In Ontario, cases of COVID-19 in long-term care homes more than doubled in the first week of July, according to the province’s public health unit.
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A total of 42 cases were recorded in the long-term care sector during the week of July 3 to 9, according to the latest figures from the province. This is a 110 percent increase from the previous week’s 20 reported cases. Ontario, like other provinces, is no longer reporting daily cases of COVID. However, according to Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s chief medical officer of health, the seventh wave of the new coronavirus could peak in Ontario within the next two weeks. Story continues below ad At the direction of the province’s Minister of Long-Term Care, Paul Calandra, MPP for Markham-Stouffville, Ontario previously had a policy of vaccination against COVID-19 for people who work, volunteer in or visit long-term care homes. However, the policy was revoked in March, meaning this requirement no longer applies. Today’s update of the COVID-19 dashboard shows a sharp increase in cases in Long Term Care and Nursing Homes, hospitals and other settings. It’s a stark reminder of the importance of being mindful of the danger you may pose to others, especially those at higher risk. (1/3) — Ottawa Public Health (@OttawaHealth) July 15, 2022 In Quebec, more than 25 percent of patients in 38 of 106 long-term care facilities are currently infected with the virus, according to the latest provincial figures. Between 15 and 25 percent of residents at 19 other facilities have also been infected. “Quebec is in a seventh wave of COVID-19,” Marie-Claude Lacasse, spokeswoman for the province’s public health department, told Global News, noting that cases are expected to stabilize in the coming weeks. Story continues below ad “Quebec public health has urged the population to be vigilant in order to limit as much as possible the spread of the COVID-19 virus, particularly among the most vulnerable people,” the spokesperson said. The rise in infection among health care workers has also increased “strain” on the province’s health network, according to the spokesman. A resident holds hands with a health care worker on a ward infected with COVID-19 at the Idola Saint-Jean long-term care home in Laval, Que., Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes British Columbia had four long-term care facilities with an active COVID-19 outbreak as of July 13, a spokesperson for the province’s health ministry confirmed to Global News. “During the pandemic, many enhanced protective measures have been taken to minimize the risk of introduction and transmission of COVID-19 in long-term care and assisted living facilities,” the spokesperson said. Trending Stories
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“We will continue to maintain appropriate measures, including enhanced screening protocols, coverage requirements, infection prevention and control practices, testing, and outbreak management protocols, to protect those most vulnerable to serious illness from COVID-19.” . Story continues below ad In Alberta, outbreaks of COVID-19 were reported in 12 long-term care facilities as of July 13, according to provincial data. This includes five facilities in the Calgary zone and one in Edmonton. “As we prepare for fall, Albertans can expect to see periods of increased transmission of both COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses such as the flu,” Charity Wallace, spokesperson for the Alberta government told Global News. “As we continue to live with COVID, vaccines will continue to be critical to protecting our health, our loved ones and our health care system. That is why we continue to encourage Albertans to get every vaccine dose for which they are eligible,” they said. In Nunavut, there are currently no cases in long-term care facilities, the director of communications for the territory’s health department told Global News. The latest numbers from Manitoba also show no cases in long-term care facilities, although there has been an overall increase in reported cases since last week.
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“Long-term care is the perfect storm for not only severe outbreaks, but also severe outbreaks with a lot of illness and death,” Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s School of Information, told Global News. Story continues below ad “In a sense, this is ground zero for the worst of COVID,” he said. Managing outbreaks at these facilities is about more than wearing a mask, according to Furness. “We have to manage the wind,” he said. “We need filtration and ventilation metrics, and we need it urgently.” Although when covering up, wearing a respirator, such as an N95, is important for maximum protection, according to Furness. “In this kind of environment where people are so vulnerable, it really matters. You could put nine cloth masks on your face and it’s not going to work as well as a respirator,” he said. 2:18 Behind the curtain of COVID: Formerly confidential Alberta government documents released Behind the curtain of COVID: Formerly confidential Alberta government documents released Another key strategy to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities is to boost rapid testing for staff and visitors, according to Furness. Vaccination is also critical, he said. Story continues below ad “All vulnerable people should only be cared for by vaccinated people,” Furness said. “The problem we have with vaccinating people who are very old is that their immune systems are often just not able to respond as strongly. So let the residents be vaccinated, but the main thing is that the people around them are vaccinated,” he added. In Ontario alone, more than 96 per cent of eligible long-term care residents had received third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by July 12, and more than 80 per cent of those eligible had received fourth doses, Mark Nesbitt, spokesman for the provincial ministry of of Long-Term Care told The Canadian Press this week. By the same date, more than 88 percent of eligible personnel had received third doses. One strategy harmful to residents is locking down long-term care facilities and preventing visitors, according to Furness. “This is extremely punitive and it’s really a last resort when you decide you’re just not going to bother doing other things,” Furness said. This strategy had an impact on key family caregivers who had limited abilities to see and care for their loved ones in these settings during the lockdown, according to a recent study published in both the Journal of Gerontology and the International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Wellness. Story continues below ad The study – authored by Charlene H. Chu and Amanda Yee of the University of Toronto, along with Vivian Stamatopolous of Ontario Tech University – found that poor technology, infrastructure and design made it difficult for caregivers to properly care for residents, causing “collective trauma”. “This has been a nightmare come true for many family members,” Chu said in a statement released by the University of Toronto on July 8. “They were already guilt-ridden having to care for their loved ones and now having to bear witness to their family member’s decline and prison-like confinement, compounded by their own sense of helplessness in the situation.” — With files from the Canadian Press © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
