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<\/p>\nBy Rowan Quinn of RNZ<\/p>\n
Middlemore Hospital has begun testing every ward patient for Covid-19.<\/p>\n
Mobile testing teams are going bed to bed offering tests, even to asymptomatic patients, and they will do the same for new patients.<\/p>\n
The move was sparked by the investigation into unlinked cases in the outbreak – those with no known connection to current clusters – and to check whether the virus is circulating undetected in South Auckland.<\/p>\n
The hospital’s chief medical officer Pete Watson said it was part of surveillance testing happening in many parts of the city.<\/p>\n
“Although it is an issue for us if we detect a case, we think it is important we detect all the cases, whether they are in the hospital or the community,” he said.<\/p>\n
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“We are trying to play our part to support the community surveillance for Covid.”<\/p>\n
Between 200 and 300 patients were in hospital at the moment, with up to 50 a day likely to be swabbed who otherwise would not have been, he said.<\/p>\n
Last week, five Covid-19 people were treated at the hospital with no idea they had the virus until they were tested there.<\/p>\n
One was so sick, he was admitted to intensive care the next day.<\/p>\n
Another had abdominal pain, one of the less common but well known symptoms of the virus, and spent hours in a ward with other patients before he was tested.<\/p>\n
Since then swabbing in the emergency department has increased and abdominal pain was added to the symptoms potential Covid patients are screened for.<\/p>\n
The latest testing is for patients staying in all areas of the hospital, such as those who may be in for cancer treatment or surgery.<\/p>\n
People at the emergency department will only be screened if they are admitted to hospital or if they fit the criteria for being tested, Watson said.<\/p>\n
That was because the swabbing teams were working during the day for the surveillance testing, but the emergency department went 24\/7, he said.<\/p>\n
Anyone with Covid-19 symptoms or connections would still be tested and screened.<\/p>\n
He thought it was unlikely anyone would have the virus, with case numbers continuing to fall, he said.<\/p>\n
None of the patients or staff who had been in contact with the five cases last week had tested positive.<\/p>\n
The hospital was also offering vaccinations to all patients.<\/p>\n