Coronavirus - New Zealand
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In going from 600 tests in total as of this morning, to potentially 1500 per day later this week, I wonder whether testing has been tightly rationed to some extent so far. Korea seems to have had one of the most successful approaches so far - test extensively and isolate accordingly.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12317323
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@Donsteppa said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
In going from 600 tests in total as of this morning, to potentially 1500 per day later this week, I wonder whether testing has been tightly rationed to some extent so far. Korea seems to have had one of the most successful approaches so far - test extensively and isolate accordingly.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12317323
I can’t see how you can stop the spread without knowing where it is. All feels like action after the horse has bolted, all this action should have been done at least a week ago.
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I live in Switzerland. If NZ goes the Swiss way you’ll end up with only supermarkets and pharmacies left open. You kind of have to take it seriously from the beginning. Once the horse has bolted, very difficult to get back. Here it was 1000 people max then 500 people then 100 then 50 then 20 then everything banned. The problem is that there a few days when people have the virus but no or minimal symptoms. My parents say NZers not really taking it seriously yet. It helps being remote and an island but if it takes off in the population, shutting the borders won’t really help.
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@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Donsteppa said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
In going from 600 tests in total as of this morning, to potentially 1500 per day later this week, I wonder whether testing has been tightly rationed to some extent so far. Korea seems to have had one of the most successful approaches so far - test extensively and isolate accordingly.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12317323
I can’t see how you can stop the spread without knowing where it is. All feels like action after the horse has bolted, all this action should have been done at least a week ago.
If you don't have test capability the next best thing is to ask for suspected coronavirus patients to self isolate if they don't require hospitalization
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@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Donsteppa said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
In going from 600 tests in total as of this morning, to potentially 1500 per day later this week, I wonder whether testing has been tightly rationed to some extent so far. Korea seems to have had one of the most successful approaches so far - test extensively and isolate accordingly.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12317323
I can’t see how you can stop the spread without knowing where it is. All feels like action after the horse has bolted, all this action should have been done at least a week ago.
If you don't have test capability the next best thing is to ask for suspected coronavirus patients to self isolate if they don't require hospitalization
About as effective as waving your hands. Relying on people to self isolate is hopeful at best.
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@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Donsteppa said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
In going from 600 tests in total as of this morning, to potentially 1500 per day later this week, I wonder whether testing has been tightly rationed to some extent so far. Korea seems to have had one of the most successful approaches so far - test extensively and isolate accordingly.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12317323
I can’t see how you can stop the spread without knowing where it is. All feels like action after the horse has bolted, all this action should have been done at least a week ago.
If you don't have test capability the next best thing is to ask for suspected coronavirus patients to self isolate if they don't require hospitalization
About as effective as waving your hands. Relying on people to self isolate is hopeful at best.
It doesn't sound like much. And it won't be foolproof, far from it. But if it helps even a bit that can't be bad
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@Billy-Tell not sure it is quite as simple as not taking it seriously enough.
It really is hard to comprehend the scale of this and just how serious it is.
Even with every article in.media and on social media being about the pandemic, until you are immersed in it and your life is directly impacted I don't think people will realise.
There have been so many movies about virus outbreaks, they generally end well...
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@Donsteppa said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@nzzp said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
See what Sir Bob thinks
For such an avid reader and student of history, he perhaps discounts the St Louis experience of the Spanish Influenza (and the 2020 Italian experience) a little too quickly....
I know, right. I enjoy reading him, often don't agree. Some of that is just plain wrong, other bits are so on the money it's not funny
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@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Donsteppa said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
In going from 600 tests in total as of this morning, to potentially 1500 per day later this week, I wonder whether testing has been tightly rationed to some extent so far. Korea seems to have had one of the most successful approaches so far - test extensively and isolate accordingly.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12317323
I can’t see how you can stop the spread without knowing where it is. All feels like action after the horse has bolted, all this action should have been done at least a week ago.
If you don't have test capability the next best thing is to ask for suspected coronavirus patients to self isolate if they don't require hospitalization
I was talking with the Dr I went to see yesterday (the appointment was for a reason other then CV, but as I have had an actual flu she did their pre screening) and she said that if they referred everyone who came in with flu like symptoms (that don't meet their initial screening for CV) that the system would get slammed and it wouldn't take long before they were out of tests for actual cases.
They were also provided with extra training to help them with their triaging.
This was in Oz but I assume it's the same in NZ.
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@Nepia said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Donsteppa said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
In going from 600 tests in total as of this morning, to potentially 1500 per day later this week, I wonder whether testing has been tightly rationed to some extent so far. Korea seems to have had one of the most successful approaches so far - test extensively and isolate accordingly.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12317323
I can’t see how you can stop the spread without knowing where it is. All feels like action after the horse has bolted, all this action should have been done at least a week ago.
