Future waves of COVID-19 likely as Canada undergoes ‘period of transition’: Tam

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OTTAWA — Canada’s chief public well being officer warned Friday that Canadians ought to preserve carrying masks and guarantee vaccinations are updated amid rising COVID-19 case counts and lowered public well being measures.

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“I feel the underside line is all people proper now ought to nonetheless put on that masks and preserve these layers of measures, irrespective of the place you’re on this nation,” mentioned Dr. Theresa Tam.

Tam mentioned the nation is in a interval of pandemic transition that may see additional waves of COVID-19 circumstances this 12 months.

“We anticipate that progress is not going to be linear, and there’ll seemingly be extra bumps alongside the way in which, together with resurgence in circumstances this spring, and sure additionally within the fall and winter,” Tam mentioned throughout a information briefing.

COVID-19 continues to be circulating broadly and the danger of re-emergence stays, Tam cautioned.

Canada is observing a gradual improve within the BA.2 variant of COVID-19, and ongoing genomic surveillance will stay essential for monitoring variants of concern, she mentioned.

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Keeping track of wastewater tendencies can be a useful “early warning system” for monitoring COVID-19 transmission in communities and figuring out circulating variants, mentioned Tam.

She shall be encouraging provinces and territories to maintain up COVID-19 testing capability, and to proceed to supply exams to their populations.

A rise in in-person actions, the presence of the BA.2 variant and waning immunity may need performed a component in improve in transmission of the virus.

Tam mentioned that as of Thursday, each day common case counts had elevated by 28% nationally from the earlier week, suggesting a resurgence is underway.

A corresponding rise in hospitalizations would possibly quickly be seen, Tam mentioned, noting these tendencies may fluctuate by area.

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However she added Canadians at the moment are in a greater place to stay with the virus, and the general impact on the health-care system is perhaps extra manageable attributable to excessive immunity within the inhabitants from vaccination and up to date an infection.

“The secret’s whether or not we are able to preserve these hospitalizations and severity tendencies down.”

Tam mentioned weighing unfold of the virus in opposition to the necessity for society to return to its routines shall be a “tough steadiness.”

She inspired anybody eligible to go obtain their booster dose, noting that Canadians 50 years and older are seeing a niche in booster protection, a bunch at larger danger of hospitalization and critical sickness.

The Nationwide Advisory Committee on Immunization can be whether or not a second booster shot is required, Tam mentioned.