JULY 2025

With winter upon us we are seeing the usual rise in respiratory illnesses including the flu, COVID-19, RSV and the common cold. Appointment demand tends to be high, and like most workplaces we too have staff shortages due to sickness.

If you have respiratory symptoms you can still be seen if needed but please continue to always tell us about any respiratory illness symptoms (cough, runny nose, fever, chills, sneezing, body aches, headache, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, tiredness) when you make a booking or before you come in, even if it is not the primary reason for your appointment, so we can see you in a way which keeps everyone safe.

We continue to offer telehealth appointments.

If you are attending the practice please wear a mask, we have these available in the waiting room to reduce the risk of spreading infections.

Planning ahead to minimise time in the waiting room, mask wearing and telehealth are all ways we can avoid overcrowding of our waiting room and reduce the risk of spreading winter illnesses to others.

There are lots of things you can do yourself at home to manage your symptoms. However, if you are feeling very unwell or at high risk of severe illness (babies, people aged 70 and over, pregnant, severely immunocompromised, have multiple medical conditions) please phone for advice. For information online please see:

https://healthify.nz/health-a-z/w/winter-infections

Remember if you have any symptoms of a respiratory illness, you should stay at home until your symptoms have gone away, and you are feeling better. Staying home while you are sick is important to reduce your risk of passing your illness on to others.

When your symptoms have started to improve and you feel well enough to return to your normal activities, you can still be infectious and pass a respiratory illness on to others.

To protect other people from getting sick too, it is recommended you follow these precautions for 5 days after you feel well enough to leave your home and be out around others again:

• Wear a mask, especially when you are in closed indoor spaces where there are other people around you, including medical centre waiting rooms.
• Do not visit hospitals or aged residential care facilities where there are likely to be people at higher risk of getting very sick if they were to get a respiratory illness.
• Practice good hygiene by covering your coughs and sneezes and washing or sanitising your hands often.

Stay away from people who are at increased risk of becoming unwell.