Ministry sounds caution over reinfection

WELLINGTON: Older New Zealanders and people with highrisk health conditions are being urged to stay cautious about Covid even if they have just had the virus because reinfection can occur, new health advice says.

The Ministry of Health put out the advice to urge doctors and healthcare workers to remain vigilant when patients show up with respiratory infections as New Zealand heads into winter.

‘‘We are continuing to monitor international evidence on reinfection rates,’’ the deputy director of public health Dr Harriette Carr said.

‘‘Current evidence shows the chance of having Covid19 again within 90 days of a first infection, especially if it is the same variant, is low but it can occasionally happen.

‘‘Ensuring you minimise your chances of catching Covid19 again is especially important for older people, those with higherrisk health conditions, or people who have frequent close contact with vulnerable people.’’

People who become unwell with respiratory symptoms within 90 days after a Covid19 infection but are lowrisk should stay at home and recover until 24 hours after most symptoms cleared up.

‘‘We don’t advise routinely retesting at home within this period, but if someone becomes increasingly unwell they should seek advice from their GP or Healthline,’’ Dr Carr said.

More atrisk people who became unwell again within 90 days of their initial illness should seek further advice from a health practitioner. People who became infected more than 90 days after catching Covid19 should treat their new case as if it was a first infection, she said.

There was traditionally more sickness in the population during winter and that meant it was important people still followed public health guidance.

‘‘Please continue to stay at home if you’re unwell, practice good hand hygiene, wear a face mask when out in public and continue to maintain physical distance from others when possible,’’ Dr Carr said.

‘‘Again, vaccination remains a key defence against winter ills and chills — both the Covid19 vaccine and the influenza vaccine.’’

Four more deaths in the Southern region have been added to the Covid19 pandemic death toll.

The Ministry of Health reported 29 new deaths of people nationally with the disease yesterday: 14 people died in the past two days, and another 15 died between March 24 and the end of last week who were later found to have the disease when they died.

The deaths took the total number of reported deaths with Covid19 to 940, the ministry said.

Of the deaths reported yesterday; six people were from Auckland; one was from Waikato, one from Taranaki, one from Tairawhiti, two from Hawkes Bay, two from Bay of Plenty, one from Whanganui, four from the Greater Wellington region, one from Nelson Marlborough, six from Canterbury, and four people were from Southern, the ministry said.

Two people were in their 20s, three in their 30s, three in their 50s, four in their 60s, six in their 70s, three in their 80s and eight over the age of 90, it said.

Meanwhile, the Southern District Health Board reported 742 new cases yesterday.

There were 23 people in hospital with the disease, 18 in Dunedin and five in Southland, it said.

The Southern DHB also announced it was scaling back its communications about Covid19 from next week.

Rather than daily updates, the health board would publish updates on the disease in the region on Tuesdays and Fridays unless there was a reason to do otherwise or the situation changed, it said. — The New Zealand Herald/ODT