The Health Ministry has no plans to routinely re-test people for Covid-19 after they have recovered from the virus.
Photo: Patrick Pleul / dpa-Zentralbild / ZB / AFP
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Scores of people in China and South Korea have tested positive for a second time for the virus, even after recovering from it once.
Health professionals and the Health Ministry have said this may be a result of vestiges of the original infection hanging around, not a new infection.
"We are closely monitoring research from well-conducted studies," the ministry said in a statement.
"It's worth noting that any reports that talk about virus reactivation or reinfection without looking at virus viability (ability to replicate) are inherently flawed, and should be treated with caution."
While it had no plans to routinely re-test people, if someone were to test positive after they had recovered, they would need to self-isolate again, the ministry said.
Some re-testing was being requested from labs by employers, to clear people who had had the virus.
"If the result of a re-test is positive, it will not be recorded as a new case," the ministry said.
It is not collating information about re-testing, and did not respond to a question of what data it was gathering from people who have recovered from the virus.
Read more about the Covid-19 coronavirus:
- See all RNZ Covid-19 news
- Your Covid-19 questions answered - from health and employment to managing anxiety
- A timeline: How the coronavirus started, spread and stalled life in New Zealand
- Covid-19 symptoms: What they are and how they make you feel
- Touching your Face: Why do we do it and how to stop
- Scientific hand-washing advice to avoid infection
- Coronavirus: A glossary of terms
- The Coronavirus Podcast
