Pfizer’s Paxlovid is a combination of two antiviral drugs, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, for the treatment of adult patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Health Canada authorized use of the at-home treatment on January 17, 2022. (Photo: Pfizer)
If we’re to have any hope of advancing to the next stage of lessened COVID-19 restrictions, we must continue to make “smart choices” in terms of our personal safety measures.
That’s the word from medical officer of health Dr. Thomas Piggott who, during a Peterborough Public Health media briefing held Thursday (February 3), said what’s ahead “is contingent on what we do — the actions that each and every one us take.”
“As we emerge into this next stage of learning to live with COVID, I want to highlight that there are measures that each and every one of us can take that don’t have the same degree of negative impact that the more heavy measures, like lockdowns, do.”
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“Continuing to wear a tightly fitted mask any time you’re around someone outside of your household bubble,” he said. “Getting vaccinated if you haven’t, and getting your third dose if you haven’t done that and are eligible. Staying home when you’re sick. Getting tested if you’re able to. It is on us to continue this process on the journey to learning to live with COVID-19.”
To those who are looking for a tangible sign that the COVID picture is brightening, Dr. Piggott said anything deemed positive has to be taken with a generous grain of salt.
“There continues to be waste-water surveillance that’s detecting transmission of omicron, though it is down. There continues to be a significant number of deaths in this community. There continues to be a burden on the hospital. We’ve passed the worst of this (omicron wave) and are in a better position. What we don’t know is what will come.”
“As the modelling is indicating, we could be in a position where we will continue to see a decline in cases over the coming weeks. We could see a rebound. We could see something in between. If we all do our part to decrease unnecessary risks, we will start to emerge and see the other side of this very soon.”
While not wanting to raise people’s hopes that COVID-19 will be in our rear-view mirror any time soon, Dr. Piggott expressed “a lot of faith that the vast majority of people in this community and in our region will continue to do their part.”
“I think we’re on the right track and we will continue to see this decline (in cases) progress,” he added. “But my crystal ball broke a while ago. We need to be nimble and adapt to the evidence as it comes out.”
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As of late Wednesday afternoon (February 2), there were 249 PRC-confirmed active COVID cases in the Peterborough region — a drop of 87 since the last health unit media briefing on January 27. To date this week since Monday, 74 new COVID cases have been confirmed locally. According to the health unit, the number of active cases is “the tip of the iceberg” due to changes in PCR testing availability.
As encouraging as those numbers are, a grim milestone has been realized with the number of local COVID-related deaths having surpassed 50, now at 51 — an increase of five over the past week. There have now been 25 COVID-related deaths since just before Christmas.
There are 14 active outbreaks. Five outbreaks are ongoing at congregate living facilities while others continue at Extendicare Lakefield, Riverview Manor, Fairhaven Long-Term Care, St. Joseph’s at Fleming, Rubidge Retirement Residence, Sherbrooke Heights Retirement Residence, Kawartha Heights Retirement Living, Peterborough Retirement Residence, and Centennial Place (Millbrook). Meanwhile, the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is also dealing with a unit outbreak as it cares for 20 COVID-ill in-patients.
Meanwhile, the local vaccination picture shows that, as of late Wednesday afternoon, 87.1 per cent of those 18 and older eligible for a vaccine had received two doses with 59.4 per cent in that same group having received three doses. Meanwhile, 52.8 per cent of children aged five to 11 have received one dose and 17.1 per cent have received two shots. As for booster shot uptake, 51.8 per cent of all residents eligible aged five and up have rolled up their sleeves.
All Healthy Planet Arena clinics are now open for walk-in appointment for all ages and doses. Visit peterboroughpublichealth.ca/vaccineclinics for more information regarding clinic locations and hours.
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Dr. Piggott spoke at length about Paxlovid, a newly approved oral treatment for COVID-19. Individuals who qualify for the five-dose regimen are those who are immune-compromised, those 60 years or older with a medical risk factor and are unvaccinated, and Indigenous residents who are 50 years or older and are unvaccinated.
Those hoping to benefit from the drug must start on their regimen within five days of their confirmed COVID diagnosis, and can only do so once assessed and referred by PRHC.
“At this stage, there’s an extremely limited supply of this medicine,” Dr. Piggott said. “The closest clinical assessment centre to Peterborough is Lakeridge Health in Durham Region. People in our community will start to become eligible for this medicine, which may save many lives.”
Asked if he has any concerns over Paxlovid’s emergence in terms of the effect it will have on those opting to not get vaccinated, Dr. Piggott said he’s not overly concerned there will be a resulting adverse effect on vaccination uptake.
“Just because you can get a blood transfusion after a car accident, that doesn’t mean you’re not going to wear your seatbelt and drive safe. Right now, the access to this medicine is extremely limited. People should not be thinking of it as a panacea. Beyond that, there’s a fairly limited group of individuals who can qualify for this treatment.”
Also on the media briefing call were Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith and Selwyn mayor and Board of Health chair Andy Mitchell. Peterborough-Kawartha MP Michelle Fererri was not in attendance.
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
