Numerous countries across the globe have introduced a variety of public health measures, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), to reduce the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and accordingly reduce coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalizations and mortality. Effective NPIs have at the same time caused considerable changes in healthcare demand for non-COVID-19 conditions. In New Zealand, during the first wave of the pandemic in early 2020, their government instigated a stringent programme of restrictions, with a four-level alert system, including border closure, quarantine for returning travellers, social distancing measures and personal hygiene promotion. High public compliance with NPIs prevented COVID-19 community transmission for 102 consecutive days. In fact, they were so effective that the usual winter influenza surge was also disrupted, with an extraordinary 99.9% reduction in influenza virus detections as compared to previous years and a substantial reduction in all other respiratory viruses, including a 98% reduction in respiratory syncytial virus detections.1 Due to the key role viruses are known to play in many respiratory conditions and are postulated to play in myocardial infarctions and heart failure, it may be hypothesized that the stringent reductions implemented in New Zealand may also have mitigated the incidence of these conditions during that time.