Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table findings shared on Twitter Wednesday note that sewage signals, positive tests and hospitalizations for the virus are increasing, while areas across the province are reporting exponential increases in infections. Dr Fahad Razak, the team’s scientific director, said it was likely the surge would peak sometime in the summer. The evidence does not indicate that the BA.5 variant causes more severe disease, but Razak said the highly infectious nature of the variant could still cause damage due to the sheer number of people who contract it. “Based on everything we’re seeing, the BA.5 wave, we don’t expect it to be that big,” he said. “But there are important steps that can be taken to protect ourselves and minimize this effect as much as possible.” He suggested people meet outdoors when possible and wear masks in crowded public places. He also stressed that people should get their third vaccinations if they are eligible. “We are at the beginning of a wave. There’s no better time than now to go out and get that third dose, you’ll start getting protection within days of getting the vaccine,” he said. As for fourth doses, Razak said those eligible today — people age 60 and older, Indigenous adults and residents of long-term care and nursing homes — should get the shot now, but that he generally agrees with federal recommendations that a wider quarter-dose spread is expected in the fall. “For the majority of the population, the third installment gap is the biggest gap right now,” he said. The BA.5 variant appears to be more immunogenic, Razak said, meaning that people who were recently infected can get the virus again soon after. Its contagiousness could also mean that many people — including those particularly vulnerable to the virus — could become infected and experience serious effects, including death. And even a “mild” infection could cause weeks of disruption, Razak said, potentially forcing people to take time off work or school. “As we move into this mindset of trying to get through the worst of the virus, living as long as we can with the virus, part of that is not allowing the virus to disrupt your daily life, and the infection is very disruptive. even if you don’t end up in the hospital,” he said. The current strain on the province’s health system, which is dealing with widespread staff shortages, means that even a relatively small increase in hospitalizations could be problematic, Razak noted. “We have to worry about the hospital sector,” Razak said. “The level of strain in this is truly unprecedented. He doesn’t have the reserve he had, the ability to rally that he had earlier in the pandemic.” That’s also a concern for York Region emergency physician Dr. Stephen Flindall, who recently shared an open letter from health care workers and advocates calling for the return of mandatory masks in health care settings after the province withdrew the measure last month. While most hospitals have decided to keep masks mandatory, Flindall said he has faced resistance from patients and visitors who don’t want to wear them, and also shared his concern about the lack of mandatory masks in primary care doctors’ offices. The issue is even more urgent given the rising tide of BA.5, Flindall argued. He pointed to the recent closing of the ER at a Perth, Ont., hospital, partly caused by outbreaks of COVID-19, as a cautionary tale for the rest of the province. “If you don’t do everything you can to at least protect the workers in the system, you’re going to have a health care system on its knees in a very short period of time, and I think we’re starting to see the cracks come out already,” he said in an interview. A Ministry of Health spokesperson pointed to vaccinations and antiviral drugs and recent health care spending on recruitment and training as part of Ontario’s virus management. “We will continue to work with our hospital and healthcare partners to ensure we have the capacity and resources to meet the challenges that may lie ahead,” said Bill Campbell. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 6, 2022. SHARE:
