A second COVID-19 booster is now available and recommended for anyone living with HIV in New Zealand. You will need to wait for at least 6 months from the date you had your first booster, and if you have had COVID recently, it is recommended that you wait for 3 months after testing positive before getting any further vaccination.

As we are now entering a new wave of Covid infections, if you have not yet had your first booster we would strongly encouraged to do so.

You can book an appointment for your second (or first) booster dose through Book My Vaccine, or by calling the COVID Vaccination Healthline on 0800 28 29 26 (8am to 8pm, 7 days a week).

We are in Omicron Phase 3

At Phase 3, the focus is on safely managing COVID-19 at home. You should only get a COVID-19 test if:

• you have symptoms, or
• you are a household contact
• you must self-isolate until you receive your results
• Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) provide immediate results and are being rolled out to community testing centres and will be available to purchase at retailers

How to get a COVID-19 Test - Call:

• your doctor or nurse
• Healthline for free on 0800 358 5453
• your iwi health provider, or
• a community-based testing location - Find a testing location

Only confirmed cases and their household contacts are required to isolate.

People who test positive for COVID-19 and those in their households need to isolate for 10 days but can now self-release after day 10, provided any testing and symptoms requirements are met. You will be supported to notify people you may have spent time with while infectious that you have tested positive.

If you are told you are a contact, you do not need to isolate, but should monitor for any symptoms. Close contacts should get a test if symptoms develop. Locations of interest will not be published during Phase 3.

If you are self-isolating at home, you can get help if you need essential supplies like food or medicine. If your symptoms worsen, call your doctor or Healthline (0800 358 5453) for advice. They will tell you what you need to do next. Vulnerable people will have access to clinical care to help them self-isolate safely.

Help if you are self isolating
Financial support

With the imminent arrival of the Omicron variant within the community, the government has provided an update. On 20th January, the Prime Minister said: "When we have evidence of Omicron transmitting in the community we won't use lockdowns, instead the whole country will move into Red. It is important to remember that red does not mean lockdowns, or regional boundaries, and business remains open."

"For the most part, (infected) people will be well enough to stay at home with whānau. So think about what you'd need to stay home for that period." Most cases of COVID-19 are like a mild to moderate cold, which can be self-managed. The severity of your symptoms, your age and state of health before catching COVID, will determine whether you need to contact your GP.

Here is some practical advice from a Melbourne GP to help you prepare, so that you can manage a COVID infection while staying at home. The Australian Health COVID-19 Symptom Checker is a useful site to help you decide if you need medical attention

Self-Isolation:

Detailed tips on self-isolation are available from the COVID website.

You will need to isolate for at least:

• 10 days while you recover from COVID-19 and be symptom-free for 72 hours, if you are fully vaccinated
• 14 days while you recover from COVID-19 and be symptom-free for 72 hours, if you are not fully vaccinated

Here is what to expect while self isolating. Once the last case has been released from isolation, the remaining members of the household will have a further period of 10 days in isolation.

Items for isolation and cleaning:

• Masks
• Gloves
• Hand Sanitizer
• Hospital Grade Disinfectant
• Bin Liners and bins for each room
• Tissues
• Paper towelling for wiping down surfaces

Medications:

• Ibuprofen / Paracetamol for aches and pains/fever
• Throat lozenges for sore throat
• A supply of all your regular medications
• Antihistamines
• Electrolytes

Optional items:

• Thermometer
• Pulse-oximeter

Contacts:

Put together a contact list of your GP, Pharmacist, close friends and family, food and meal delivery and the COVID-19 information hotline.
You can call the dedicated COVID-19 Health line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

• for free on 0800 358 5453
• on +64 9 358 5453 if you have an international SIM

For any other health concerns, call the general Healthline number on 0800 611 116. You can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Remember if at any time you need urgent medical help or are having difficulties breathing, call 111 immediately. Tell them you have COVID-19 when you ring.

Additional COVID-19 Support information is available on the governments COVID-19 website.

Normal temperature, pulse & breathing rates:

Temperature: All patient ages 35.5–37.4°C
Pulse: Adult 60–90 beats/minute; Child 70–110 beats/minute; Infant 70–120 beats/minute
Breathing: Adult 10–20 breaths/minute; Child 20–30 breaths/minute; Infant 30–50 breaths/minute

Find out more at Covid19.govt.nz/be-prepared

HIV treatments are highly effective at controlling HIV and maintaining a robust immune system. By stopping HIV from replicating, the amount virus in your system becomes so low that it is undetectable. When HIV is controlled, it doesn’t impact your immune system so you maintain a healthy immune response to fight off infections such as coronavirus. By maintaining an undetectable HIV viral load you cannot pass on HIV either.

CD4 count is the chief measure of the immune system and a stronger immune system helps combatting any infection. If you have an undetectable viral load and a CD4 count above 500 hundred you should not be any more concerned about COVID-19 (Coronavirus) than the general public. At present, the data tell us that COVID-19 is more serious for older people and those with a compromised immune system. This includes people with HIV who have a low CD4 count (<350) and people who have cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, hypertension, asthma and diabetes.

It is important that everyone living with HIV is aware of their status through regular testing and engage in care and treatment. If you are living with HIV now would be a good time to start (or resume) HIV treatment to maintain optimal health. You should have a minimum one month supply of your medications to ensure you don’t run out so that you can maintain adherence to your medication.

Currently it is assumed COVID-19 is spread through large droplets such as through coughing or sneezing. To minimise the spread of viral infections everyone should follow basic hygiene practices by washing your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, particularly before touching your face, preparing and eating food, or after sneezing or coughing. Ensure you cover your nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing using a tissue or your elbow – then wash your hands.

As flu season is soon to appear in New Zealand, you do not want to have the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. Although the influenza virus and COVID-19 are very different from each other they can cause a similar illness, and it is good to avoid having both viruses together, or one after the other. The flu shot and pneumococcal vaccine are provided for free to people living with HIV and can be accessed through your GP or Pharmacist. You are trying to keep your immune system at its peak responsiveness.

As there is no local transmission of COVID-19 in New Zealand at this point there is no reason to avoid going out to events or enjoying life as usual. Whenever we see an outbreak of infectious disease it always ends up with finger-pointing and blaming and with minorities — whether they are sexual or ethnic minorities or from particular parts of the world — being targeted and blamed. As communities we have a long proud history of looking out for each other and now is a good time for us to show the best of our communities.

Some resources and services you may find helpful during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

If you know of any other resources and services, particularly services outside the Auckland region - please let us know so we can add them to the list - Contact Us