Revealed: When third Covid wave set to peak in SA

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier has revealed how she believes she contracted Covid, as she warns the state’s third Omicron wave is expected to peak in coming days.

The state’s chief public health officer says she considered not getting a PCR test as her symptoms were so mild, before discovering she had Covid.

It comes as Professor Nicola Spurrier warned South Australians the third Omicron wave would likely hit its peak as early as this week.

Prof Spurrier told ABC Radio Adelaide on Thursday it was difficult to tell the exact timing of the height of the state’s peak.

“The reason for that is we’re having this BA. 4 and BA. 5 wave at the same time as the rest of the world and the rest of Australia, so we don’t have the benefit as we did previously with our modelling to see what happened elsewhere,” she said.

“If we’re looking at the modelling it would suggest that we’re going to have the peak some time this week but of course we’ll only know that next week really.”

Up to 400 people could be in hospital when the case peak hits but those figures won’t be evident until the week following the case surge.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier announce a new pop-up vaccination clinic in Ellis Park in the Western Parklands of Adelaide. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Prof Spurrier said she believes she contracted Covid in an art gallery in Canberra, despite wearing a mask.

“I’ve had very mild symptoms and I have to say I wanted to tell the listeners this, I was in two minds about having a PCR test because it was just like the most mild scratchy throat,” and I get that a lot because I talk a lot,” she said,

“But I’m really, really pleased I went and got that test done.”

It comes as some non-urgent overnight admissions for elective surgery will be cancelled as the state government scrambles to find more beds.

Despite the surging hospital numbers and peaking cases, Mr Picton said no wholesale bans on elective surgery would be implemented. He also ruled out any changes to Covid isolation rules, saying the state would first need to ride out the winter surge.

“There will be no stopping of private, same-day, paediatric, country or urgent elective surgery,” he said.

However, with an additional 40 beds required to keep up with demand, the health minister announced that non-urgent and overnight admissions for elective surgery in metropolitan hospitals would be halted.

Health Minister Chris Picton and chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

“This will be reviewed on a weekly basis over the next four weeks. We’ve established a task force of surgeons to work out how we can plan elective surgery better,” he said.

Mr Picton said surgeons would look to lean on the private hospital system to reduce the number of elective surgery cancellations required.

Prof Spurrier, who tested positive to the virus on Tuesday, said she had experienced very mild symptoms in what is her first Covid infection.

She said it was important for everyone to get tested for Covid even with minimal symptoms.

She also encouraged masks to prevent unknowingly passing on the virus.

Prof Spurrier said she would continue working as chief public health officer from home until her isolation period was over.

“Professor Spurrier is pleased that she is fully up-to-date with her vaccinations, including the winter 4th dose and is currently experiencing extremely mild symptoms,” an SA Health spokeswoman said.

“Professor Spurrier will conduct her duties as chief public health officer from home until the conclusion of her isolation period.”

Health Minister Chris Picton said the hospitalisations number also included people who were in hospital for other health reasons, but have also contracted Covid concurrently.

Updated numbers from SA Health, which account for metropolitan and regional hospital staff, show that more than 900 staff are currently furloughed due to Covid infections.

“That clearly places pressure in terms of staffing, where you’ve got increased pressure on the hospital system and reduced staff numbers,” Mr Picton said.

Masks encouraged at school but not mandated

With schools returning next week, Mr Picton said masks would be encouraged not mandated for staff and students in a bid to stem Covid cases on campus.

“That’s not going to be a mandated situation like we’ve had previously, but it will certainly be encouraged,” he said.

He also revealed “fruitful discussions” with the National Disability Insurance Agency meant he would soon reveal plans to shift 120 NDIS patients out of hospital. They are medically fit for discharge but with no suitable place.

South Australia is leading the country in flu vaccinations, with more uptake thus far in 2022 than the entirety of 2021. However, Mr Picton urged anyone yet to get their flu vaccine to do so, particularly for children under the age of five.

It comes as SA on Tuesday recorded 4172 cases of Covid, up to 29,845 active cases. There are currently 282 cases in hospital, 11 of which are in ICU and one ventilated.

Health Minister Chris Picton said SA was seeing an average upward trajectory in terms of hospitalisations.

The state also recorded three deaths overnight, a man in his 70s, a woman in her 40s and a woman in her 80s.

It comes as authorities plead with South Australians to get tested for Covid if they have any symptoms, as wastewater data reveals there are likely more cases than current statistics show.

SA Health on Monday reported 306 patients were being treated in the state’s hospitals, the highest number of the pandemic.

This beats the previous highest of 298 cases in hospital recorded on January 21 at the height of the second Omicron wave.

SA Health reported new 4053 cases on Monday, and the death of two men with Covid, one in his 70s and one in his 80s.