Sunshine Coast, Noosa Covid-19: Health expert predicts more deaths

With Omicron’s peak forecast still to be weeks away, Sunshine Coast health experts have predicted more Covid-19 ‘hell’ to come for the region.

“Weeks of hell” including more Covid-19 related deaths, intensive care spells, staff shortages and bare supermarket shelves have been predicted to continue by Sunshine Coast health experts with the Omicron wave yet to reach its peak.

Three people have died from Covid-19 on the Sunshine Coast as of January 14, including two this week alone.

An unvaccinated Yandina woman, 64, is also suspected to have died from Covid-19 on January 7.

However, the Health Department refuses to confirm whether that death is included in the most recent statistics.

The Sunshine Coast’s official Covid-19 numbers surpassed the 10,000 mark on Friday.

Local Medical Association Sunshine Coast president Dr Roger Faint said it was a concerning time.

Health experts say those numbers are expected to rise even further.

Local Medical Association Sunshine Coast president Dr Roger Faint said it was a sign of the things to come.

“If you look at South Africa where the Omicron started, they had six weeks of hell before cases started to drop and herd immunity started after people began to develop a resistance,” Dr Faint said.

“It means the numbers (deaths) will go up.

“We are probably two weeks into the wave, so at least another four weeks to go. And it’s impacting every sector.”

Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard. Sarah Marshall

The new death numbers coincide with changes to the way Covid-19 are being reported by Queensland Health.

“Because of the widespread vaccination in the community and the complex medical conditions it is difficult to work out if an individual patient has died from the virus,” chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said.

“From now on we will simply report the deaths and individuals who have had a positive Covid test around the time of their death.”

Dr Gerrard said the peak of the Omicron wave would be reached once the number of hospitalisations starts to stabilise, but when that would happen ‘is the question on everyone’s lips’.

He said, however, Queensland was about two weeks behind NSW case levels, where he believes it is reaching its peak.

Dr Gerrard said the Covid deaths were happening in a range of settings, including hospitals, aged care facilities, and homes and some people had a short period of illness and then sudden death – often from the heart condition myocarditis.

Covid Testing

Dr Faint said it was too late to be plunged back into a lockdown.

“There’s just so much Covid around, people are worried,” he said.

“New Year’s Eve was a big event for a lot of people and it’s been taken back to families.”

Dr Faint said his Buderim practice was “flat out” from the massive demand for booster shots.

Sunshine Coast Primary Health Network senior manager Robb Major said the projected peak for the Omicron wave was for the last week of January or early February.

Sunshine Coast residents being tested for Covid-19 at Maroochydore. Picture Lachie Millard

Mr Major said it was likely that “most” residents would get the virus in the coming months.

“Covid-19 is now circulating widely in Queensland with 23,630 new cases in the last 24 hours right across the state,” Mr Major said of Friday’s numbers.

“Rapidly increasing case numbers as a result of the Omicron variant sees the need for response across a range of factors.

“Community members should continue to seek vaccination and booster doses, wear a face mask, use hand washing and sanitisers, and socially distance as much as possible. All of these factors combine to reduce the impact of Covid-19.”

Mr Major said the more individuals did to protect themselves, the more support the overall health system including general practice and hospitals would gain.