Ministry deploys tool for tracking long Covid

Because Covid-19 is relatively new, there remains much we do not know about its longterm effects. Long Covid . . . is likely to result in impacts on individuals, families and wh¯anau quality of life and wellbeing, and the healthcare system over time.

Dr Martin Chadwick

The Ministry of Health is today ending seven-day updates on Covid cases and deaths.

It will instead only release updates Monday to Friday and will also no longer provide information about the Covid-19 vaccine response as infection and hospital rates in the latest Omicron wave continue to fall.

However, it said it now had a new coding tool to track long Covid. It said clinicians around the country were being given the tools to record people diagnosed with long Covid, to help provide a clearer picture of the impact of the condition.

Advisory group chairman Dr Martin Chadwick said most people who tested positive for Covid-19 recovered within weeks and returned to normal health. But for a small group of people symptoms persisted and had a lasting effect on their health.

Long Covid tracking in NZ

The Ministry of Health yesterday announced long Covid would now be tracked with a new coding tool.

It said clinicians around the country were being given the tools to record people diagnosed with long Covid, to help provide a clearer picture of its impact over time.

Clinical codes had been developed for hospital-level care for patients with “ongoing symptomatic Covid19” and “post Covid-19 syndrome”.

These codes were currently being rolled out across all medical record IT systems used in primary care.

The ministry’s Long Covid Expert Advisory Group had also endorsed an agreed case definition for post-Covid19 conditions based on the UK NICE guidance and guidelines for long Covid rehabilitation.

“The guidelines will be finalised and published in the coming weeks and will support self-care for patients, wha¯nau and carers as well as helping clinicians in diagnosing long Covid and managing the condition for patients,” said the ministry.

Advisory group chairman Dr Martin Chadwick said the vast majority of people who tested positive for Covid19 recovered within weeks and returned to normal health. But for a small group of people, symptoms persisted and had a lasting effect on their health.

“Because Covid-19 is relatively new, there remains much we do not know about its long-term effects. Although it is difficult to precisely predict the likely burden of long Covid in New Zealand, given the large number of people who have had Covid-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand, it is likely to result in impacts on individuals, families and wha¯nau quality of life and wellbeing, and the healthcare system over time.”

There were 2318 new Covid community cases in New Zealand yesterday. Nine virus-related deaths were reported.

Two of the fatalities were from Waikato, three from Bay of Plenty, one was from Whanganui, two from Canterbury and one from Southern.

One was aged in their 50s, two in their 60s, three in their 70s, two in their 80s and one was aged over 90. Of these people, two were women and seven were men.

A total of 1865 deaths have been confirmed as attributable to Covid.

There are 357 people in hospital with the virus, including seven in intensive care.

Of the 2318 community cases announced yesterday, 170 people had recently been overseas.

The seven-day rolling average of cases yesterday was 2855 — last Friday it was 3876.