Harm
During a cost of living crisis and a continued situation of risk to health, New Zealand is about to stop access to free RAT tests at the end of September 2024.
I wrote about this in January, but here are a few more reasons to be concerned that no media or political parties have called this out at the time of writing, despite very clear concern from a leader well-versed in pandemic response, who has both a global and future-focussed lens:
It’s not just vulnerable communities - “people of all ages, including children and teens, can get very sick from Covid” and are at risk of Long Covid.
If you throw in cost of living, as well as the fact limited pharmacies stock RATs (and if they do they’re often at big prices), how many people are realistically able to determine if they have Covid and are able to take action to prevent? How many of those people who can take that action will be wealthy or privileged in other ways?
Covid remains a top ten cause of death, alongside heart disease. Covid has been proven to impact heart health, and early heart disease deaths are at a 14 year high. The links between Covid and other health impacts are increasingly clear.
A recent report says that Long Covid has affected 400 million people since the pandemic started - the US recognised this as a public health crisis earlier this year, while New Zealand definitely has not.
Insights from a recent international patient-led survey detailed the impact of Covid reinfections on both people with and without Long Covid. Overall, the odds of Long Covid increase with reinfection.
The US has just had its biggest summer wave in two years (and gave out free RAT tests).
The US are again giving out RATs as they head into their autumn - demand was so high their website crashed.
Shane Reti’s office said earlier this year we are well prepared for future pandemics - how true is that given we’re not interested in funding response to the current one?
We are behind both the US and the UK on access to updated vaccines, Long Covid support, clean air and now RAT access - all tools we should be using.
New Zealand’s Pandemic Plan mentions equity no less than 23 times and yet given that and all of the above we are still content to approach the next wave with no visibility for the public on whether they have Covid or are passing it on.
We are ultimately endorsing poorer health outcomes as a result.
This is genuinely one of those times where impact to the public, especially the most vulnerable among us, has been clearly disregarded.
If you want a clear example which shows the deliberate erosion of values to the detriment of our health and wellbeing, this would be one.
If anyone needs support, let me recommend Long Covid Support Aotearoa.
It’s run by volunteers.
Great article. This coalition are total schmucks..........low level gangsters of no repute screwing with a good country. Shameful cutting access to RATS. A must read for thinking Kiwis.
Imagine if this government had been in power during the onset of the pandemic? I find it hard to visualize their competent management of the virus. It's a pity that events that would change their tune would have such a great human impact on us all.