Excellent interview about the chilling effects Covid can have on any healthy person. This should be a wake-up call for anyone who has slipped into complacency. It's not too late to take precautions like mask-wearing and ventilation. Don't wait for the govt to tell you so!
The personal face of the hundreds of thousands with Long Covid https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2019027565/the-personal-face-of-the-hundreds-of-thousands-with-long-covid
While our govt doesn't give a fig about (Long) Covid, the NZ Health survey has at least added questions about Covid and LC. With a bit of prompting and a new wave hitting the motu, they've finally published the results. The data relies on self-reporting as getting a formal diagnosis of LC is often not possible or complex.
Key findings:
- Nearly 4 out of 5 adults reported ever having COVID-19.
- About 1 in 11 of all adults reported ever having long COVID symptoms (11.9% of those who had Covid).
- Women (14.9%), Māori (15.5%), and disabled adults (22.8%) were more likely to report ever having long COVID symptoms.
- Approximately 185,000 adults were experiencing long COVID symptoms in 2024/25.
This is affecting a lot of people. With the damage and the risk of LC increasing with every infection, this number is only going to grow.
The really frustrating part is that it doesn't have to be this way. We have the knowledge how to limit transmission but hardly anything is being done.
This is a great little video by The Spinoff on the current Covid wave and what to do about it. Fun to watch!
https://youtu.be/JqWx2W39Zbw
In contrast to all the lies National is telling about the Royal Covid Inquiry Phase Two report, Marc Daalder is providing a balanced summary that also references the findings from Phase One.
Hamilton, Aotearoa! How about a #maskbloc? We've found a venue that is happy to host it. Now all we need is funds to buy masks.
https://chuffed.org/project/153561-hamilton-mask-bloc
The Wellington mask bloc is already a success with big demand. We're looking to expand in other areas. We also need volunteers who are able to stock supply at home and restock our boxes on a regular basis.
Email [email protected] if you're able to help.
We are Aotearoa Covid Action, a grassroots advocacy group that has risen up in the wake of Aotearoa New Zealand no longer having a credible plan to control the spread of Covid in our schools, workplaces, and wider communities. We are starting a Wellington mask bloc which will be distributed out of Western Community Centre.
The Wellington #maskbloc at the Newtown library is up and running! 😷😍
Many thanks to all the people who have donated money and masks to make this possible. You're amazing!
We have already achieved our current $500 goal but if you want to further support this project, we will aim to provide free RATs in the future.
https://chuffed.org/project/151076-wellington-mask-bloc
Aotearoa Covid Action is in the process of setting up a #maskbloc in Wellington.
This mask bloc can't run without the generosity of donors. Every dollar counts so we can provide masks for people who otherwise cannot afford them. If masks are free, more people are likely to grab one and wear it when sick.
Please boost for reach!
German study shows promising results in infection reduction (not just for Covid but also for other respiratory viruses) using a hayfever nasal spray:
A two-thirds reduction in the risk of infection in the clinical study with 450 healthy adults, the active ingredient azelastine, which is contained in Ursapharm's hay fever spray Pollival®, was tested. "Our results show that the 227 participants who regularly used the azelastine nasal spray had a reduced risk of contracting corona infection by about two-thirds compared to the 223 participants who were treated with a placebo alone," says Professor Dr. Dr. Robert Bals.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1096684
Article in German:
https://www.saarbruecker-zeitung.de/saarland/saarland-heuschnupfenspray-schuetzt-gegen-corona-und-das-ist-noch-nicht-alles_aid-134126961
An equivalent product is available in Aotearoa:
https://www.dymista.co.nz/en-nz/product/dymista
https://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Consumers/cmi/d/dymista.pdf
Dymista has 125mcg of active ingredient vs 140mcg in the German product. Apparently, it's most effective at 5 doses/day.
The best deal I've found is $38/17ml bottle at:
https://www.pharmacydirect.co.nz/Dymista-Nasal-Spray-120-Dose
A research team at Saarland University has demonstrated in a clinical study that a widely used anti-allergy nasal spray containing the active ingredient azelastine can significantly reduce the risk of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The results of the placebo-controlled trial involving 450 healthy participants have now been published in the leading U.S. medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
Parents with sick kids are left with only bad choices because there's not enough support to keep sick kids home, be it for lack of sick leave or missing work hours and risking your job. We need a systemic approach that focuses on prevention, like clean indoor air, broader vaccine access and education about airborne transmission. This needs to go hand in hand with support measures that enable people to make the right choices. We need more sick leave, free RATs, normalise mask wearing etc
https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360761528/playing-germ-roulette-our-kids-health
See ACA's petition and 11-point action plan for a sustainable solution:
https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/clean-air-in-schools
Conny with a Y 
Kay 
