Kia ora 

 

Thank you for your email. The Ministry of Health is closed from Thursday
23 December 2021—Monday 10 January 2022. We will respond to your email
when the Ministry reopens. Thank you for your patience. 

 

OIA requests

Please note that under the Official information Act 1982, the days from 25
December 2021 to Saturday 15 January 2022 (inclusive), are not ‘working
days’ for the purposes of the law and therefore do not form part of the 20
working days required to respond.  For more information on this, please
visit the OIA calculator at: [1]ombudsman.parliament.nz/

 

COVID-19 information 

·    for information on the Government’s response to the COVID-19
pandemic, please go to [2]covid19.govt.nz 

·    for information about COVID-19 locations of interest:
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·    for information on COVID-19 testing sites:
[4]covid19.govt.nz/testing-and-tracing/covid-19-testing/where-to-get-tested/

·    for information on COVID-19 vaccination (including bookings) go to:
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·    for information on managed isolation, including exemptions from
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·    if you require health advice or information, please
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If you require [7]mental health assistance please contact one of the
following free national helplines: 

·    1737: free text 24/7. Trained counsellors can offer support for
addiction issues, as well as advice on mental health 

·    the National Depression Helpline: free call 24/7 on 0800 111 757,
text 4202, or online at [8]depression.org.nz 

·    Lifeline: free call 24/7 on 0800 543 354 

·    Samaritans: free call on 0800 726 666. Confidential, non-religious,
and non-judgmental support

 

Ngā mihi 

OIA Services 

 

 

 

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Kia ora Helen,

 

Thank you for your request for official information. The Ministry's
reference number for your request is: H202200120.  

 

As required under the Official Information Act 1982, the Ministry will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 20 working days after
the day your request was received. If you'd like to calculate the
timeframe, you can use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/

 

Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic response, the Ministry is experiencing
significantly higher volumes of queries and requests for information. If
we are unable to respond to your request within this time frame, we will
notify you of an extension of that time frame.

 

If you have any queries related to this request, please do not hesitate to
get in touch.

 

Ngā mihi

 

OIA Services

Government Services

Office of the Director-General

Ministry of Health

E: [2][email address]

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Helen Wallis <[FOI #18108 email]>
Sent: Wednesday, 5 January 2022 11:39 pm
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Nucleic acid being test by PCR
test

 

Dear Ministry of Health,

 

Please provide the complete section(s) of RNA code which is detected by
the RT-PCR test for Covid-19 and somehow identify the areas where the
differences occur between the variants.

 

Please provide the different sections of code (under those which are
tested) for each of the 3 main variants of concern, alpha, delta and
omicron.

 

Please provide a full disclosure explanation of how a positive NAAT RT-PCR
test shows a positive case of Covid-19 after detecting a nominal amount of
nucleic acid which belong to a virus rather than showing that the person
is indeed infected with a replicating virus.

 

There must have be some discussion to decide that an asymptomatic person
who carries genetic material (shown by the RT-PCR test) from what could be
either a replicating virus or a non replicating virus is a "positive"
covid case. Please provide the documentation for this discussion. Also
please provide the documents showing that it isn't necessary for a Doctor
to check the patient for signs of illness to confirm this "positive case"

 

Please also provide a full disclosure explanation of how an asymptomatic
case has been deemed to be infectious. Quoting a RT-PCR test here is
insufficient as it only shows that genetic material form the searched for
nucleic acid is present, not that there is any further infection. As
confirmed by CDC, Dr Fauci and others the NAAT doesn't prove that the
tested person is infectious only that they carry the genetic material that
was tested for by the NAAT.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

Helen Wallis

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[3][FOI #18108 email]

 

Is [4][Ministry of Health request email] the wrong address for Official Information
requests to Ministry of Health? If so, please contact us using this form:

[5]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
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[6]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

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Kia ora Helen  

 

Please find attached a letter regarding your request for information. 

 

Ngā mihi 

 

 

OIA Services 

Government Services 

Office of the Director-General 

Ministry of Health 

E: [1][email address] 

  

 

 

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Dear Helen, 

 

Please find attached our response to your Official Information Act request
dated 5 January 2022 to the Ministry of Health, who partially transferred
your request to ESR on 20 January 2022.

.

 

Thank you and regards,

 

Andrew

 

Andrew Scanlon

OIA & Privacy Requests, ESR

Kenepuru Science Centre, 34 Kenepuru Drive, Porirua 5022

E:  [1]OIA&[email address]

W: [2]www.esr.cri.nz

[3]https://en.facebookbrand.com/wp-content/...

[6][IMG]

 

 

The information contained in this message and/or attachments from ESR is
intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential and/or
privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient, any review,
disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be
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Dear Helen, 

 

Please find attached our response to your Official Information Act request
dated 5 January 2022 to the Ministry of Health, who partially transferred
your request to ESR on 20 January 2022.

.

 

Thank you and regards,

 

Andrew

 

Andrew Scanlon

OIA & Privacy Requests, ESR

Kenepuru Science Centre, 34 Kenepuru Drive, Porirua 5022

E:  [1]OIA&[email address]

W: [2]www.esr.cri.nz

[3]https://en.facebookbrand.com/wp-content/...

[6][IMG]

 

 

The information contained in this message and/or attachments from ESR is
intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential and/or
privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient, any review,
disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be
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message in error, please notify the sender immediately.
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Dear Helen,

 

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your request for information dated
27 January 2022.

