Photo: NZ HeraldNew Zealand's third Omicron wave may result in hundreds more deaths from the virus before the year is out, a top epidemiologist from the University of Otago warns. "Simple extrapolation would suggest we might see another 700 deaths for the remainder of this year if that mortality rate continued. It's thought to have a growth advantage over its cousin BA.5, which drove a mid-winter wave that temporarily made Covid-19 our leading cause of death. While prevalence of long Covid could be declining as some people recovered, another wave would add many more people to that group. "We keep our Covid-19 settings under regular review which includes an assessment of things such as isolation requirements.

Source: Otago Daily Times October 16, 2022 05:19 UTC