There has been a spike in COVID-19 cases in Niagara long-term care and retirement homes in recent weeks, but that is not unexpected at this time of year. Over the holidays, explains Dr. Azim Kasmani, Niagara’s medical officer of health, as visits by family members increase, so do respiratory illness outbreaks.
On Monday, the Niagara Region website was reporting 16 outbreaks of respiratory illnesses, including 10 related to COVID, four influenza A and some with causes unknown.
“We often see a rise in influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory disease at this time of year,” says
Kasmani. “People want to be with their loved ones over the holiday, and this gives viruses a chance to spread. This tends to happen in the community as well.”
There are many factors that impact the spread and severity of these illnesses, such as built-up immunity from infections and vaccinations, he says. Wastewater data, which has been used by public health experts to track and monitor COVID as the number of tests administered and reported dropped, hasn’t been updated recently to quantify the numbers in the community.
“When testing availability changed, reporting changed as well. Not everyone who gets COVID gets tested. The vast majority of the cases reported come from long-term care homes, hospitals or emergency rooms. Most people are using rapid tests, and those results won’t get captured in the same way.”
While there are a number of people in critical care, as well as in intensive care units, and “some are unfortunately dying,” the numbers aren’t what they have been in previous years, he says. “However, there is certainly a significant amount of COVID-19 in the community, and we can all take steps to protect ourselves.”
In December, Niagara emergency departments were reported by public health as feeling the stress of an increase in respiratory illnesses in the region, resulting in more visits, more hospital admissions and longer wait times. While the number of patients seeking care was increasing, the severity of the illnesses Niagara Health was treating has been lower than in previous years, the report said.
Kasmani emphasizes the importance of being vaccinated, still the most effective tool we have to combat the disease, for those who haven’t had COVID or a vaccination in the last six months. With the vaccination, those who become ill will be less impacted by the disease.
Other recommendations also remain changed — in addition to being vaccinated, he stresses, wash your hands frequently, cover coughs or sneezes and stay at home when you’re sick.
“And some may choose to wear a mask,” he adds.
Taking those steps “should help prevent illness across the community, and that protects the most vulnerable.”
Although COVID has passed the pandemic stage, and may not be seen with the same urgency as it was in the past, what has changed comes from past infections and vaccinations. “The level of immunity affects the entire community.”
However, Kasmani says, “we do still need to take it seriously.”