ESR will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in
any event no later than 25 February 2022, being 20 working days after the
day your request was received pursuant to section 15(1) of the Official
Information Act 1982. If we are unable to respond to your request by 25
February 2022, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

 

Thank you and regards,

 

Andrew Scanlon

OIA & Privacy Requests, ESR

Kenepuru Science Centre, 34 Kenepuru Drive, Porirua 5022

E:  [1]OIA&[email address]

W: [2]www.esr.cri.nz

[3]https://en.facebookbrand.com/wp-content/...

[6][IMG]

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Helen Wallis <[FYI request #18108 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 27 January 2022 8:40 pm
To: OIA & Privacy Requests <OIA&[email address]>
Subject: Re: ESR Official Information Act Request Nucleic acid being test
by PCR test

 

Dear Jill,

Thank you for your response.

I still would like some clarity about some of your answers.

 

Please provide the complete section(s) of RNA code which is detected by
the RT-PCR test for Covid-19 and somehow identify the areas where the
differences occur between the variants.

There are at least 18 different SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid tests (NATs),
which include RTPCR, being used in New Zealand. Almost all of them are
commercial NAT assays which mean that it is not publicly known what the
sequence of the primers and probes (sections of

code) are and therefore it is not possible to provide you with this
information.

 

Did ESR or anyone in NZ confirm that the genetic sequence the commercial
NAT assays test for belongs solely to Sar-Cov 2 and that it does not
correspond to any other Corona virus?

 

Please provide the different sections of code (under those which are
tested) for each of the 3 main variants of concern, alpha, delta and
omicron.

The NAT assays in use in New Zealand amplify and detect different sections
of code in the following viral genes: N, E, RdRP, ORF and S - gene. The
only assay in use in New Zealand which has one of the gene targets
(S-gene) affected by both the Alpha and Omicron variant is the Thermo
Taqpath assay.

 

Can you please confirm which sections of code are tested for which variant
for each assay in use in NZ.

Eg. Themo Taqpath assay uses the N, E and S - gene to identify both
Omicron and Alpa.

Themo Taqpath assay uses the ?? to identify Delta and so on.

 

Please provide a full disclosure explanation of how a positive NAAT RT-PCR
test shows a positive case of Covid-19 after detecting a nominal amount of
nucleic acid which belong to a virus rather than showing that the person
is indeed infected with a replicating virus.

A positive NAT cannot determine if it comes from a replicating virus or
not as it detects only a piece (small amplicon) or pieces of the virus.
However, if the NAT signal increases on repeat testing then one can assume
that more virions are produced (viruses are replicating).

Positive cultures are more indicative of replication competent virus in
clinical samples.

 

So just to be clear after a "positive case" of detection of the viral
material no other diagnosis is made to confirm there is an infection of
covid-19 rather than just the presence of viral material?

In [7]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article... it states that
the RT-PCR test is only used to confirm a diagnosis of covid-19. So the
assays in use in NZ only show viral material is present and no further
testing is performed to identify if it is a replicating virus or not?

 

Please also provide a full disclosure explanation of how an asymptomatic
case has been deemed to be infectious. Quoting a RT-PCR test here is
insufficient as it only shows that genetic material form the searched for
nucleic acid is present, not that there is any further infection. As
confirmed by CDC, Dr Fauci and others the NAAT doesn't prove that the
tested person is infectious only that they carry the genetic material that
was tested for by the NAAT.

Epidemiological follow up studies have shown that those who are exposed to
asymptomatic cases, say for instance in a household setting, have a high
probability of testing NAT SARSCoV-2 positive or develop COVID-19
(clinical syndrome) in the follow up incubation period. It can be
difficult to determine if all asymptomatic cases are infectious when the
NAT signal is weak, especially where someone has not had a known exposure
or where they don't develop symptoms during their isolation period.

 

I believe we have used a different interpretation of the word
"infectious". My definition of infectious only covers when a second person
develops clinical symptoms of covid-19. Is there any direct evidence of
this available (just to clarify an asymptomatic person directly causing
clinical symptoms of covid-19 in another person)?

 

Thank you for your clarification. 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Helen Wallis

 

-----Original Message-----

 

Dear Helen, 

 

 

 

Please find attached our response to your Official Information Act
request  dated 5 January 2022 to the Ministry of Health, who partially
transferred  your request to ESR on 20 January 2022.

 

.

 

 

 

Thank you and regards,

 

 

 

Andrew

 

 

 

Andrew Scanlon

 

OIA & Privacy Requests, ESR

 

Kenepuru Science Centre, 34 Kenepuru Drive, Porirua 5022

 

E:  [1]OIA&[email address]

 

W: [2][8]www.esr.cri.nz

 

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-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[17][FYI request #18108 email]

 

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[18]https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

 

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page.

 

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Dear Helen, 

 

Please find attached our response to your Official Information Act request
dated 27 January 2022

.

 

Thank you and regards,

 

Andrew

 

Andrew Scanlon

OIA & Privacy Requests, ESR

Kenepuru Science Centre, 34 Kenepuru Drive, Porirua 5022

E:  [1]OIA&[email address]

W: [2]www.esr.cri.nz

[3]https://en.facebookbrand.com/wp-content/...

[6][IMG]

 

 

The information contained in this message and/or attachments from ESR is
intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential and/or
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disclosure, copying, distribution or any action taken or omitted to be
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Kia ora Helen 

 

Please find attached a letter regarding your request for information. 

Ngā mihi

 

OIA Services Team

 

[1]Ministry of Health information releases

[2]Unite against COVID-19

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