Translation Google
Cases on the rise: 110 CHSLDs affected by COVID-19 outbreaks
QMI Agency| Published on August 22, 2024 at 1:35 p.m.
Seniors are still on the front lines of COVID-19 outbreaks as 110 long-term care homes (CHSLDs) are affected by cases, according to the latest data from the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ).
54 hospitals have also been added to this list of establishments dealing with an active outbreak of the virus as of the week of August 11.
For comparison, 8 CHSLDs and 10 hospitals reported a COVID-19 outbreak in the week of April 28. This number has continued to increase since then.
Across the population, the positivity rate reached 21.4% in the week of August 18, with 1,175 positive tests out of 5,431 received. Remember that not everyone gets a lab test when they have COVID-19.
Hospitalizations also continue to increase in the province, where there were 1,255 beds occupied due to the virus as of August 20.
Since the beginning of August, the INSPQ has also recorded around thirty deaths each week.
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Translation Google
Summer surge in COVID-19 cases appears to be here to stay
"It's difficult to understand why we have an increase [at this time of year] when we still live outside a lot," says Professor Nathalie Grandvaux.
Leo Mercier-Ross
Published yesterday at 4:56 p.m.
Updated yesterday at 5:15 p.m.
Cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations related to the virus have been on the rise since the beginning of July in Quebec. A scenario that has been repeated for two years and which suggests that this summer increase in cases will occur again in the coming years, according to a respiratory virus specialist.
“It’s hard to understand why we have an increase [at this time of year] when we’re still living outside a lot, we haven’t yet returned to school, etc.,” says Nathalie Grandvaux, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the Université de Montréal. This year, the increase in summer cases is somewhat early compared to previous years, when early August was the norm, notes the specialist.
During the week of April 7, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) recorded 290 cases of COVID-19. Three months later, during the week of July 14, the INSPQ counted 1,855. These data underestimate the reality, because they only include PCR test results and reported rapid test results.
Respiratory virus outbreaks, such as COVID-19, generally occur during the winter period. “They are seasonal and often linked to the temperature and the fact that we are indoors a lot and outdoors less, at least for countries like Canada,” explains Professor Grandvaux, giving the example of the flu, which generally returns in winter.
This does not mean that Quebecers are spared from COVID-19 in winter. In 2023, the increase in infections that began in late July peaked in the week of December 10, 2023, with 6,261 positive tests recorded by the INSPQ. The curve then fell back down until March 2024, when cases of infection became low again.
One of the factors that could explain the summer increase would be vaccination, which would lose its effectiveness.
“The most vulnerable people generally get vaccinated in the fall, so by the time we get to August, the effectiveness of the vaccination is less there. So, that could be one of the factors in the increase in cases in August, [which causes] more hospitalizations and also more deaths,” says Nathalie Grandvaux. “But again, we don’t have any data,” she adds.
Is it the fault of new variants ?
By email, the INSPQ indicates that "a summer increase is a phenomenon that has already been observed when new variants circulate. For example, the KP.3 and KP.2 sublineages appeared a few weeks ago and are now predominant. SARS-CoV-2 [COVID-19 virus] does not currently have a seasonal profile comparable to other viruses and it is impossible to predict when or if such seasonality could be observed."
Nathalie Grandvaux believes that it is not necessarily the variants that are responsible for the increase, recalling that they were present in Quebec in April and that cases were not on the rise at that time. In addition, the variants "do not change the symptoms or the severity. It is more a question of vulnerable people who are infected, or not, [among whom] we see hospitalizations or deaths," she explains.
Good news regarding the fight against the KP.2 and KP.3 variants: “the vaccines that should be approved for vaccination for the fall will cover these variants,” emphasizes Ms. Grandvaux .
Precautions remain necessary
The virology expert also emphasizes that the main solution to avoid getting sick with COVID-19 is to be "up to date with your vaccinations." "That's the key word to remember."
Getting tested as soon as you have symptoms is also a good reflex to have. “In the summer, it’s very unlikely that it’s the flu or that it’s RSV [respiratory syncytial virus],” she says. Even if “it could be a classic cold, it’s always good to get tested to find out if you’ve had COVID-19, given the potential risks of long-term effects,” says Nathalie Grandvaux.
