My worker has Covid

My worker has tested positive and I do not want him back until he provides a negative PCR test.

Oh dear…

That may not be your best choice. A negative PCR test post covid is as hard to get as trying to train a duck to fly backwards.

The Min of Health do not do a PCR test for releasing positive cases as in most circumstances, the PCR will still come back positive. The thing is that PCR tests can still show positive up to 90 days after a person having covid.

Let me explain PCR tests in plain English (thanks to Otago University).

Results are given as a CT (cycle threshold) number, which is the number of cycles it took for a positive result to appear.

• A low CT number = lots of virus

• A high CT number = very little or no virus

If a sample gave a positive result within less than 25 cycles, it would be regarded as “positive”. If the positive result appeared after 25 cycles and before 35 cycles, it would be regarded as suspicious, and the person tested again.

A high CT number can mean one of two things - either the case is historical, and the test has picked up viral fragments that are no longer infectious or it is a very new infection, and the viral load is still low.

A second test from a new sample will show which of these is the case - in a new infection the second test will give a much lower CT number, which shows there is more virus in the sample.

You will have heard Dr Bloomfield talking about “historical cases” and “weak positives” - this is what he is talking about.

So… asking for a negative PCR test is a waste of time. In your workers case, you will need to rely on sign-off by the Min of Health.

On a personal note, I tested positive for covid in the UK 2 hours before flying back to NZ. I tested positive on 22 Oct. I was able to go home after a minimum of 14 days because I obtained a "fit to fly" certificate - a bit like a medical cert from a doctor.

Now, I did MIQ and my day zero and day 3 tests were negative but my day 6 was not. I ended up in Jet Park as a result and did another test which came back negative so was released 2 days later as a 'historical case'.

In the UK, the NHS advice people not to get PCR retested for up to 90 days because of this.

Although covid is new for NZ employers, it is not new globally. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. That’s where we come in, providing useful insights, education, guidance, all with the goal to help you navigate your way through it.

Martin Wouters

021 322 286

martin@managecompany.co.nz