Efforts to safeguard Auckland early childhood centres against Covid-19 may have inadvertently led to a huge surge in norovirus.
Auckland Regional Public Health (ARPH) said they are investigating a ten-fold increase in the number of norovirus outbreaks in the region's early learning facilities in the last month.
There were 29 norovirus outbreaks in the region last month, and 21 of those were in early learning services - about 64 staff and 280 attendees became unwell.
In the same period last year, there were only nine outbreaks, two of those in early learning centres, and six staff and 29 attendees became sick.
Medical Officer of Health Jay Harrower said there was a common factor among the early learning centres which had seen outbreaks - many of them had recently switched their cleaning product due to Covid-19.
"There is a common factor in the sharp rise in norovirus outbreaks in Auckland early learning centres over the last two months," Jay said.
"Most of the centres with norovirus have moved away from chlorine bleach for cleaning.
"It is hypochlorite or bleach that will kill norovirus on surfaces, and can also prevent the spread of coronavirus as well.
"Ammonia and alcohol based solutions do not completely inactivate norovirus."
ARPH had written to managers of all early learning centres about the recent spike in outbreaks, and about the cleaning products.
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