The Quebec government website states that "the majority" of screening tests expire 24 months after the manufacturing date, which is indicated on the box, and that they "can be thrown in the trash" if their shelf life has passed. An expired test can "give a false negative," the professor says.
Whether the test is positive or not, "when you have symptoms, whether they are those of COVID-19 or other respiratory symptoms, you should take measures to avoid spreading the infection," recalls Ms. Grandvaux .
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Translation Google
Analysis |More cases of COVID-19 in Quebec this summer than during the pandemic?
Noovo Info
Published on July 24, 2024 at 7:09 p.m.
Updated July 24, 2024 at 7:18 p.m.
COVID-19 cases reportedly spiked in Quebec this summer.
According to epidemiologist Nimâ Machouf, the current number of COVID-19 cases is higher than during the pandemic.
"We are seeing double the number of cases compared to last year," explained Ms. Machouf on Wednesday on the airwaves of Noovo Info.
What explains this resurgence of the virus compared to recent summers? Dr. Machouf suggests that the end of security measures has something to do with it.
“We no longer pay attention, we no longer wear masks.”
Although the rise in COVID-19 cases is "still worrying", the number of deaths is lower.
"We have all received at least three vaccines and the vast majority of the population has been infected at least once," she recalled.
Dr. Machouf warns that we must, however, be vigilant about the virus.
"We have to be careful and not think that it is completely over," she concluded.
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Translation Google
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge in midsummer
VINCENT DESBIENS
Tuesday, July 9, 2024 7:00 p.m.
UPDATE Tuesday, July 9, 2024 7:00 p.m.
As the festival season is in full swing in Quebec, experts are closely monitoring the increase in the number of cases and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 that we have observed in recent weeks, even if their level of concern remains quite low.
"We have seen a resurgence of cases in the United States in recent weeks due to the new JN.1, KP.2 and KP.3 variants, and this is a phenomenon that was expected here as well. There are several new cases and hospitalizations are also on the rise," notes microbiologist-infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist Caroline Quach.
The National Institute of Public Health (INSPQ) counted 671 hospitalizations of patients who had a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 in its last report dated July 2.
This new wave of Covid-19 is hitting in the middle of the summer period when there are many trips and gatherings.
The percentage of positive tests has also been increasing since the week of April 7, 2024. According to the most recent data from the INSPQ, 12.9% of the 3,746 eligible tests taken during the week of June 30 obtained a positive result.
"It has nothing to do with what happened last winter, but there is still a significant increase in the percentage," explains Dr. Quach .
New variants
As has happened in recent years, it is the rapid and efficient mutation of the COVID-19 virus that has caused the number of people infected to rise again.
"These variants, including KP.3, are no more dangerous than the others, but they partially escape the immunity of the vaccine. That's how they manage to be transmitted from one person to another," explains Jean Longtin, infectious disease specialist at the CHU de Québec-Université Laval.
This new wave of Covid-19 is hitting in the middle of the summer period when there are many trips and gatherings.
According to Caroline Quach, the increase in the number of trips outside the country during the summer holidays partly explains how the new mutations of the virus were able to make their way to La Belle Province quickly.
"Over time, herd immunity wanes and these new variants are able to better bypass our defenses when we bring them back here. When the last dose starts to get old, we lose antibodies."
This new wave of Covid-19 is hitting in the middle of the summer period when there are many trips and gatherings.
She points out that pharmaceutical companies that produce vaccines are working hard to deliver a new product that will better combat the new variants by early fall.
Not a seasonal virus
The year 2024 was expected to be the first without two waves of COVID-19. The last few weeks have put an end to this hope that the virus that humanity has been grappling with since 2020 would enter the category of seasonal respiratory viruses.
"We seemed to be heading for this, but that is less the case today. COVID-19 stands out for its ability to mutate and we have to know how to adapt," concludes Dr. Longtin .
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Translation Google
Things are better in Quebec emergencies, says Christian Dubé
Posted at 11:29 a.m.
CAROLINE PLANTE
THE CANADIAN PRESS
“We are not out of the woods yet, but there is definitely an improvement,” declared the minister upon his arrival at the pre-sessional caucus of his political party which is being held Wednesday and Thursday in Sherbrooke.
Mr. Dubé said he relied on the most recent data from the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ) “which shows that there is really a drop in viruses”.
“Just before the holidays, I said that we had almost 1,000 more visits to the emergency room every day. We were at more than 10,000. Yesterday, I looked, we were at 8,900,” he said.
“It’s good news, there is a drop in viruses. […] We must continue to be careful, […], but I think it is encouraging that we are getting through this,” added the minister.
More than a stroke of luck, Christian Dubé attributes the improvement in the situation in emergencies to the fact that “a lot of work […] was done by our teams”.
He cited the Anna-Laberge hospital in Montérégie as an example. “They changed certain measures […] and there, suddenly, we saw, over two weeks, there was an improvement in the times on the stretchers.
“So yes, things are better with the viruses, but there is a lot of work that is being done by our teams,” insisted Mr. Dubé in the press scrum.
Last month, two people died in the crowded emergency room of Anna-Laberge hospital . One of the two patients died in the waiting room, reported La Presse .
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Translation Google
The occupancy rate in Quebec hospitals continues to be very high
The situation in Quebec hospitals shows no sign of respite on Saturday, while the average occupancy rate of emergencies remains well above 100%.
Published yesterday at 4:40 p.m.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Saturday evening, the Index Santé site reported an overall average rate of 115% in Quebec emergencies, which falls into the “very high” category. This rate was 133% on Wednesday, 136% on Thursday and 127% on Friday.
Only one region, namely Bas-Saint-Laurent at 69%, had a so-called “normal” occupancy rate on Saturday evening. In the other 14, the occupancy rate was either “high” or “very high”.
It was in the Laurentians that the occupancy rate was the highest on Saturday evening, at 143%. The situation was particularly difficult at the Mont-Laurier Hospital, where an occupancy rate of 240% was reported.
In Laval, Montérégie and Outaouais, occupancy rates ranged from 124% to 130%, while it was 123% in Lanaudière and 131% in Chaudière-Appalaches.
On the Montreal side, the occupancy rate stood at 127%. The situation was particularly difficult at the Royal Victoria Hospital, which had an occupancy rate of 212%.
Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec (113%) and Côte-Nord (117%) were the other regions where ridership exceeded 100% and where the lights were red.
The occupancy rate was considered “high” in Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine (82%) and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean (83%)
No compromise
Earlier this week, the office of Minister of Health Christian Dubé reminded us that “all patients who have urgent needs must go to the emergency room.”
“All patients who have urgent problems will have the necessary care, we will never compromise on health and safety,” we added on this subject.
However, “there is still too large a proportion of patients who go to emergency rooms with viruses who can be treated directly at home or by consulting another health professional,” argued the minister's office.
The latter reminded that other options are available before going to the emergency room, such as winter clinics, 811, the pediatric line and the First Line Access Desk.
“In addition, we are putting in place a central measure to free up more than 500 additional accommodation places over the coming weeks, so that patients, often seniors, who find themselves in hospital and who no longer need to be there, can be in a living environment adapted to their needs,” we promised.
Hospitals continue to be challenged by the circulation of respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus and influenza.
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Translation Google
“Vaccine fatigue” in Quebec despite the rebound in the number of COVID-19 cases
However, the number of daily appointments has increased from 11,500 to 20,000 since Tuesday's reminder.
Daniel Boily
Davide Gentile
Posted at 3:00 a.m. CST
At a press conference on Tuesday, the national director of public health of Quebec spared no effort to convince the population to get vaccinated, particularly against COVID-19, at a time when cases of infections with respiratory viruses multiply.
We have a more contagious JN1 variant [and whose number of cases] doubles every week , said Dr Luc Boileau. According to his estimates, there are currently 40,000 to 50,000 new cases of COVID-19 per day , not forgetting influenza (the flu), which has been taking root for several weeks .
Over the past two weeks, there have been a million Quebecers who have said they have had a respiratory infection , said Dr. Boileau.
...
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MONTREAL
News
CHUM brings back mask mandate as COVID-19 cases rise
Keila DePape
CTVNews Montreal.ca Digital Reporter
Published Sept. 30, 2023 11:14 a.m. CST
Amid a rise in COVID-19 cases, the University of Montreal Hospital (CHUM) is bringing back its mask mandate starting Monday.
The rule applies to anyone entering a patient’s room or care area—including visitors, staff and physicians, a CHUM spokesperson confirmed in a statement to CTV News on Saturday.
It attributes the move to an increased spread of COVID-19, a growing number of employees testing positive for the virus, and the spread of other respiratory illnesses.
...
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Translation Google
CNESST
Long COVID cases continue to rise
Three years after the start of the pandemic and despite several vaccination campaigns, the number of people on sick leave due to long COVID-19 continues to increase in the province, show new data from the Standards Commission, the equity, health and safety at work (CNESST).
Posted at 1:19 a.m. Updated at 5:00 a.m.
Alice Girard-Bossé
ALICE GIRARD-BOSSÉ
THE PRESS
As of September 3, 867 workers had been covered by the CNESST for more than 90 days due to an occupational injury linked to COVID-19. The majority of them come from the health sector. In August 2022, the CNESSST counted 733. The increase over a period of a little over a year is therefore around 18%.
However, these figures only represent a portion of people affected by long-term COVID-19, since they only include infections that have been shown to have been acquired in the workplace. “Imagine all the cases of long COVID which probably have a link to work, but for which the worker is no longer able to establish a link,” illustrates Dr. Anne Bhéreur, family doctor, herself at the faced with long COVID since December 2020.
According to researcher Simon Décary, professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Sherbrooke, this increase in cases is not surprising. “We know that there are cases of long-term COVID-19 that go beyond vaccination. It’s a phenomenon that is seen in all major countries,” he says.
Although vaccination reduces the risk of long-term COVID-19, it does not eliminate it, specifies Dr. Bhéreur .
Available studies show a 15 to 50% reduction in risk. As long as we continue to have cases of COVID-19, we will continue to have cases of long-term COVID-19.
Dr. Anne Bhéreur, family doctor with long COVID
In total, 1,565 workers have received compensation from the CNESST for more than three months due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Of these, 698 have since returned to work and the average duration of their leave was 230 days. Since these are working days, we can estimate the duration of their work stoppage at approximately one year. “This delay is entirely logical, because moderate cases of long-term COVID-19 last approximately one to two years,” notes Mr. Décary.
" I'm exhausted "
Manon Lapointe is a worker compensated by the CNESST. The 58-year-old nurse contracted COVID-19 in January 2021 while working in the emergency room in the Capitale-Nationale region.
Nearly three years later, Manon Lapointe still lives with persistent symptoms of COVID-19: headaches, shortness of breath, tinnitus, itching and burning sensations on the skin, tachycardia, swallowing problems and memory problems. “My symptoms are so intense and I have so many. I’m exhausted,” she breathes on this subject.
The Quebecer moves around in a wheelchair or with a walker, due to lack of energy. Her daughter helps her with daily tasks, such as meals and grocery shopping.
Despite trying all the medications and vitamins possible, my condition continues to deteriorate. The doctors are powerless.
Manon Lapointe, nurse with long COVID
“I didn’t think I would experience this. I was a person who traveled a lot, I went wild camping, motorcycling, water skiing. It was my daily life, she remembers. I would like to go out, walk outside again. I want to get better. It’s the hope that keeps me going. »
Recently, several avenues have been raised regarding the factors that contribute to long COVID. “A study published a few weeks ago clearly demonstrated that the virus affects the mitochondria, which create energy in our body. This probably explains the problems at the inflammatory level,” says researcher Simon Décary.
The latter also expects to see great advances in clinical pharmacology trials, for possible treatments, in the coming months and years.
