A focus on elimination meant New Zealand was slow to plan for saliva and rapid testing, a new review has found.
The group was chaired by Prof David Murdoch, of the University of Otago, who will take over as the university’s vice-chancellor next year.
It found that the country’s labs had been performing well, but testing needed to be more adaptable and the introduction of saliva and rapid antigen testing had been slow.
‘‘Largely driven by an elimination strategy that requires use of the most sensitive tests, there has been a relative slowness to introduce saliva testing and to prepare for rapid antigen testing,’’ the review states.
‘‘With anticipated progression from the elimination phase and the implementation of a reconnection plan, there is a pressing need to ensure that Covid-19 testing is adaptable and fit for purpose.’’
The review made several recommendations, including testing modelling based on various scenarios, ongoing external reviews of overseas testing systems, a focus on retaining lab staff, and facilitating the piloting of new testing approaches.
Prof Murdoch told the Otago Daily Times there was probably enough evidence to use saliva testing a while ago, and its adoption had been slow.
The elimination strategy meant the focus was on detecting every possible case, which meant the more sensitive PCR testing method was preferred.
That focus was perhaps to the detriment of looking at other testing methods for when the strategy changed, he said.
The Government this week announced rapid antigen testing would be rolled out wider to Auckland hospitals within days,and would also be used in the government's at-home isolation trials for returning travellers in Auckland and Christchurch.
The review also identified a need for better and more consistent future planning.
‘‘There’s been a lot of surge activity and people have been running around. It’s the same people who would be dealing with business as usual and future planning,’’ Prof Murdoch said.
