Public fitness experts are urging citizens to be vigilant and get vaccinated as flu season arrives amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the Ottawa area.
“We’re entering those weeks where things are the diciest,” said Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist at the University of Ottawa, on CBC Radio’s All In A Day.
Colder weather brings with it a triple risk of increased transmission of COVID-19, flu and RSV, as citizens learned last fall.
Data from Ottawa Public Health (OPH) suggests that COVID-19 activity increased last week from last week. Sewage signals are very high and rising, while another 54 patients were admitted to Ottawa hospitals last week due to COVID-19.
Number of COVID-19 cases reported in Ottawa and eastern Ontario increases
So far, influenza and other respiratory viruses have remained more stable than in 2022, according to OPH.
It’s a promising sign,” said Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, head of fitness at the Eastern Ontario Health Unit.
“If you ask me for a prediction, yes, we’re going to have a season of respite,” he said. “Yes, we’re going to have three viruses circulating simultaneously, but I don’t think we’re going to reach this sudden, simultaneous surge that we had last year. “
That surge overwhelmed hospitals during last year’s cold and flu season, which Roumeliotis said is not happening so far in 2023.
COVID-19 grades are similar to last year, while flu cases doubled or tripled existing degrees and RSV peaked at the same time as COVID.
“We’re seeing a slower increase in [RSV and flu levels],” he said. “Certainly not to the levels we had last year, which is good news.”
Roumeliotis said he also sees some signs that COVID-19 trends may be stabilizing.
Deonandan also sees symptoms of this and remains cautious about the direction other viruses might take in the near future.
“Some models suggest we’re at the peak right now. It’s not clear,” he said of COVID-19. But we don’t need to increase transmission, especially since RSV numbers are just starting to rise, and especially since we’re in the early stages of flu season. “
What to expect from this respiratory virus season and what can you do?
Both experts suggested the public adhere to public fitness measures, such as staying home when out of shape and washing their hands. Deonandan said other people also deserve to “strategically mask” in high-risk settings.
Mostly, they said, get vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu.
Deonandan worries people seem to have “taken their foot off the brake pedal” in fighting infection. Uptake of the new booster shots against COVID-19 remains low, he said, despite the booster seeming to be effective against the most recent variants.
“It’s a real shame,” he said. It’s a very clever reminder. It appears to produce smart-grade neutralizing antibodies, lab studies suggest, which means it would not only keep us out of the hospital and morgue [but also give us] a pretty smart chance of absolutely preventing symptoms and transmission.
Reporter
Arthur White-Crummey is a reporter for CBC Ottawa. In the past I worked as a journalist in Saskatchewan, covering the courts, city hall and provincial legislature. You can contact him at arthur. white-crummey@cbc. ca.
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