Dr. Anne Wormsbecker, chief of pediatrics at the hospital, said it’s clear this year’s respiratory virus season has begun.
Dr. Wormsbecker said that while most children who come to outpatient clinics are not tested to determine what virus is causing their illness, there is a surprising number of cases in hospital wards where patients are tested upon admission. trend.
“There has been a surge in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) over the past two weeks,” he said.
National data also show an increase in RSV. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada’s latest respiratory virus report, 1,220 cases have been detected since the end of August, with about 5 per cent of tests coming back positive.
“RSV activity is increasing and is slightly above expected levels for this time of year,” the report states.
The virus usually causes common cold symptoms but can become severe in children and older adults.
There are four main vaccines available to seniors this fall, including an updated COVID-19 vaccine and Canada’s first respiratory syncytial virus vaccine.Lauren Pelley, health reporter Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Explains what older adults and their caregivers should know.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, also continues to spread, and influenza activity is increasing but remains at typical November levels, health ministry data shows.
After a roller-coaster ride on viral dynamics during the pandemic—including a period when influenza all but disappeared, as well as an unusual increase in RSV last year—some say this season may mark a return to relative normalcy, but as SARS-CoV The emergence of -2 is now firmly integrated into the mix.
But Dr. Donald Venn, an infectious disease expert at McGill University, said “normal” doesn’t mean it will be a bed of roses for Canadians and medical teams who are under tremendous pressure.
“The patterns we’re seeing are not new, but with the overlap of COVID-19, it’s a return to what we’re used to in the past,” he said.
Pandemic creates unpredictable viral dynamics
Vinh explained that in Canada, RSV typically starts to become problematic in October, followed by influenza, which can be followed by a wave of infections.
“In fact, this has been the norm for years and even decades,” he reiterated. “But COVID put an end to that.”
“This is a highly contagious virus that blocks the spread of other viruses until our population has some immunity to COVID-19.”
Medical experts call this phenomenon “viral interference”: It occurs when a virus like SARS-CoV-2 crowds out other pathogens in a population over a period of time, possibly because widespread infection weakens people’s immunity The system remains on high alert. .
Other researchers believe society-wide public health measures, such as mask-wearing and social distancing, may be more important in stopping other viruses. In fact, after coronavirus restrictions were lifted, infections from other viruses began to increase.
Wormsbecker said medical teams like his are preparing for another winter with large numbers of hospitalized children. “We hope it doesn’t happen again this year,” he added, “but that’s what we’re preparing for.”
Vinh reports that RSV reports are increasing rapidly in Quebec, and data from the British Columbia Center for Disease Control shows that “RSV test positivity rates continue to increase and are highest among children” in the province.
Meanwhile, a Toronto pediatric clinic has seen a rapid increase in the number of visits for various respiratory illnesses.
“In the past two weeks, we have been seeing 400 patients a day,” explains Dr. Daniel Flanders. Kindergarten Pediatrics.
Doctors are also concerned about the impact of these viruses on older adults as they spread into older populations.
“We have seen some outbreaks of respiratory syncytial virus in long-term care facilities, but they are much smaller compared to COVID-19,” said Dr. Alan Greer, chief of family medicine at the hospital. Markham Stowell, lie in North of Toronto. “But what will happen in the coming months is difficult to predict.”
As for the flu, there have been more than 180 hospitalizations due to the illness since the end of August, according to Canadian health agencies. Adults over 65 account for more than half of reported hospitalizations.
“The good news is that in the southern hemisphere, North America and Canada are facing flu seasons, but they haven’t had flu seasons as severe as they have in the past. So we expect the same thing to happen here,” Greer said.
More than four in 10 older people may have avoided COVID-19 infection so far, new data shows. But they still face the highest risk of hospitalization and death, and researchers say keeping up to date on vaccinations remains the best way to reduce that risk.
Vaccines against COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus
Vinh warned that given the varying levels of immunity to each virus in the population, many Canadians could still be severely affected. Vinh said that most of the population has been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, vaccinated, or both, but there are “some populations that have not yet developed any partial immunity to RSV or influenza and will be infected with either over the long term.” Virus infection.” first.
He added that the silver lining is that Canada is still in the early stages of flu season, which means there is time to mitigate the dire consequences through widespread vaccination, even with newer COVID-19 vaccines that are better suited to circulating strains of the virus.
Health Canada also approved an RSV vaccine for adults over 60 years old earlier this year. While Ontario also offers the service for free to residents of long-term care facilities, many Canadians will have to pay more than $200 out of pocket.
“If you haven’t caught up yet, it’s not too late to get the COVID vaccine, and if you haven’t caught up yet, it’s not too late to get the flu shot,” Vinh said.
Source: CBC News | Lauren Paley
Adapted by: RCI | MG Aguz