As the holiday season approaches, the joy of gatherings with family and friends is intertwined with the demanding conditions of flu and flu season and emerging COVID-19 cases in some provinces, prompting fitness experts to warn Canadians to remain vigilant.
Across Canada, the consistent percentage of weekly positive COVID-19 tests was 18. 2 per cent as of Dec. 12, with provinces such as Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island experiencing the largest increase in cases, according to the most recent figures. from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
“As other people spend more time together indoors, the number of COVID cases is increasing,” Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Centre for Infectious Diseases, told Global News. “In terms of the most severe facets of COVID, there are still 3 to 4 deaths per hour across the country due to COVID, so that hasn’t gone away.
Nationally, the percentage of lab checks testing positive for COVID-19 remains high, PHAC said, but overall, the maximum provinces and territories reported solid trends.
And it’s not just COVID-19 that’s circulating. Other respiratory diseases are also emerging, such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
From Dec. 3 to Dec. 9, the weekly percentage of tests positive for influenza rose to 13.2 per cent, up from 9.9 per cent from the prior week, PHAC numbers show. Although influenza activity is increasing, PHAC said it is still within expected levels for this time of year.
RSV cases also continue to rise, but are within expected levels for this time of year, with a total of 2,223 detections between Dec. 3 and Dec. 9, according to the latest data from PHAC.
“The flu kills people, COVID kills a lot of people. Both can make you very seriously ill, and RSV can make you very seriously ill if you’re very young or very old,” said Colin Furness, an epidemiologist and infection assistant. Professor at the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto.
“And those who are most at risk, the very young and the very old. “
Furness expressed fears that while any respiratory illness can be harmful, higher levels of COVID-19 in circulation may cause more people to become inflamed and engage in unhealthy holiday festivities, given their particularly high infection rates. .
The spike in COVID-19 cases varies across the country, but PHAC wastewater surveillance shows which regions have been hit the hardest (as of Dec. 7).
British Columbia’s wastewater surveillance indicates low rates of COVID-19 in the provinces, while Alberta’s figures are described as “moderate,” according to the most recent data.
In the prairies, Saskatchewan and Manitoba wastewater surveillance shows moderate to low levels of COVID-19.
In Ontario, wastewater surveillance is showing the highest levels of COVID-19 cases. According to data from Public Health Ontario (OPH), COVID-19 cases have increased in more than a year and continue to rise.
Furness said levels are so high in Ontario that the province is in the middle of another wave.
“The attractive thing about sewage signals is that they show you that the whole province and maybe even parts of the city are out of sync, that the southwest (part of the province) is obviously beyond. But Toronto’s dominance is obviously in the middle of it all. And that’s important,” he said.
Quebec has moderate degrees of the virus, according to Montreal’s wastewater surveillance.
And on the East Coast, parts of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are experiencing moderate to peak degrees of COVID-19.
As the holidays approach, PHAC warned in a news release Friday that Canadians can expect more virus to spread as they socialize more, but precautionary measures can be taken.
One step is to get vaccinated against influenza, COVID-19, and RSV if you meet the eligibility criteria (for people age 60 and older).
Currently, 14. 6 percent of the population has received the updated XBB. 1. 5 vaccine, PHAC reported.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s director of public health, told Global News on Monday that the vaccination policy is lower than in previous years and that health officials are “concerned about the participation of at-risk groups” because of this.
“But I think the provinces and territories are looking to facilitate access. For example, you can get a COVID-19 shot and a flu shot at the same time, so you don’t have to go through it twice and you get more at places like pharmacies,” she said.
If you have health issues with COVID-19, Conway recommends considering Paxlovid treatment because it can potentially shorten the duration of the illness. That treatment option is available to Canadians over the age of 18 and is available at as many pharmacies as possible. Conway added.
“Stay home if you’re sick. And it’s going to be very complicated for a Christmas party,” he said.
And if you’re hosting a Christmas dinner, Furness recommends making an investment in a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) cleaning formula to improve your home’s air quality, or even opening the windows if necessary.
And of course, if you’re worried, wear a mask to a holiday gathering.
“You can’t tell (if other people are sick) by chasing them. Some people cough, but others don’t. So it’s a giant roulette game,” Furness said. “Showing up at a Christmas party with a mask is kind of silly. . . But being seriously ill is worse. “
When it comes to holiday air travel, Furness said well-designed filtration systems on a flight provide an abundant point of protection, minimizing the spread of germs.
“But that doesn’t make you immune to whoever is sitting next to you, so that challenge is up close to home,” he said. “The challenge with airplanes is when they’re standing on the runway and the ventilation stops. This is the time to worry.
That’s when having one comes in handy, he said.
Conway agrees, adding that some caution should be exercised when traveling by air.
“If you’re on a plane and you’re feeling a little uncomfortable, there’s too many people too close together, you hear a little coughing and you put on a mask,” he said.
— With Katherine Ward of Global News