The New Zealand Ministry of Health have revised their case definition for COVID-19 (Coronavirus) to include additional countries of concern. Those countries include Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore and Thailand.
This means people who have travelled from or via these countries and who develop symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath should seek medical advice by first phoning Healthline’s dedicated COVID-19 number 0800 358 5453 or contacting Crawford Medical 09 538 0083 before visiting the practice.
If you are visiting a GP with any of the above symptoms, please stay in your car at the Crawford Medical car park and phone the practice. Your Doctor will come out and see you.
The likelihood of an imported case in New Zealand is high, however the likelihood of a widespread outbreak is low-moderate.
The spread of COVID-19, originating in Wuhan City, China, is being closely monitored by Auckland Regional Public Health Service and the Ministry of Health.
The virus can cause acute respiratory infection ranging from mild to severe. Most of the infected people have had mild to moderate illness.
How it spreads
Like the flu, COVID-19 can be transmitted from person to person. The scientific evidence confirms that coronavirus is spread by droplets. This means that when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, they may generate droplets containing the virus. These droplets are too large to stay in the air for long, so they quickly settle on surrounding surfaces.
Droplet-spread diseases can be spread by:
- coughing and sneezing
- close personal contact
- contact with an object or surface with viral particles on it and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
That’s why it’s really important to practice good hygiene, regularly wash and thoroughly dry your hands and practice good cough etiquette.
Prevention - how to protect yourself and others
You can take some simple steps to help stop the spread of diseases like COVID-19.
- Avoid close contact with people with cold or flu-like illnesses.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing.
- Wash hands for at least 20 seconds with water and soap and dry them thoroughly:
- before eating or handling food
- after using the toilet
- after coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose or wiping children’s nose after caring for sick people.