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Summarised by Centrist
New Zealand is experiencing its ninth wave of COVID, according to University of Otago public health professor Michael Baker, as hospitalisations and deaths linked to the virus continue to be recorded.
Health New Zealand data cited in the report show 50 hospitalisations and 19 deaths involving COVID in the past week.
Baker said repeated waves have been a consistent feature of the pandemic since the Omicron variant began spreading widely in 2022, with the country experiencing roughly two waves per year. He noted the pattern does not appear strongly seasonal, with outbreaks occurring in both winter and summer.
Unlike earlier waves, Baker said the current surge does not appear to be driven by the emergence of a new variant. Instead, he said the pattern suggests declining population immunity.
“People are not getting booster shots, and for many it has been quite some time since they were last infected, and antibodies are dropping,” Baker said, adding that this gives the virus “the edge”.
COVID remains a significant infectious disease in New Zealand. Baker estimated the virus accounts for about 1000 deaths per year, compared with approximately 500 deaths annually linked to influenza.
COVID surveillance now relies largely on wastewater monitoring and hospitalisation data, as fewer people are testing for the virus.
Baker said it was unclear how frequently people were still using tests, noting that rapid antigen tests are no longer government-funded and may be unaffordable for some.
“I think that’s a problem,” he said.
Baker urged people to take steps to limit the impact of the virus.
He recommended that people with respiratory symptoms stay home and test if possible, and said booster vaccinations remain available every six months for those aged over 30.
The report also notes that Long COVID is not currently being systematically monitored in New Zealand, which Baker described as a gap in understanding the virus’s longer-term effects. He suggested periodic surveys could help estimate how many people are living with the condition.
Editor’s note: Health New Zealand’s weekly COVID reporting typically counts deaths “with COVID”, meaning the person tested positive for the virus at the time of death. This does not necessarily mean COVID was the primary cause of death recorded on the death certificate.
Overseas, many countries now treat COVID as an endemic respiratory illness monitored alongside flu, raising the question of whether New Zealand’s discussion relies too heavily on a narrow group of local experts whose advice tends toward caution.