NEARLY 1,000 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED
The back-to-school wave of COVID-19 is increasingly felt in hospitals. Nearly 1,000 hospitalized patients are positive and the number of deaths has jumped over the past week. Quebec currently has 995 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Of this number, only 19 are in intensive care. Over the past week, almost half of positive people have been admitted due to their COVID-19 infection (48%). The province is also seeing a sharp increase in deaths. Quebec has reported 43 deaths over the past week, or 6 per day on average. This is significantly more than the previous week, when 26 deaths were recorded, or less than 4 per day. As since the start of the pandemic, deaths are concentrated among seniors, particularly in the group aged 80 and over. The wave of COVID-19 is affecting the entire province, where the positivity rate continues to increase rapidly.
Pierre-André Normandin, La Presse
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Translation Google
Press release
835 Jolliet Blvd.
Baie-Comeau (Quebec) G5C 1P5
Telephone: 418 589-9845
Fax: 418 589-8574
www.cisss-cotenord.gouv.qc.ca
RESTRICTION OF VISITS TO THE MULTISERVICES HEALTH CENTER
AND SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE BASSE-CÔTE-NORD
Baie-Comeau, May 25, 2023 – The Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) of the
Côte-Nord wishes to inform the population of the Lower North Shore that visits are currently
restrictions on the short-term care unit of the Center multiservices de santé et de services sociaux de
the Lower North Shore in Blanc-Sablon due to an outbreak of COVID-19.
Visits are permitted only for caregivers (one at a time) or for reasons
humanitarian (e.g.: person at the end of life). Caregivers with signs of cough or fever
should postpone their visit if possible. If the visit cannot be postponed, you are asked to respect
precautionary measures, including wearing a mask at all times.
In case of visits for humanitarian reasons, precautionary measures must be applied, including
compliance with isolation rules. In addition, in order to protect users and staff, all
employees are currently wearing the mask.
We remind you that washing your hands (with a hydroalcoholic solution or with water and
soap) remains the best way to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, and that no one
showing signs of cough or fever should not report as a visitor.
If you are concerned about your condition or that of a loved one and have questions or concerns,
you can contact the Info-Santé service at any time at 811 to receive advice, or
refer to the quebec.ca website.
Aware of the inconvenience caused by this situation, the CISSS de la Côte-Nord thanks the population
for his cooperation.
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Source: Pascal Paradis
Assistant to the CEO – media relations, communications and corporate affairs (interim)
Côte-Nord Integrated Health and Social Services Center
418 589-9845, ext. 252268
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Source: https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-r...ions-1.6232630
Quebec reports no new COVID-19 deaths, 43 fewer hospitalizations
Daniel J. Rowe
CTVNewsMontreal.ca Digital Reporter
Published Jan. 16, 2023 1:02 p.m. EST
The Quebec Ministry of Health reported on Monday that no new deaths would be added to the overall COVID-19 total to start the week.
That number remains 17,811 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
In addition, there are 43 fewer COVID-19-positive patients in Quebec hospitals, dropping that total to 1,946. Of those, 50 people are in intensive care units, an increase of one.
There are 2,073 health-care workers absent from their posts for COVID-19-related reasons...Leave a comment:
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Translation Google
XBB.1.5 sub-variant arrives in Quebec
Marie-Eve Cousineau
January 12, 2023
The XBB.1.5 subvariant, which has spread like wildfire in the United States , is beginning to spread in Quebec. It accounted for 2.4% of cases between December 25 and 31, according to the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ), which released new data on Wednesday. Twenty cases have been identified.
Inès Levade, clinical specialist in medical biology at the Quebec Public Health Laboratory at the INSPQ, expects this percentage to increase. “The question is more: will it increase as quickly as in the United States? " she says.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 28% of COVID-19 cases detected there last week were attributable to XBB.1.5. Following the collection of new data, the CDC revised down the 40% estimate first reported in the media. "In the northeastern United States, it's gone to just over 70%," adds Ms. Levade.
It remains to be seen whether the XBB.1.5 — which is part of the Omicron family — will supplant the variants already present in Quebec. During the holiday season, BQ.1.1 dominated (65% of infections).
“For several months, we have been dealing with a kind of soup of variants, indicates Inès Levade. We are quite cautious about predictions, about what we observe in another country and if it can happen here. You can never really be sure. She cites as an example the first line of XBB, which “took over” in other countries, but never took root in Quebec. XBB remained below 1% of cases in the province.
