New Zealand has a "good chance" at surviving the coronavirus outbreak with minimal cases providing it takes "vigorous steps" to combat the pandemic, according to a World Health Organisation (WHO) expert.
"You’re still in an early stage and still have a very, very good chance at stopping and slowing it if you do this vigorous work," Dr Margaret Harris told TVNZ1's Q+A today.
She says once Covid-19 is identified in the community, health officials need to work "really really hard" in order to flatten the curve.
"No country, no health system, no matter how good and strong, can deal with the number of people who will have severe cases because they require intensive care."
According to Dr Harris, New Zealand has a lot of advantages working in our favour such as our government leadership.
"You’ve got a lot of advantages, you’re an island," she says. "You’re small enough to know where everybody is. You’ve got strong leadership, some of the best public health minds in the world."
She says the effects of coronavirus are reversible, as seen in China and Korea's recovery efforts, but a prominent concern for the WHO is Covid-19's impact on Africa.
Dr Margaret Harris says there are many nations in the continent with very weak health systems and it is hard for people to social distance themselves due to heavy urbanisation.
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