Abstract
Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) is experiencing a fourth wave of Covid-19 infection. This conclusion is supported by the increase in self-reported Covid-19 infections, hospitalisations, and virus detections in wastewater. This wave is potentially driven by a rise in the XBB subvariant which has become dominant in the past two months and may also reflect other factors, notably waning immunity and more time spent indoors in autumn.
Extrapolating from hospitalisations and deaths in the last 12 weeks would imply 12,000 Covid-19 hospitalisations this year and around 1,000 deaths.
This new wave of infection is an opportunity for health authorities to remind New Zealanders about the benefits of vaccination and the value of measures for reducing transmission to others, notably through self-isolation when sick and ventilation improvements.