If you don't have test capability the next best thing is to ask for suspected coronavirus patients to self isolate if they don't require hospitalization
I was talking with the Dr I went to see yesterday (the appointment was for a reason other then CV, but as I have had an actual flu she did their pre screening) and she said that if they referred everyone who came in with flu like symptoms (that don't meet their initial screening for CV) that the system would get slammed and it wouldn't take long before they were out of tests for actual cases.
They were also provided with extra training to help them with their triaging.
This was in Oz but I assume it's the same in NZ.
Sounds about right. We are not Taiwan or South Korea, we don't have the resources to test everyone. That's why trying to stifle the flow of CV into NZ is so important. And trying to reduce mobility and therefore exposure of more people if it does get through
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@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Donsteppa said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
In going from 600 tests in total as of this morning, to potentially 1500 per day later this week, I wonder whether testing has been tightly rationed to some extent so far. Korea seems to have had one of the most successful approaches so far - test extensively and isolate accordingly.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12317323
I can’t see how you can stop the spread without knowing where it is. All feels like action after the horse has bolted, all this action should have been done at least a week ago.
Agree, it's a pretty blunt tool we're using at the moment.
Good luck from here on to the authorities, fair job so far. I'd like to see a report on preparation activity from Dec 2019 though.
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@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Donsteppa said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
In going from 600 tests in total as of this morning, to potentially 1500 per day later this week, I wonder whether testing has been tightly rationed to some extent so far. Korea seems to have had one of the most successful approaches so far - test extensively and isolate accordingly.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12317323
I can’t see how you can stop the spread without knowing where it is. All feels like action after the horse has bolted, all this action should have been done at least a week ago.
I think we've let it spread and will regret the light touch actions the government has put in place, especially when we had so many examples around the world of what does/does not work. I just can't understand why we aren't taking it seriously.
It's St Patrick's day today so thousands of young people will be drinking at bars which are still open when they shouldn't be, creating a breeding ground for the virus.
For me personally I'm especially worried about my parents.
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My mother in law is very ill in hospital and my wife is really struggling with how to visit her safely.
Doesn’t help when you see people getting tested in the car park with the full Monty protection gear. It’s clear that more people are infected than the official numbers state.
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@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
Sounds about right. We are not Taiwan or South Korea, we don't have the resources to test everyone. That's why trying to stifle the flow of CV into NZ is so important. And trying to reduce mobility and therefore exposure of more people if it does get through
And the resources are more about the people needed to perform and analyse the tests.
Every person with a runny nose and a mild cough turning up to an A&E wanting a test doesn't help!
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@Bovidae said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@canefan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
Sounds about right. We are not Taiwan or South Korea, we don't have the resources to test everyone. That's why trying to stifle the flow of CV into NZ is so important. And trying to reduce mobility and therefore exposure of more people if it does get through
And the resources are more about the people needed to perform and analyse the tests.
Every person with a runny nose and a mild cough turning up to an A&E wanting a test doesn't help!
Yet if they are mild c-19 sufferers and are unaware, then they just spread it through the community.
We need to do the SK drive through tests and get numbers tested.
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@Kirwan said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
My mother in law is very ill in hospital and my wife is really struggling with how to visit her safely.
Doesn’t help when you see people getting tested in the car park with the full Monty protection gear. It’s clear that more people are infected than the official numbers state.
I don't know how you conclude that from what you've posted. Our clinic will not see suspected cases who rock up unannounced (doesn't stop the odd one trying!). They have to call ahead and are assessed initially in the carpark. The staff are kitted out in full garb as you describe. We have isolation rooms where patients are presumably tested then sent home or I assume if much worse sent to Middlemore. That doesn't mean everyone tested is positive, but it makes sense to treat all suspects as infected.
That said I sympathize about your mother in law. It is a hell of a thing to face, and I hope it works out for you and your wife
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@Kirwan I would suggest that children and the young are more likely to be carriers but are asymptomatic, as they are the most mobile and likely to spend time in close contact with others. I expect the number of tests will ramp up now but I doubt they can test everyone.
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NZ has a few companies that develop diagnostic assays/kits. We don't have anyone who makes DNA oligonucleotides or qPCR probes at large commercial scale. We do have a company that makes rapid PCR equipment (not sure if its manufacturing is done in NZ). Don't think we have anyone who makes the enzymes for RT or PCR in NZ, but probably have companies who could. Don't know about how many facilities we have for producing and characterising viruses (needed for certifying test kits in this case).
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@Bovidae said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:
@Kirwan I would suggest that children and the young are more likely to be carriers but are asymptomatic, as they are the most mobile and likely to spend time in close contact with others. I expect the number of tests will ramp up now but I doubt they can test everyone.
I reckon that's what went wrong in Italy. Multiple generations living in one house, kids at school adults at work and oldies hanging out down at the town square or with lots of mates. Recipe for disaster