Concern virus could arrive in flu season

WELLINGTON: Doctors fear the coronavirus Covid19 will hit New Zealand at the same time as the winter flu season, stretching health services and hospitals to breaking point.

Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton said the socalled ‘‘winter surge’’ was now ‘‘the new normal’’ in many hospitals.

‘‘It’s not unusual for our medical wards to be over 100% occupancy even outside the winter surge.

‘‘So if we get flu at the same time as Covid19, that seems like too many things.’’

Health workers had borne the brunt of the Covid19 outbreak in China and their experience showed clear protocols and protective equipment were needed now, before the virus arrived, she said.

‘‘I think our whole public health function in terms of epidemiology, planning, preparedness for epidemics and pandemics has been really undercooked.

‘‘And the worry is the increase in funding for health is really too little, too late at this point.’’

Directorgeneral of health Ashley Bloomfield said yesterday New Zealand had ordered 1.46 million doses of the flu vaccine, which is up on the previous year.

A report by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research says New Zealand needs to do more to prepare for a pandemic and not rely on travel bans.

Coauthor and health economist Sarah Hogan said travel restrictions could at best delay the virus arriving — and in this case, that might do more harm than good.

‘‘Delaying the virus’ arrival in New Zealand now could mean that it arrives in New Zealand during our flu season.

‘‘This would put extra strain on our health sector’s limited resources at the worst possible time of year.’’

Ms Hogan said on a global index of pandemic preparedness by Johns Hopkins University, New Zealand ranked 35th out of 195 countries, behind South Africa, Lithuania and Poland and significantly behind Australia, Canada and Britain.