Key Takeaways:
- According to infectious disease experts, hospitalizations and wastewater statistics are slowly increasing, indicating that Ontario has entered a COVID-19 summer wave.
- 585 individuals in Ontario hospitals have tested positive for the virus, up from 486 a week earlier, according to the most available official statistics.
According to experts in infectious diseases, Ontario has entered a COVID-19 summer wave as hospitalizations and wastewater data slowly increase.
“We are one. It is authentic. Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an expert in contagious diseases in Toronto, told CTV News Toronto on Monday, “I don’t know how big it’s going to get, but it’s here.
Bogoch cites COVID-19 wastewater data as the main indicator. This information has been rising since the beginning of June. It comes after a sharp decline in viral activity seen in Ontario wastewater during most of the spring.
Bogoch mentions an increase in COVID-19 positive test-takers in addition to wastewater. Although testing is restricted, the most current data from the province show that the seven-day average for new cases discovered through PCR testing was up 34% week over week.
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Even though we aren’t testing widely, that has been a pretty dependable signal, according to Bogoch. At least our testing is reliable.
He said that hospitalizations, a lagging sign of the spread of COVID-19, are also rising. According to the most recent government statistics, 585 patients in Ontario hospitals have tested positive for the virus, an increase from 486 a week earlier.
“The BA.5 sublineage of Omicron is mostly responsible for this. We are aware that throughout the majority of Canada, it is likely the prevalent variety at the moment. The expert claimed it could also evade some of the protective immunity from immunization or healing from an infection.
Earlier this year, Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s chief medical officer of health, predicted that the summer would see “low levels of endemic activity.” In contrast, falls would see higher transmission due to indoor activity rise. But since then, Ontario has seen a rapid spread of BA.5, the subvariant with the quickest growth rate.
The timing of this wave is noteworthy, according to Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious diseases expert in Mississauga, even though BA. 5 has largely spread over the nation.
He claimed that the health care system is considerably better prepared to handle and absorb this in the summer.
Chakrabarti said he doesn’t anticipate seeing that same magnitude as the Omicron wave in December.
“We just require to keep in mind the nature of respiratory viruses, particularly when they become more contagious and immune evasive. According to Chakrabarti, you can observe this wave action when there is an equilibrium between the community and the virus.
There will be a different wave this time, and it won’t be as intense as the prior ones were.
The scientific director for Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table did not expressly state that Ontario was in a fresh wave of the pandemic when speaking to CP24 on Monday afternoon, simply stating that “the virus has shown to be a particularly horrible foe.”
According to Dr. Fahad Razak, “it has evolved to the point where what is currently circulating in Ontario, Canada, and the rest of the world is nearly unrecognizable compared to what we originally saw.” “It’s unknown what will happen in the future.”
“But because it’s not just COVID, the fall will be a high-risk time for us. We must be wary of the other respiratory viruses, such as influenza and RSV, “explained he.
To better defend themselves from the virus, Razak recommended residents keep receiving their COVID-19 vaccination.
Source: CTV news
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