Chief Medical Officer says Ontario is going through its worst respiratory virus season globalnews.ca

TORONTO — Ontario is getting through the worst of the respiratory virus season, with three major viral threats in decline, though a more contagious version of it COVID-19 The province’s top doctor said Thursday there could be a “small” spring wave.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore “strongly” advised people to wear masks in indoor public settings in mid-November as flu, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19 continue to circulate and impact children’s hospital capacity Were staying

Moore said at the time that a renewed mask mandate was on the table, but now with the province on the other side of a difficult respiratory season after three years of a pandemic, it may be off for good.

“I really can’t see us considering that,” he said in an interview.

“No jurisdiction has recommended mandatory masking, nor has our expert panel recommended it to us. So we hope Ontarians at highest risk will continue to take layers of protection seriously.”

Moore said this includes staying home when sick, practicing good hand hygiene and “cough etiquette,” and continuing the strong recommendation for indoor masking.

Also, he advised people to be updated on COVID-19 booster shots, especially those who are more vulnerable to the virus.

Moore said more than half of Ontarians over the age of 70 have received a bivalent shot.

“I would like the 45 per cent people who have not come forward to take advantage of the bivalent boosters,” he said.

“We know that population has the highest morbidity and mortality … We know that the pharmacies and our partners in primary care and public health have vaccines, openings, so the call is really for them to come forward and get that bivalent booster.” to get up to date and stay protected, especially given the unknowns associated with (XBB.1.5 subvariant) and its increased infectivity.

Moore said when the flu peaked in Ontario in early December, there were about 568 patients in hospital and now the number is 80. RSV peaked at the same time, with about 350 people in the hospital.

“We’re down to 190 now, so that number is slowly going down with RSV,” Moore said. “RSV doesn’t usually have the high peak that influenza does, and is with us throughout the winter months, but its effect is diminishing week by week.”

The COVID-19 situation is also improving, Moore said, with 99 people in the ICU, the lowest number since July.

However, previous pandemic years have seen spring waves of COVID-19, so Moore said he is closely monitoring the more transmitted XBB variant.

“This virus has tended to have 90- to 100-day cycles in its mutation, and each subsequent variant has been more infectious,” he said. “So we anticipate another small wave to happen.”

&copy 2023 The Canadian Press