After a challenging winter with the flu and Covid, coughs and colds are due to ‘take a holiday’ – Stuff

Simon O'Connor/Stuff

During the winter 253 people were hospitalised in Taranaki Base Hospital with Covid.

The health forecast for winter was all doom and gloom, but the outlook for spring and summer is much better.

Cough and cold viruses normally take a holiday over summer, Te Whatu Ora Taranaki medical officer of health Dr Jonathan Jarman said in an emailed response to questions.

This is partly because of the weather and the behaviour of humans; during summer people are out and about, windows are open, and we are not spending a lot of time close to other people like we do in winter.

However, he said its important to note that Covid-19 was not going away.

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There are likely to be ongoing infections throughout summer, though at a lower rate than the peak of winter.

People are still dying because of Covid-19, Jarman said.

And wastewater surveillance testing shows that the Covid-19 virus is still out there.

As of Tuesday, 74 people in Taranaki have died with Covid being the underlying cause of death or a contributory cause of death.

During winter, 253 people were hospitalised in Taranaki with Covid 73 in June, 113 in July, dropping to 67 in August.

From the peak of more than 500 cases a day in March there 45 new cases of the virus on Tuesday.

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Te Whatu Ora Taranaki medical officer of health Jonathan Jarman says cough and cold viruses normally take a holiday over summer.

While there are now only 299 active cases of Covid in the region, 45,131 or 36.8% of the population, in Taranaki have had the virus. Nationally, more than 50% of the population have been infected.

Medical experts predicted a tridemic made up of Covid, the flu and a respiratory illness called RSV could hit over winter.

And while winter was challenging,, RSV didnt really make an appearance, Jarman said.

It is possible that the rates of illness last year caused enough protection at a population level to protect people this year.

Flu was predicted to come back with a vengeance, but it didnt reach the same levels as it did in 2019, before lockdowns and border closures put it on hold.

There were 108 people hospitalised with the flu in Taranaki during winter 55 in June, 50 in July and 3 in August.

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After a challenging winter with the flu and Covid, coughs and colds are due to 'take a holiday' - Stuff