The INSPQ is however closely monitoring XBB.1.5, the first case of which in the province was detected towards the end of November.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is the most contagious subvariant to date. It combines mutations that would give it "a great ability to evade our antibodies, the first line of defense of the immune system", as well as a "greater ability to bind to the receptor of the cells it infects", specifies M. Levade me .
"He doesn't seem any more virulent," she continues. It doesn't seem to trigger a more severe disease. Despite this, if it is transmitted much more, it is still annoying, in the sense that we would have more cases and therefore more hospitalizations, potentially. »
A network already under pressure
The Quebec health network remains under pressure. On Wednesday afternoon, the average occupancy rate on stretchers in the emergency room was around 130%, according to Index Santé. The Suroît Hospital (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield), the Royal Victoria Hospital (Montreal) and the Lanaudière Regional Hospital Center (Saint-Charles-Borromée) recorded rates of around 200%.
According to Dr. Guillaume Lacombe, vice-president of the Association of Emergency Medicine Specialists of Quebec, many patients needing to be hospitalized are stuck in the emergency room, for lack of available beds on the floors. He reports that around 2 p.m. Wednesday, “50 to 70% of patients on stretchers in the emergency room in Greater Montreal” were “waiting for a bed upstairs”. "It's catastrophic," he said. The lack of staff is glaring.
Asked about this during a press scrum on Wednesday, the Minister of Health, Christian Dubé, recalled that the crisis unit had made recommendations to reduce the pressure on emergencies. This cell held a meeting on Wednesday, sources confirmed to Le Devoir .
But what can be done in the short term to improve the situation? "It's not so much new measures, but implementing those that have been suggested to us," replied Minister Dubé.
Since December 19, hospitals in the greater Montreal area have had to implement an “overcapacity protocol” so that the floors can accommodate more patients when the emergency room is overflowing. A directive has been sent on this subject to the CEOs of healthcare establishments.
In a scrum, the minister acknowledged that this measure had not been implemented everywhere. He added that those who have not implemented their overcapacity plan “often do not act for lack of will”. "They may not have the resources or the expertise to do it," he said.
Christian Dubé says he has asked Assistant Deputy Minister Daniel Desharnais, head of the crisis unit, to check “why” certain hospitals do not have recourse to overcapacity and “how we can help them”.
As for the XBB.1.5 sub-variant, Christian Dubé indicated that “so far, there is no concern”.
In its latest update, the National Institute for Excellence in Health and Social Services (INESSS) predicts “a slight decrease in new hospitalizations” of patients with COVID-19 over the next two weeks. The number of occupied hospital beds will stabilize at around 2150 (confidence interval between 1990 and 2326), as will the number of intensive care beds (57, with a confidence interval between 53 and 62).
However, INESSS points out that "this week's projections are fraught with uncertainties, since the decline observed during the holiday period may be partly linked to certain delays in data entry".
COVID-19 IN QUEBEC
Quebec reported 698 new cases and 6 new deaths related to COVID-19 on Wednesday. Authorities count 2,095 hospitalizations, including 716 due to COVID-19, a decrease of 42 from the previous day. In intensive care, the number of patients is down 5 compared to Tuesday: 48 people are there, including 25 due to COVID-19.
In the public health network, 2,553 workers are absent for reasons related to this disease, such as isolation or preventive withdrawal.
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Source: https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-r...ions-1.6224621
Quebec reports 18 new COVID-19 deaths, drop in hospitalizations
Daniel J. Rowe
CTVNewsMontreal.ca Digital Reporter
Published Jan. 10, 2023 11:35 a.m. EST
Quebec's Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday that COVID-19 hospitalization numbers dropped by 43 with four fewer people in hospital intensive care units across the province.
There are now 2,137 patients with COVID-19 who are hospitalized and 53 people in ICUs.
There are now 105 more health-care workers absent for COVID-19-related reasons than there were on Monday, bringing that total to 2,595.
