‘Stay at home and look after yourselves’

One GP says practices will struggle to treat thousands of cases, if a big Omicron wave emerges. By Ellen O’Dwyer.

GPS are urging people to practically prepare for an Omicron wave, warning they won’t be able to help every mild case of the virus if the health system gets overwhelmed.

Dr Vanessa Weenink, deputy chairwoman of the New Zealand Medical Association, said it was important to understand that even those double-vaccinated could get a mild to moderate infection.

‘‘People need to be prepared to stay at home and look after themselves as much as possible.’’

A second Auckland Airport worker with Covid-19 was confirmed as having the Omicron variant yesterday, as a further 41 new Covid-19 cases were detected at the border, and 43 in the community.

The new cases included 19 in Auckland, four in Waikato, six in the Lakes District, six in Hawke’s Bay and eight in Nelson Marlborough.

An Air New Zealand crew member is linked to the Nelson cases, but the variant is not yet known.

The Government and health officials have been urging the public to step up their preparations for Omicron, and it was revealed yesterday that anyone who tests positive must isolate at home for 14 days, and family members a further 10 days. Close contacts must also isolate at home for at least 10 days.

ACT leader David Seymour slammed the rule as unworkable and said it would cripple the health workforce and supply chains.

Weenink, a Christchurch GP, said that Omicron symptoms could include a headache, sore throat or runny nose, and possible mild nausea and diarrhoea.

Given high rates of vaccination, many people will be able to manage themselves at home. But those who were unvaccinated or with underlying health conditions could face more serious illness.

The Auckland region alone could be hit by up to 1800 new cases a day at the peak of an Omicron outbreak, Counties Manukau DHB has projected.

Epidemiologist Professor Rod Jackson thought that underestimated the full impact of the new strain.

Weenink said an already overstretched health system could buckle under an Omicron wave.

‘‘We cannot be looking after everyone who is a mild case to be honest.’’

Doctors and nurses will likely need to figure out who in their communities were at high risk of getting really sick.

Weenink said that if emergency departments became overloaded, there were likely to be more deaths in homes as a direct or indirect result of the virus.

‘‘Sadly I think we [might see more deaths.] For some people that might be acceptable where

that’s a person’s preference where they wouldn’t want to go to hospital and have everything done. What is really sad is if people can’t get help when they need it because the system is overwhelmed, and they die when we might have been able to do something about it.’’

Overall it’s likely to hit the lower socio-economic groups the hardest, on the back of decades of underfunding of health and goodquality housing, she said.

Dr Samantha Murton, Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners president, said many GPs would know of their most vulnerable patients.

Murton said deaths would rise under Omicron – though she thought the public health system had learnt a lot from Auckland’s Delta wave.

GPs should use their whole team, including nurses and healthcare assistants, to call around and check for symptoms.

Someone who developed only a mild condition might be contacted every second day, rather than every day.

But Murton was concerned at how GPs could manage, after two demanding years and a workforce shortage.

‘‘What GPs do in the community is incredibly critical, and Omicron is a health condition that requires some medical savvy, to say, are you sick enough to be in hospital or at home – that’s actually medical decisionmaking.’’

Dr Joe Bourne, a GP from Poutiri Wellness Centre in Te

Puke, which served both the rural and urban populations, said he had confidence in his practice.

‘‘We are a tight-knit community, and we already know those who are hard-to-reach. We will watch people carefully and make sure they know when to get in contact with us.’’

The Ministry of Health yesterday launched a campaign suggestion preparations including writing a checklist of emergency contacts (including those who can drop off essentials) and stocking up with a ‘‘wellness kit’’, including nasal sprays, lozenges, paracetamol and ibuprofen.

Murton said people need enough food for a few days, and enough supplies of any medication they were on for about one week.

Anyone who contracted Covid19 should expect to receive a call from a public health unit or GP practice within 24 hours.

If not, they should call Healthline or their GP advising them of their condition, Weenink said.

She said people who have been issued with pulse oximeters – perhaps in a family – should share it between them and record each person’s data.

Bourne said anyone who starts to feel very unwell should ‘‘absolutely’’ call health services.

This could include trouble breathing, or difficulty speaking in full sentences.

‘‘I think people on the whole should just use their instinct, and if they feel unwell, get in touch first of all with their GP but if they feel really unwell call 111.’’