New Zealand not prepared for another pandemic
Photo:
Luke Pilkinton-Ching
The quality of air inside school classrooms is so poor that winter bugs quickly spread from children to their families and communities, contributing to cases of Covid-19, asthma and other illnesses at hospital emergency departments, an epidemiologist with a background in paediatrics says.
Teachers are also being struck down, according to Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, who told
Saturday Morning
more cases of long Covid are cropping up, rendering them unable to work.
It comes as health authorities brace for
what is thought to be a new, more infectious subvariant of Covid
following a surge in detections.
Kvalsvig is a member of advocacy group Aotearoa Covid Action, which is currently petitioning to make changes to air quality in schools in an effort to control the spread of Covid-19, which it claims there is no longer a "credible plan" for.
"It's as if the infections in schools is like, setting off a train of dominoes that there's this wave right through the community every winter."
She said it was as if New Zealand was being tested for how well-prepared it was for the next pandemic, and "every winter we fail that test".
"What that means is... [if the next pandemic] gets through our borders without our knowing it, unless we're very lucky, it's going to go straight through the schools.
"And we know that because that's what happens every winter with all the other viruses; flu, Covid, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and the rest."
It was a situation that needed turning around, Kvalsvig said.
"If we make the air in schools safe... every classroom we do that is another building block in our pandemic preparedness."
She said people had been burned out by the pandemic, and with "pandemic amnesia" setting in, air filters that were introduced at some schools in 2022 were not always remembered or switched on.
"People are just so over it. They don't want to think about it even though in fact Covid is very much still with us and all those other viruses - people can't bring themselves to really think about it and address it."
Kvalsvig wanted to "completely turn this situation on its head" and make school "one of the safest places a child can be".
"That the air in school classrooms is clean and fresh, it's protecting them from infections, it's helping them to stay alert and learning. It's also protecting them from air pollution, which damages children's lungs and brains."
Ventilation was needed to bring fresh air into the classroom and filtration cleaned the air, Kvalsvig said.
Other layers of protection included staying home when sick, and using a specific UV light to kill viruses, which would be "as simple as switching a light on".
It was not as simple as just opening a window, she said.
Kvalsvig told RNZ presenter Susie Ferguson she was surprised New Zealand was not doing more about the issue because a 2022 government study showed teachers were at the top of professions at risk from Covid-19.
"I was sorry to see that no action came out of that big study."
She said there was a need for a Covid strategy to co-ordinate against it and the illnesses it can trigger.
Asked whether it would be safe for under 18-year-olds to have a vaccine booster, Kvalsvig said it was "absolutely clear" in research done on millions of children and young people that it would be beneficial to their health. In the United States this week Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said the country would
no longer offer Covid-19 vaccines to children and pregnant women
.
Meanwhile, Kvalsvig was also the lead researcher of Co-Search, a Covid-19 research collaborative led by Professor Michael Baker, as well as SYMBIOTIC, a programme that aimed to investigate the two-way relationships between infectious disease and long-term conditions.
She said there was a social justice element to Covid-19 - marginalised people, those with underlying conditions and also people who had had Covid already were at risk of developing new conditions.
"Pandemics tend to cast these very long shadows of ill-health in populations, so long after the emergency phase has passed, that shadow persists."