The province logged 18 new deaths due to the disease, bringing that total to 17,768...Leave a comment:
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Translation Google
A newcomer named XBB.1.5
The Public Health Agency of Canada told La Presse that as of January 4, 2023, it was "aware of 21 detections of XBB.1.5" in the country.
It is called XBB.1.5 and could cause surprises in the coming weeks. Will this sub-variant of Omicron, which is experiencing “impressive growth” in the United States, come to play the spoilsport after the holidays?
Updated yesterday at 11:24 p.m.
Marie-Eve Morasse
MARIE-EVE MORASSE
LA PRESSE
COVID-19 has not said its last word. At the start of the new year, it is the XBB.1.5 sub-variant that is attracting attention.
As of late December, XBB.1.5 was responsible for more than 40% of COVID-19 infections in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC).
This sub-variant is “Born from the recombination of two viruses, descendants of BA.2”, explains Gaston De Serres, medical epidemiologist at the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ).
There is an increase in the contagiousness of this virus compared to its predecessors because it is able to "attach itself well", he explains. “It probably takes a smaller infective dose to make someone sick,” says Dr. De Serres.
The growth of the virus is "impressive", says infectious disease specialist and microbiologist Donald Vinh, of the McGill University Health Center, who cites the example of the United States, where XBB.1.5 is on the way to becoming the predominant variant. .
A growth rate still unknown in Canada
What about Quebec? Among all the variants of the COVID-19 virus identified by the INSPQ, XBB.1.5 is found in the “other” category. We will have to wait until next week to have more precise data, explains Dr. Vinh.
The Public Health Agency of Canada told La Presse that as of January 4, 2023, it was "aware of 21 detections of XBB.1.5" in the country.
"Proportions and growth rates will not be known until there are sufficient data," we were told.
There is no evidence so far that XBB.1.5 causes more severe disease, says Gaston De Serres.
“At the moment, there is no data that seems to indicate that the virus is more virulent. Virulence is the ability to cause serious symptoms, hospitalizations or deaths,” explains Dr. De Serres. But, he says, the more contagious a virus is, the more people it will affect.
Donald Vinh recalls that "the severity of the disease is also a function of the protection we have".
“If we are adequately vaccinated with a booster dose, that's the best thing to protect us,” says Dr. Vinh.
This is also what the Ministry of Health and Social Services says.
“According to the scientific data currently available, there is currently no evidence that the XBB subline is more virulent than the BA.5 subline. Bivalent vaccines also appear to provide better protection against these sublines than monovalent vaccines,” writes spokeswoman Noémie Vanheuverzwijn.
A sub-variant to watch
Just before the holidays, the multiplication of respiratory viruses was felt in schools across the province. One in ten students in Quebec was absent the week of December 19.
What should we expect next week, when everyone returns to class?
“For respiratory viruses in general, school is the driving force behind these epidemics of annual respiratory infections”, observes Gaston De Serres.
We can nevertheless think that “it will be less intense” than before the Christmas holidays, says the epidemiologist, because influenza is in “fairly marked” regression, as is the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
The “uncertain part” remains XBB.1.5.
“What part will it take and how fast will it develop? I would be embarrassed to predict it precisely,” says Dr. De Serres.
Infectiologist Donald Vinh believes for his part that we risk seeing a “small increase” in influenza and RSV in the community, but also in the XBB.1.5 subvariant.
“We are going to have an increase in cases. Are we going to have an increase in the number of people hospitalized because of this? It is fear. We will see the effect on the health system in two or three weeks,” says Dr. Vinh.
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Source: https://montrealgazette.com/news/loc...ns-keep-rising
COVID-19 update: Quebec reports 28 deaths as hospitalizations keep risingThe number of people in the province's hospitals with COVID-19 is at its highest level since early August.
Author of the article:
Montreal Gazette
Published Dec 20, 2022 • 1 minute read
Quebec announced on Tuesday that 28 more deaths had been attributed to COVID-19, bringing its death toll to 17,570.
The province also announced that 2,099 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 — an increase of 31 since the last time such data was published.
That’s the most hospitalizations the province has reported since early August.
Of those patients, the number in intensive care remained stable at 57...Leave a comment:
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