Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief of public health, said multiple layers of personal protection will be needed in the coming weeks to reduce the impact of falling flu, RSV and COVID-19 cases on hospitals and vulnerable people. “While no single layer of protection is perfect, when used consistently and together, the vaccine plus the layers can provide excellent protection against COVID-19 as well as other infectious diseases we may encounter,” Tam said. Dr. Tam urged Canadians to ensure they are up-to-date on boosters and flu shots for COVID-19, practice good hand hygiene and wear face masks indoors and in poorly ventilated areas where they are not possible physical distance. As of Oct. 9, the Government of Canada reports that only 49.6 percent of Canadians have received one booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 14.3 percent have received a second booster dose. Tam said the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine among younger children is also relatively low, at about 6.5 percent. “If it has been six months since the last dose or booster of the COVID-19 vaccine, get vaccinated with an Omicron bivalent targeting booster,” he said. “Continue to wash hands, wearing a good-quality, well-fitting face mask when indoors, especially if you cannot avoid being in crowded or poorly ventilated areas.” Amid a rise in respiratory infections across the country, a recent Nanos Research poll found seven in 10 Canadians would support or share some support for the return of face mask mandates in indoor public spaces if recommended by officials.
A SUMMARY OF VIRUSES
Tam was joined by Deputy Director of Public Health Dr. Howard Njoo, who provided an update on the latest positivity rates for the respiratory viruses currently circulating in Canada. Njoo warned that the emerging Omicron BQ.1.1 and BF.7 variants are gaining ground as the transmission of COVID-19 continues across the country. At the same time, he said, other respiratory viruses have exceeded seasonal levels as the respiratory virus season starts early in Canada. “Nationally, RSV activity began to increase several weeks ago, with laboratory positivity above expected levels for this time of year,” he said. Njoo said flu transmission has surpassed the seasonal limit of five percent of laboratory test positivity following a recent spike in infections. Children and teenagers account for half of these recent infections, he said. All of this is increasing pressure on emergency departments, particularly children’s hospitals, which health professionals have warned are operating at or above 100 percent capacity. “These surveillance indicators indicate the need for increased precautions as SARS-CoV-2, influenza and other seasonal respiratory viruses could continue to co-circulate in the coming weeks,” Njoo said.
ACCESS TO CHILDREN’S TYLENOL, ADVIL
Njoo said immunity to RSV and other respiratory viruses is low this year among children who were not exposed in the previous two years because of physical distancing and other public health precautions. However, health professionals have identified the continued shortage of pain and fever medications such as children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen as another factor in emergency room visits and hospital admissions as parents are unable to treat children’s symptoms them at home. Tam suggested there may be some good news on that front as Health Canada works to secure supplies of the over-the-counter drugs. “I know our colleagues at Health Canada are working extremely hard with different partners, including manufacturers,” he said, “and that they’ve also allowed supplies like ibuprofen from the United States and acetaminophen from Australia to come in.” With files from CTVNews.ca Writer Melissa Lopez-Martinez
