In harm’s way: Healthcare staff 10% of cases

There are 155 healthcare workers across New Zealand who have been infected with Covid-19 — more than one in 10 of all the country’s cases.

As of Tuesday, healthcare workers made up 11 per cent of the total 1472 cases, according to figures provided to the Herald by the Ministry of Health.

Sixty-eight per cent of healthcare workers had recovered fully from the virus by Tuesday, compared to 82 per cent of all cases in New Zealand.

Of the 155 cases, four out of five had not been overseas recently — just 21 per cent had travelled.

Rates of infection have risen much faster among healthcare workers than among the rest of the population, at least during the second half of the lockdown.

Between April 12 and April 28 the number of infected healthcare workers appears to have climbed 53 per cent compared to a 10 per cent national increase, according to a Herald analysis.

The Ministry of Health has said it will not provide further information on cases — including where they worked or in what roles — for privacy reasons.

Earlier in April the senior doctors’ and dentists’ union demanded the Government release more specifics about medical professionals who had contracted the virus in its daily updates.

Sarah Dalton, spokeswoman for the Association for Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS), said at the time an official subset of data relating to medical staff would be useful at a national, DHB and community level.

“We know that healthcare workers are at greater risk. We are relying on them and it’s essential for them not only to be safe, but to feel safe.”

Despite the ministry’s reported refusal to give specifics on the latest healthcare infections, similar information has previously been released to media.

A report last month by Newsroom said by April 12 there were 101 infected healthcare workers, including 48 support or care workers, 31 nurses, seven doctors, four medical students and 11 in other roles.

Comparing those numbers with the latest figures from the ministry, the number of infections among healthcare workers climbed 53 per cent between April 12 and April 28.

Over the same 16-day period the total number of cases went from 1339 to 1472 — a 10 per cent increase.

Aged-care workers weren’t included in Newsroom’s figures from April 12. The Herald has asked the Ministry of Health to confirm whether they are included in latest numbers.

It’s not clear how many of the 155 healthcare workers are probable or confirmed cases.

Healthcare workers with Covid-19 are more likely to be counted as confirmed rather than probable cases as they are prioritised for testing.

Ministry of Health case definitions advise that while symptomatic close contacts of a confirmed case can be treated as probable cases and don’t need testing, healthcare workers in this position should still be tested.

Internationally, healthcare workers make up a large proportion of those infected. In mid-April 17,000 medical professionals in Italy had tested positive: 10 per cent of all cases.