The Project’s Hamish Macdonald asked a WHO adviser how bad the Covid-19 blunder that led 1500 people with the virus to think they were negative could be.
An infectious diseases expert has told The Project’s Hamish Macdonald that a testing blunder that saw 1500 Covid-19 positive Sydneysiders mistakenly told they were negative was “very dangerous” and could lead to 8500 avoidable infections.
The east coast is experiencing record case numbers as the Omicron variant wafts through the community.
A number of studies have said it appears to be less severe for most people with an estimated 50 to 70 per cent lower chance of hospitalisation. However, healthcare professionals remain wary about the spread eventually overwhelming hospitals.
A rush on tests as meant hundreds of thousands of Australians are now waiting up to six days for their PCR results with pressure on the system leading to errors.
A mix up by Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital saw around 1500 people incorrectly given negative results in what the inundated testing clinic described as a “human error”.
‘It’s very dangerous’
On Monday’s The Project host Macdonald asked UNSW infectious diseases expert and World Health Organisation Covid-19 adviser Professor Mary-Louise McLaws “how dangerous” the blunder was?
“It’s very dangerous,” said Prof McLaws, “because as soon as people get the result, they want to celebrate.
“I’d be pretty sure they’ll be going out and seeing at least one other person.
“That’s at least another 1400 people. And of course if these are mostly Delta, and some Omicron, they could be infecting at least up to six people (each).
“So it could be as many as 8500 people they may have inadvertently infected because they went off to celebrate.”
Prod McLaws suggested there might be a method to lessen pressure on testing systems for those told to isolate.
“If you’re in isolation and if you have no symptoms, I would give people six rapid antigen tests, ask them to stay home for a couple of days. After testing for two days, that accuracy gets up to nearly 100 per cent accurate,” Prof McLaws continued.
“So if you test negative for two days in a row, go out and enjoy yourself. But keep testing yourself for another four days (so you will have) six days of tests. Because you can become symptomatic from about day three or four with Omicron, but definitely day four with Delta.”
When asked by Macdonald what regular Aussies who wanted to enjoy the festive season could do to both have fun and stay safe, Prof McLaws recommended getting their own rapid antigen tests done the day before and the day of them going out.
“Go out and be careful. Please be at least double vaccinated. If you have a second dose more than four months ago, please get the third shot. If you’re at all concerned because you’re going to meet with people, just do a rapid antigen test the day before, and on the day,” she said.
“If you’re negative, continue to enjoy yourself. Please wear your mask over your nose, because you can be breathing in Delta or Omicron, or breathing it out if you’re in that early phase and don’t realise you’re sick.”
There were 97,241 Covid-19 tests reported in NSW to 8pm on Sunday, a slight decrease from the previous day’s total of 109,545.
Health authorities later confirmed Australia’s first death to the Omicron variant was a double-vaccinated man at an aged care facility.
“The man was a resident of the Uniting Lilian Wells aged care facility in North Parramatta, where he acquired his infection,” authorities announced on Monday.
“He had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and had underlying health conditions. This is the first known death in NSW linked to the Omicron variant of concern.”
He was among three deaths recorded today.
A woman in her 90s from the central coast died at Wyong Hospital. She had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and had underlying health conditions.
A man in his 80s in Sydney’s inner west died at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He had received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and had underlying health conditions.
The latest numbers come as new restrictions come into force for the holiday season as the state attempts to contain the surge.
Masks are now compulsory in all indoor, non-residential settings, including for hospitality staff and in offices, unless eating or drinking.
All rules will remain in place until January 27.
Medical director for infection prevention at the Mount Sinai Health System, Dr Bernard Camins believes Australians have to come to terms with the fact they will be exposed to someone carrying the virus in the future.
“I’ve been telling this to anyone who would listen: It’s not a matter of if you get exposed to the Omicron variant or any other variant of the coronavirus, it’s a matter of when,” he said.
“Everyone will run into somebody with a Covid infection,” reported NBC.
However, Dr Otto Yang of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA says just because you are exposed, it does not mean you will definitely contract the virus, regardless of the strain.
“I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that everybody will get Covid-19,” he told the US Today Show. “I would prefer not to learn to live with Covid. I would prefer to get rid of it, and theoretically, it’s possible.
“The scenario that I’m hoping will play out is that the numbers of Covid cases are reduced drastically to the point that there are small outbreaks here and there that are easily contained and most of the population is not being exposed.”
Originally published as The Project: WHO adviser slams Sydney’s ‘very dangerous’ Covid test bungle that could lead to 8500 avoidable cases
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