When it comes to COVID-19 spread, resistance is not futile: Gardner

If resisting the many waves of the COVID-19 pandemic only to see them increase each time has felt futile, the region’s medical officer of health has words of encouragement. 

Your resistance and sacrifice have made a difference.

“I do believe that there would have been much more loss of life without all of us doing what we have to date,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, medical officer of health for the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. “I just want to recognize that and try to encourage people to continue to follow advice and direction that may come in future.”

The sixth wave of the COVID pandemic is here, led mostly by subvariants of the Omicron variant that was responsible for the fifth wave and more cases than ever. 

With limited PCR testing, the province looks to its wastewater monitoring to get a better picture of how many people are getting infected with COVID-19, and it’s likely in the 100,000s.

Provincial reporting shows the SARS-CoV-2 viral signal (the virus that causes COVID-19) in wastewater in the central-east region of the province exceeds the levels seen at the height of the fifth wave (Omicron).

In Simcoe-Muskoka, cases confirmed through limited testing increased by 79 per cent in three weeks, with about 700 cases during the week of March 20 to nearly 1,300 cases the week of April 3.

Put simply, a lot of people are catching COVID-19. Hospitalization counts are starting to increase now as well.

Gardner said he’s been told by hospital leadership in Simcoe-Muskoka there’s a “high-degree” of staff illness related to COVID-19, adding extra challenges to the health-care system right now. 

“It’s another reason we all need to do what we can to protect ourselves by taking a multi-layer approach to reduce transmission overall,” said Gardner during a media briefing on April 12.

He reiterated recommendations he has given nearly once a week since the pandemic began: get all the doses of vaccine you are eligible for, wash your hands, wear a mask indoors, limit your close contacts, keep your distance from others, monitor for symptoms, and stay home if you’re sick.

There are no capacity limits or widespread mask mandates remaining in Ontario, save for some requirements at high-risk settings like hospitals and long-term care homes.

Gardner doesn’t see those restrictions, in place for nearly two years in Ontario, returning.

“There’s a tremendous amount of fatigue in the public, and with each wave it becomes more and more difficult to put restrictions in place,” said Gardner.

Though the doctor thinks a mask mandate could help, it would only be part of a multi-layer approach to curbing the spread of COVID-19, and may not do much to lessen the impact of the current wave.

“A mandate would probably prompt more compliance and would have … limited benefit,” said Gardner. “But there might be a strong, negative (public) reaction that could impact on compliance.”

Public buy-in has waned with the move toward booster doses of vaccine, too. While a little more than 80 per cent of the over-five-year-old population in the region is double vaccinated, only about 50 per cent of the same population has had a booster dose.

Gardner acknowledged the COVID-19 vaccine frequency is “new” and it’s a significant amount of vaccination compared to other vaccines people would be accustomed to.

“I would acknowledge it is asking a lot of people, and of providers,” said Gardner. “But there’s no doubt vaccination has saved many lives in Ontario. Omicron, as big as it was, would have been substantially worse if we didn’t have a high rate of vaccination.”

Predictions from the Ontario Science Table suggest booster doses reduced hospitalization and ICU occupancy by about 30 per cent during the fifth wave.

“It’s already been a very long pandemic … it’s tough, no doubt,” said Gardner. “It’s required so much of us.”

More is required, he said, to protect vulnerable people and reduce the spread of COVID-19.

For those unvaccinated, Gardner said it’s not too late to start. For those eligible for a booster dose, now is a good time to go.

As Easter weekend approaches, Gardner delivers his usual recommendations: consider keeping it small, wearing masks, and having your gatherings outdoors.