Experts warn that the COVID-19 pandemic is not gone, and that Canadians should take steps as the season changes to protect themselves and the health-care system from the virus and other seasonal ailments.
Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Health Sciences, warns that the COVID-19 epidemic is far from ended.
“(The epidemic) is as ferocious as it has ever been,” Deonandan told Global News.
For the week of Aug. 7 to Aug. 13, Canada had 24,161 cases of COVID-19, with Ontario having the highest number of 10,655 cases, according to Health Canada.
Although most places in Canada appear to have reached or beyond the height of the current COVID-19 wave, the regional increase in COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations continues, according to Canada’s top doctor, Theresa Tam, in a tweet on Friday.
“As well, with SARSCoV2 continuing to circulate worldwide, Canada must prepare for renewed COVID-19 activity, including with potential new variants in the months ahead,” wrote Tam. “In particular, as part of readying ourselves for the fall, with more people returning to in-person work and children going back to school, getting vaccinations up-to-date is a top priority.”
According to Deonandan, the main issue for now and the approaching season is Canada’s health-care system’s capacity to absorb patients’ requirements.
Across Canada, hospitals and health-care services are seeing high patient volumes due to staffing shortages. This has resulted in longer wait times in emergency rooms, a lack of ambulances and even closure of some units.
Due to staffing shortages, hospitals and health-care services across Canada are experiencing high patient volumes. As a result, there are higher wait times at emergency rooms, fewer ambulances, and even the shutdown of some units.
Horacio Bach, a clinical assistant professor in the division of infectious diseases at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine, believes that many people now believe COVID-19 is finished because provincial governments have withdrawn some or all restrictions.
“But we must keep in mind that we are dealing with a virus that can erupt at any time,” Bach warned. “We don’t know when this will happen, so simply take the same measures we did when COVID-19 first began and follow the parameters we established from the beginning.”
Because of COVID-19 variations, Canada may see an upsurge in occurrences throughout the fall and winter, according to Bach.
“These variants will infect the person again, even if you’re vaccinated,” said Bach. “Even if you got COVID-19 recently or a while ago, you will still be infected because the antibodies that we generated against the virus are the antibodies against the original strain that came into the end of 2019 beginning of 2020 and there is currently no vaccine against the new Omicron virus.
“So the moment these new variants appeared, they can escape the immune system and it’s something natural as part of the evolution of the virus,” said Bach. “This is why the vaccines that we get are not so effective to stop the infection.”
Bach even proposed that individuals wear two masks to lessen the chance of infection.
According to Deonandan, there is a widespread misconception that COVID processes must be flawless.
“They don’t have to be perfect. They have to be good and each good layering of protection adds up to a greater level of protection,” he said.
“So masks aren’t perfect, but they’re good. Vaccination isn’t perfect, but it’s good. Symptom checks definitely aren’t perfect, but they’re good,” said Deonandan.
“By doing all of these things in tandem, you get very good protection.”
According to Bach, the virus is spreading because the protection we have now or the constraints in place are “not that strict.”
“As the virus spreads, a new variant may appear anywhere, at any time, and at anyone,” Bach explained.
Deonandan says it’s impossible to anticipate how COVID-19 will progress in the fall, but he also warns against an increase in flu infections.
“We must prepare for a symptomatic (infected) population that mimics COVID, but is not COVID,” he said.
Because the health-care system is already overburdened, the flu will add to the strain, according to Deonandan.
He adds that whenever the flu vaccination is available in Canada, everyone should obtain it because “the flu is no joke.”
“I advise folks to take advantage of that chance to relieve the burden on the healthcare system while also minimizing their own personal pain,” he said.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC) National Influenza Annual Report issued in October 2021, there was no community circulation during the 2020-2021 Canadian influenza season, with only 69 positive detections of the virus reported.
PHAC states in the report that the influenza indicators were at “historical lows” compared with the previous six seasons, which is largely related to “the implementation of non-pharmaceutical public health measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
The PHAC recorded 55,379 laboratory influenza detections for the 2019-2020 season, compared to 42,541 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases during the 2018-2019 season, in its Fluwatch Annual Reports issued in March 2021 and January 2022, respectively.
Since 2018, influenza vaccination coverage has been consistent, with an estimated 32 to 34% of adults aged 18 to 64 inoculated against the virus.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, influenza had an annual infection rate of 5% to 10% in adults and 20% to 30% in children, according to the PHAC website.
While PHAC states it is safe for people aged 12 or older to get the flu shot at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine, the National Advisory Council on Immunization (NACI) recommends children aged five to 11 have a 14-day interval between a COVID-19 shot and other vaccines.
“This is to assist in better monitoring for any adverse effects from COVID-19 vaccinations,” it says. “As part of their immunization plans, provinces and territories will decide on an interval for this age group.”
According to PHAC, the flu vaccination not only protects Canadians against the influenza virus but also lowers their risks of contracting COVID-19 and the flu at the same time.
With many students returning to school in September, Bach advises parents to vaccinate their children since schools act as COVID-19 incubators.
Bach stated that in circumstances when the kid is immunocompromised, receiving specialized therapies, or suffering from certain diseases, parents should continue to mask their children since it is the simplest method for everyone to be protected.
As of Aug. 14, 87.41% of Canadians aged 12 to 17 had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, while 55.38% of those aged five to 11 had received at least one dose.
“I think parents should remember that immunization is vital for minimizing the chance of infection, transmission, and, most critically, the danger of your kid being hospitalized,” Deonandan added.
“But don’t rely just on your Facebook friend,” Deonandan cautioned. “Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns regarding immunizations.”
To limit the danger of infection, Deonandan recommends that parents provide their children with high-quality masks, such as N95 caliber masks.
However, he notes that high-quality masks can be costly, especially for low-income families.
As a result, schools and governments should step up and help families obtain personal protective equipment (PPEs) where possible, according to Deonandan.
Deonandan believes that enacting a mask mandate is critical for school administrators.
In circumstances where a mask mandate cannot be implemented, schools must ensure that all staff members are properly vaccinated and doing all possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to Deonandan.
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