RSV outbreak: Virus hitting Kiwi kids
Hospitals around New Zealand have been strained this week by the growing number of babies and children with RSV symptoms.
Christchurch Hospital has been forced to treat all patients as being potentially infected with Covid-19 as the symptoms are similar.
One Canterbury toddler, Meah Radford, was fine on Friday, but four days was in hospital in a life-threatening condition.
Mum Brittany Beddoes says it was the "scariest thing" she had ever experienced.
Click here to read more about Meah's experience and about the RSV outbreak.
What is RSV?
- A common respiratory illness caused by a virus
-Typically mild with symptoms similar to the common cold
-Can be severe in infants and vulnerable adults who can suffer fever, severe cough and difficulty breathing
-Parents are advised to call Healthline if concerned on 0800 611 116
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
☔️ Where’d the summer go?
It’s the talk of the town (and every coffee queue): the Canterbury "summer" has felt a bit wet this year! We’ve definitely had our fair share of grey skies and raincoats lately 🌧️ In fact, the Post reports that Christchurch experienced almost double our usual!
While the forecast is looking bright for this weekend (fingers crossed!), we aren't out of the woods ... there are a few more cold fronts lining up before winter hits.
We want to hear from you: What are your go-to rainy-day activities? Whether you’re a local legend at the indoor courts or a professional movie-marathoner, share your secrets with us!
Drop your favourite rainy-day tips or photos in the comments below! 👇
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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