Source: Radio New Zealand
New data estimates 185,000 New Zealanders experienced Long Covid symptoms in the 12 months ending July last year. FANATIC STUDIO / SCIENCE PHOTO L
The government should be keeping tabs on the lingering and “deeply concerning” effects of Long Covid around the country, a health support group says.
Newly released data by the Ministry of Health estimated 185,000 New Zealanders experienced Long Covid symptoms in the 12 months ending July last year.
Figures released on Tuesday indicated over 400,000 people had developed Long Covid at some stage, equating to one in 11 adult New Zealanders.
About 12 percent of adults had reported having had Covid-19.
The survey indicated women, Māori and disabled adults were more likely to report having had Long Covid.
Of those who had contracted Covid, about one in six Māori adults (15.5 percent) reported having had Long Covid, compared to about one in nine non-Māori (11.3 percent).
Almost half of those who developed Long Covid were still experiencing symptoms when surveyed.
The Long Covid Support Aotearoa group was renewing its calls for better monitoring of Long Covid by authorities after front-footing the matter last week.
Spokesperson Larisa Hockey said it was surprising it took so long for the data to become public.
“[The] survey suggests about 185,000 New Zealanders were living with Long Covid symptoms at the time of the survey, roughly the population of Hamilton and broadly consistent with the earlier estimate,” she said.
“It also suggests more than 400,000 people may have experienced Long Covid at some stage, about the combined population of Wellington and Hamilton.”
Data from the survey was collected between July 2024 and July 2025 and included more than 9000 people aged 15 and over.
The group said the figures were sobering.
“We’re shocked and concerned that so many people have been underserved by New Zealand’s health authorities,” Hockey said.
“Now that the scale of the problem is clearer, we want to know why there are still no plans to monitor it.”
Long Covid Support Aotearoa nurse practitioner Catherine Appleby said the results were deeply concerning.
“The relatively high Māori prevalence of Long Covid is unacceptable. This significant inequity is an urgent public health issue that deserves government attention,” she said.
About a year ago, public health experts called for the government to protect people from Long Covid, which included the development and implementation of a health response strategy.
At the time, Health Minister Simeon Brown said Covid-19 and Long Covid were being managed as part of a ‘business as usual’ healthcare response, with the primary care sector largely taking the lead in patient care.
RNZ has approached the ministry for comment.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
