to a medi-hotel and none linked to the Parafield cluster, Premier Steven Marshall says.
It comes as the state’s Chief Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier released the modelling which prompted authorities to shut down the state while contact tracing was “supercharged” to stop a second wave.
The graph shows the reproduction number for the virus had reached “well above” two and potentially was as high as four last week, Professor Spurrier explained.
This meant that one infected person could have spread the virus to two others, or as many as four.
 “Based on that information, we had a 99 per cent chance that the wave that was starting off in South Australia was not going to be just a little blip, but it was going to be a very significant wave,” she said on Sunday.
The reproduction number had previously been sitting at 1.3, she said.
She said the graph showed how quickly the virus would could have spread.
“It shows a forecast of how the virus would spread if we hadn't made the decision to close down and basically supercharge our contact tracing,” Professor Spurrier said.
Sunday’s new case was woman in her 20s who has returned from overseas and remains in hotel quarantine.
The woman only became symptomatic on day ten of her 14-day quarantine period.
There were no new cases linked to the Parafield cluster in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
“The consequences of not acting quickly and following that health advice would have been absolutely catastrophic on all businesses, families and individuals in our state in a few moments time,” Premier Steven Marshall said on Sunday.
Testing rates in the state were “phenomenal” with 16,982 coronavirus tests carried out on Saturday, he said.
There was also no sign of any further community transmission from the cluster of 26 people infected with the virus.
 “I have no regrets on my advice and decision-making last week. I‘ve no doubt it was the right thing to do,” Professor Spurrier said.
Social distancing, mask wearing and getting tested were important to tackling the spread of the virus, she said.
But the professor said she was “absolutely stoked” with the efforts of South Australians compliance with the rules.
It comes after South Australia’s lockdown ended at midnight, three days earlier than planned.
But the Premier had earlier said the state was not out of the woods yet with one new virus case confirmed on Saturday linked to the Parafield cluster.

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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said China's statement it would "poke the eyes" of anyone who interferes in its sovereignty was not "language we would use".
Ardern's comments follow last week's diplomatic stoush last week between countries in the Five Eyes intelligence group - New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States - and the world's most populous country.
"We, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, and the United States Secretary of State, reiterate our serious concern regarding China's imposition of new rules to disqualify elected legislators in Hong Kong," the Five Eyes statement said.
"We call on China to stop undermining the rights of the people of Hong Kong to elect their representatives in keeping with the Joint Declaration and Basic Law. For the sake of Hong Kong's stability and prosperity, it is essential that China and the Hong Kong authorities respect the channels for the people of Hong Kong to express their legitimate concerns and opinions.
"As a leading member of the international community, we expect China to live up to its international commitments and its duty to the people of Hong Kong. We urge the Chinese central authorities to re-consider their actions against Hong Kong's elected legislature and immediately reinstate the Legislative Council members," the Five Eyes statement said.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian hit back against the Five Eyes statement
"No matter how many eyes they have, five or 10 or whatever, should anyone dare to undermine China's sovereignty, security and development interests, be careful not to get poked in the eye," he said.
Ardern, speaking to Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking this morning, said China's statement was not "language we would use".
New Zealand was always consistent in these things, Hong Kong was very relevant to New Zealand, do business there, and people here affected by things in Hong Kong, she said.
"My view is we have a relationship where New Zealand is consistent and predictable, where we raise these issues in a manner that is respectful and China will respond, where they see fit."
When will NZ get a Covid vaccine?
On the potential Covid-19 vaccines, Ardern said New Zealand was looking at a rolling application, with information updated on a rolling basis.
"Rather than just waiting for the finality of clinical trials... So we can move as quickly as we can, but we do need to satisfy our medical authorities so that it is safe to use."
The time countries are receiving vaccines is different, so it was not expected to be in New Zealand by Christmas.
Asked when a vaccine could be expected in New Zealand, given the FDA in the United States were looking to roll theirs out by December 11, the United Kingdom before Christmas, Ardern said she needed to check if she could talk publicly about the arrival date.
"As I say, delivery dates are different for every country but we are working as quickly as we can."
"I don't think we are going to see the case where the world is getting vaccinated and New Zealand is not."
Ardern disagreed New Zealand had been "bumped down the queue".
Hosking pressed Ardern on the timeline, stating Britain would be getting vaccines before Christmas.
"We paid the money and done the deal," he said.
Ardern said some of the information around deliveries "might be a bit speculative".
Not every country was getting everything at the same time, Ardern said.
"There is nothing I have seen suggesting any regulatory hold-up on our side, that is simply the delivery date. They are not able to produce enough for the world all at once."
When asked about the more thanr 1000 managed isolation and quarantine spaces that were reported to be available for travellers, Ardern said some of the live data was not capturing what was free.
"They keep a buffer, but I am told it is...

The World Happiness Report for 2020 has ranked New Zealand as one of the happiest countries in the world - but Mike Hosking doesn't think we're happy enough!
The report ranked eighth in the world for happiness, with an average rating of 7.3.
However, talking on Wrapping the Week with Kate Hawkesby and Tim Wilson, Mike made it clear that we should be aiming higher. 
"I think it's poor. Everyone should be 9.5 to 9.8.
"Where's the other three - what's missing in your life?" 
Meanwhile, Kate shared her story about fainting after having trouble getting a blood test - sparking a debate on whether doctors are overly keen to dish out blood test. 
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Māori wards on local councils are continuing to be a contentious issue in Northland.
Three local councils have voted in favour of the wards, prompting John Bain to resign as a regional councillor in protest.
Now he's launching petitions to get the councils to do a poll of ratepayers.
He told Mike Hosking that he resigned after there was a vote against holding a referendum on this.
"I believe the councils have to be logical and take the constituencies that they have, and have a vote for the whole community on what they should do."
Bain says a referendum on this in New Plymouth saw a 83 percent vote against introducing them. 
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