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Watch: Christopher Luxon booed at netball premiership finals
Prime Minister Chrisopher Luxon appears to have been booed by spectators at the ANZ Premiership netball finals over the weekend. Luxon was on stage to present awards after the final game. Loud jeers from the crowd could be heard as Luxon was introduced, video from the official broadcast shows. What prompted the crowd's reaction is unclear. The Mainland Tactix broke their ANZ Premiership drought , dethroning two-time defending champions Northern Mystics 58-46 in the grand final at Auckland's Trusts Arena. Comment has been requested from the prime minister's office. He's due to speak to reporters at the Beehive about 4pm for this regular post-Cabinet press conference Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Dead teen's family told they had to organise getting his body back to hometown
An urgent transfer meant the young man's family did not have a chance to say goodbye to him before his death. Photo: 123RF The family of a teenager who died from complications after an operation never got the chance to say goodbye. They were further distressed by being told they needed to organise his body's repatriation to his hometown. A complaint about the 19-year-old's care was referred to Health and Disability Commissioner by the coroner. The young man - who died in 2015 - had undergone an operation in January that year related to his type 2 neurofibromatosis - a genetic condition that causes benign tumours to develop on nerves, particularly those in the skull and spine. There were complications due to a post-operative infection and meningitis, which was treated successfully at a secondary hospital. The man - who was referred to in the commissioner's report as Mr B - continued to suffer from fluid building up around the brain and required regular release of cerebrospinal fluid through lumbar puncture. He was admitted to hospital with ongoing headaches and vomiting in April. A decision was made to hold off on further lumbar punctures due to concerns it could cause a hernia and to transfer him to another hospital via an air retrieval team. The transfer was delayed due due to staffing issues and a lack of an available air ambulance. Deputy commissioner Dr Vanessa Caldwell said at the time Mr B was neurologically stable and his transfer was scheduled for the next day. However, while waiting he collapsed and his heart stopped. He was then urgently transferred to another hospital, but his condition deteriorated and at the second hospital he was declared brain dead. Mr B's family told the commissioner they did not understand why he was not transferred by road when the air retrieval team was not available, and they did not understand why he was transferred to another hospital when his prognosis was poor. The transfer meant they did not have a chance to say goodbye to him before his death. The family also said they were asked if they would donate his organs only minutes after being told he was brain dead, which left them little time to consider their options. They were also told by a social worker it was up to them to organise transport of his body back to where they lived, even though he qualified for travel assistance. Health NZ apologised for the distress caused by the discussion related to organ donation and the miscommunication regarding transporting Mr B's body. Dr Caldwell said the care provided to the man was at an appropriate standard and decisions, such as the air transfer, were made appropriately based on the information available to the team at the time. Incorrect and minimal information was provided to the family once the man died and this had been particularly distressing for them, she said. She also had concerns about the communication between the air retrieval team and the teams treating Mr B. Health New Zealand breached the patient's right to information under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights, the commissioner said. A number of changes had been made since the young man's death, including the establishment of Health NZ, Dr Caldwell said. "I am also mindful that providing recommendations at this stage for errors that happened some time ago is likely to have limited practical benefit." She recommended Health NZ Southern and Health NZ Waitaha Canterbury provided a formal written apology for the breaches identified in the report within three weeks. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
Henry Puna returns as president of Cook Islands Party
Pacific Islands Forum secretary general, Henry Puna. Photo: Forumsec Former Cook Islands Prime Minister and Pacific Islands Forum secretary-general Henry Puna has been appointed president of the ruling Cook Islands Party (CIP). The CIP is the party of Prime Minister Mark Brown, who continues to serve as party leader. Puna has also previously served as CIP leader. A statement from Cook Islands Party said Puna brings "unparalleled experience" in his former roles as, party president, party leader, Prime Minister, and head of the Pacific Islands Forum. "His return to the Party Executive signals a renewed sense of stability, unity, and strategic focus," the statement said. "With Henry Puna as President, and Mark Brown leading as Prime Minister and Party Leader, the Cook Islands Party is confident in its future direction and leadership." Former Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna has been appointed president of the Cook Islands Party. Photo: Cook Islands Party The change in president comes as the governments of New Zealand and the Cook Islands are in an increased time of tension stemming from what Wellington views as a lack of consultation over deals Brown signed with China in February. New Zealand paused $18.2m in development assistance last month. The statement from the party said delegates were briefed on the current diplomatic challenges between the Cook Islands and New Zealand. "One of the immediate priorities for the new Party President is to work closely with the Party Leader and Prime Minister to navigate these issues and uphold the interests of the Cook Islands," the statement said. The annual general meeting was held on Thursday local time on Rarotonga and was attended by representatives from all 24 electorates.
