Lockdowns and alert levels, bubbles, managed isolation quarantine (MIQ), self-isolation, hand sanitiser, social distancing, masks, nasal swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, working from home, personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, limits on gatherings and travel, remote learning, Zoom meetings, essential workers, and daily briefings from prime minister Jacinda Ardern and director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield were all part of the landscape five years ago.
Who could forget the run (no pun intended) on toilet paper, baffling when Covid-19 was a respiratory rather than a gastrointestinal illness?
While some might have fond memories of life slowing down, lockdown baking, the ability to enjoy a walk or bike in the community with little traffic around, spotting teddy bears in windows, others will remember the misery of the physical separation from loved ones, particularly when they were ill or dying, and the uncertainty about what might happen next.
In the early days, with no vaccine in sight, it was a fearful time for many, particularly those with conditions likely to make them especially vulnerable to the coronavirus, as we watched in horror the mismanagement of the illness in many other parts of the world.
It all seems a long time ago now, although Donald Trump’s return to the White House creating merry hell again seems eerily familiar, even though this time round him talking rubbish about Covid-19 has not been to the forefront.
Now, much of our adult population, most of whom were vaccinated against the disease, have contracted Covid-19 at least once.
The most recent total of deaths attributed to the disease here since that first case five years ago is 4577. Our management of the pandemic is estimated to have saved about 20,000 lives.
With reinfections commonplace, it is expected the impact of long Covid will increase among the population over time, and there is much to be learned about how to effectively manage this illness.
Hopefully, the pandemic has helped people’s understanding of respiratory illness, and how easily such diseases spread, and that knowledge has gone some way to destroying the idea workers should soldier on when ill and risk spreading disease.
Wise employers will recognise the importance of people not coming to work when they have infectious illnesses.
Mask wearing helps restrict the spread of illness, but there seems patchy recognition of its value now.
We may also have dropped the ball on measures to improve indoor air quality in workspaces and other venues.
An unfortunate side effect of the pandemic has been the spread of misinformation and disinformation, fracturing many relationships, and sadly, like Covid-19, that has not disappeared in five years either.
Our pandemic planning appears to be in limbo, despite the first phase of the Royal Commission into the Covid-19 response delivering recommendations on that last November. (The decision to hold a second phase came as part of Act New Zealand and New Zealand First’s coalition deals with National.)
The government has decided there will not be a co-ordinated response on the 39 recommendations of phase one until February next year when the second phase of the commission, which will look at vaccine efficacy and safety, and lockdowns, is due to report back.
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden has said ministers and government agencies may pick up elements of the first report and its recommendations in their current work programme ‘‘if they choose to’’.
It is difficult to understand this piecemeal approach and lack of urgency around proper pandemic preparedness.
Recent high-level resignations at the inquiry suggest all is not well with the second-phase project and we wonder whether this tumult will result in delays to the final report.
Any new pandemic which might be waiting in the wings will not conveniently stand back until the second phase of the inquiry is complete before launching itself on an unprepared public.
