Covid 19 Omicron Outbreak: The latest case of Auckland’s concerns about reinfection

Today, the community has 5554 new cases of Covid-19, says the Ministry of Health.

The ministry also reports 11 virus-related deaths and 368 hospitalizations, including 7 in the intensive care unit.

Of today’s deaths, two were in their 60s, five were in their 70s, one was in their 80s, and three were over 90.

The average age of the Northern District Hospital is 61 years.

Examples of today’s communities are Northland (138), Auckland (1659), Waikato (372), Bay of Plenty (194), Lakes (76), Hawke’s Bay (179), Midcentral (223), Whanganui (54). ), Taranaki (188), Tairāwhiti (46), Wairarapa (71), Capital and Coast (506), Hutt Valley (219), Nelson Marlborough (227), Canterbury (839), South Canterbury (76), Southern (442) ), West Coast (40), unknown (5).

There are also 70 new import border cases.

The ministry says it is planning a harsh winter.

“Covid-19 continues to be prevalent in the community and is beginning to see the effects of winter respiratory illnesses such as the flu, which puts further pressure on our health system.”

“”[We] We work with local colleagues to manage capacity and demand, prioritize emergency care, and provide as planned care as possible. “

“We all need to work little by little to help survive the winter.”

The 7-day moving average for today’s community case was 5777 and last Wednesday was 6035.

The ministry encourages everyone to get the flu vaccine this year because of the defense against the four strains of the virus and the need for hospitalization.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, New Zealand has had 1,248,298 Covid-19s.

Currently, there are 40,365 active cases in the community.

The deaths reported today increase the total number of deaths publicly reported in Covid-19 to 1359.

The 7-day moving average of reported deaths is 13.

Increased reinfection

Auckland’s TeWhānauo Waipaleira Trust has witnessed a third reinfection of Covid-19 in the family and is calling on people to be vigilant this winter.

Yesterday, there were 6133 new community cases, 377 hospitalizations and 23 deaths.

Now that the cold season has begun, Ngaire Harris, clinical director of West Auckland Community Services, said some households are dealing with “multiple” infections in Covid-19.

Of concern, these families often did not report positive results to the Ministry of Health.

The community with which the Trust worked was one of the communities affected by the Delta outbreak last year and one of the first to be affected by the Omicron wave in Auckland at the end of the summer.

Disproportionate numbers of coronavirus-related deaths were in Maori and Pacifica people and were much more likely to require hospital-level care for Covid-19, even after considering age and pre-existing conditions. ..

“It’s always a concern because I don’t want to see Tamariki, Queer and the elders suffering,” Harris said of the higher risk.

In addition, the recurrence of the flu was beginning to be sacrificed.

“The message we’re trying to push is the happiness of Whānau. Stay healthy and stay healthy,” she said.

“We are learning to live together [Covid-19] – And now, Whānau is really attentive to their health and has a greater awareness of what the symptoms are. “

The magnitude of New Zealand’s reinfection is unknown because the Ministry of Health has not reported that particular information, but new systems have been developed to collect the data.

Evidence suggests that it is unlikely that the virus will be re-infected within 90 days of the previous infection, and those who have caught the virus again had to follow home quarantine rules.

“Reinfection generally does not cause serious illness in most people, but the diagnosis of reinfection with Covid-19 is frequent and intimate contact with the elderly, high-risk people, or vulnerable people. It’s important for those who do, “said the ministry’s guidance.

A recent paper, Covid Modeling Aotearoa, discovered that a second wave could strike later this year, partially caused by people who were re-infected due to weakened immunity.

The waves peaked in fewer daily cases than the first wave, and it was estimated that there were fewer hospitalizations-unless the infection was widespread in high-risk people such as the elderly.

In this scenario, up to 46% of cases already had Omicron earlier in the year.

Professor Michael Plank, one of the modelers behind the job, said the arrival of the new Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 in New Zealand could sooner or later take off the second wave. I told Herald.

Dr. Jema Geogegan, a virologist at the University of Otago, said reports of reinfection across Auckland were not surprising. Omicron waves in the region peaked about three months ago, and immunity to vaccination and infection was known to decline over time.

“One of the knowledge gaps we currently have is very low genomic surveillance. We do a significant percentage of sequencing, but still probably less than 2%.”

Ideally, she said, people who are now re-infected will be referred to a PCR test and authorities will be able to find out more about what is driving them.

The BA.2 subvariant currently accounted for almost all sequenced cases, so it is possible that many re-infected people suffered a second infection, unless it was of the BA.1 type.

But as new varieties emerge, it becomes increasingly important to have a clearer image, Geoghegan said.

Local cases of BA.4 and BA.5 have been shown to be more effective in causing breakthrough infections among vaccinated and boosted people.

“Therefore, it’s clear that they’re building a foothold in the community, but they lack the detailed oversight needed to actually know how big they are.”

Knowing more about what is causing the reinfection will also help scientists learn what treatments can be used, and how and if additional boost immunity should be provided.

Professor Michael Baker, an epidemiologist at the University of Otago, said what Trust reports is in line with international affairs.

“In general, reinfection rates will inevitably increase as more people become infected, so at some point reinfection will become the norm,” he said.

“Because previously infected people are also predominantly younger and more socially active, they will be at the forefront of those who are re-infected as well.”

Baker continued important health measures, such as the use of masks, and urged people to ensure vaccination and boost immunization.

He also said it was important for people to report the infection and to self-quarantine in contact with their families for at least 7 days.

“If you do it perfectly, the pandemic will stop.”

Health Director Ashley Bloomfield said the general downward trend in case numbers was “encouraging,” but it was still twice the number of infections predicted by modeling.

In addition, only about two-thirds of national infectious diseases may have been identified.

According to Bloomfield, cases are increasing in patients over the age of 65 who are more likely to be hospitalized or die of the virus, and the fourth Covid vaccine will soon be deployed for those at highest risk. That is.