Windsor, Ont. –
Windsor Regional Hospital is preparing for the possibility of an influx of Omicron variant cases and has opened up a dedicated “hot unit” for COVID-19 patients.
WRH chief of staff Dr. Wassim Saad said they are always prepared for waves of patients and have learned from what is happening in other parts of the world.
“Windsor seems to sometimes be effected, in terms of health care crunches, after other areas,” he said.
Saad said about seven to 10 days ago they opened a COVID-dedicated unit and he expects it to be open through the holidays. The hospital is also shifting resources away from elective surgeries.
“We are doing what we can to ramp down elective procedures and anything that is not an emergency,” he said.
He added elective procedures will likely remain ramped down into January as the hospital could be dealing with another possible surge in COVID cases.
As of Wednesday, WRH still has space in the ICU and inpatient units. The hospital is reporting 23 people with COVID in hospital – 20 are unvaccinated, and three are fully vaccinated. There are eight unvaccinated patients and one fully vaccinated COVID patient in the WRH ICU.
Saad said the best way for residents to protect themselves from the virus is to follow public health measures and get vaccinated.
There are currently two reported cases of the Omicron variant in Windsor-Essex, but it is spreading rapidly in other regions and Saad said individuals should not wait for a specific brand of vaccine.
“It’s going to be way too late because Omicron will have swept through the area,” he said.
Due to the shortage of Pfizer vaccines in the region, the Windsor-Essex mass vaccination site is offering Moderna to individuals 30 years and older for their third dose booster shot.
