Health
North Bay–Parry Sound's COVID-19 vaccination rates rank near bottom-third in Ontario – BayToday.ca
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The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit is trailing the majority of the 33 other districts in Ontario when it comes to vaccination rates but officials are confident the mobile vaccination clinics held on a retrofitted transit bus can boost those numbers toward the 90 per cent goal.
According to COVaxON, the province’s vaccination reporting system, 78 per cent of eligible North Bay–Parry Sound residents age 12 and older have had two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. That’s tied for 23rd out of 34 health units in Ontario.
The Health Unit also reports 84 per cent of eligible residents 12 and older in the district have received at least one dose, tied for 25th of 34 health units.
The recent introduction of the proof of vaccination program for Ontarians to gain entry to non-essential settings such as restaurants, fitness clubs, and cinemas is acknowledged by health officials as a means to encourage those who are not fully vaccinated to do so.
There was an uptick in vaccinations in the weeks following the announcement of the vaccine certificate program in Ontario. And, a boost in vaccinations followed locally, as well, in mid-September, as the Health Unit reported an increase, particularly among those aged 29 and younger. The Health Unit reported then a 128 per cent increase in first doses week over week.
See also: Chirico impressed with new wave of vaccinations but still more work to do
The goal locally and province-wide is to have 90 per cent of the population vaccinated with first and second doses. As of Monday, that leaves 6,646 first and 14,680 second shots required. The Health Unit’s dashboard reports 692 doses administered over the weekend. It should be noted hundreds of third doses have been administered to eligible segments of the population over the past two weeks.
In North Bay–Parry Sound, the 30-39, 18-29 and 12-17 age groups all sit at less than two-thirds fully vaccinated, although the 12-17 category was not eligible for the vaccine for months following the initial local roll-out.
The Health Unit reports since June 1, 10 per cent of local positive cases have been detected in fully vaccinated people. Ontario reports 86 per cent of COVID-19 patients in ICUs are unvaccinated, while 72 per cent in hospitals (but not the ICU) are unvaccinated.
The Health Unit has consistently advocated for more people to roll up their sleeves and has gone to great lengths to achieve that goal by providing clinics in long-term care and retirement communities, mass immunization opportunities at Memorial Gardens, clinics focused on members of the vulnerable population, and now the mobile vaccination clinics that visit many of the underserved towns in the district.
See: How better conversations can help reduce vaccine hesitancy for COVID-19 and other shots
Andrea McLellan, Director of COVID-19 Immunization Strategy, previously spoke about possible reasons for vaccine hesitancy.
“It may be a lack of confidence in immunizations overall, it may be a personal choice they are making at this time and waiting to receive further information,” she said, noting there are excellent resources out there for those who are hesitant. “We are providing as much information to the public as we can — our website holds a wealth of information, the Ontario.ca website has a lot of information about the vaccine, as does Public Health Ontario.”
“Some people need a familiar health care provider to really reassure them that the vaccine is right for them,” Dr. Carol Zimbalatti added, encouraging people to reach out to their trusted health care providers for guidance. “Definitely, primary care offices have the information available to counsel their patients.”
The Health Unit will continue to roll out the vaccine through mobile clinics. McLellan says some of the feedback from the public indicated people who weren’t thinking of getting their shot did so thanks to the convenience of the bus set-up.
“We believe the mobile bus has been exceptionally successful,” McLellan said last week. “We’ve done over 300 at a couple of clinics, 150-plus at other clinics, 50 to 60 in smaller communities. The bus has been helpful in getting our numbers up. A lot of people are getting their first doses. And, we’ve accommodated a lot of people eligible for their third doses.”
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The USask Global Institute for Water Security wastewater survey for Prince Albert shows that the COVID-19 viral RNA load in Prince Albert’s has decreased by 46.5 per cent.
This was after there was a single decrease in last week’s report.
The number is based on averages of three individual daily measurements in this reporting period up to May 22 which are then compared to the weekly average of the previous week.
This week’s viral load of approximately 10,000 gene copies / 100 mL SARS-CoV-2 is the 85th-highest value observed during the pandemic.
This concentration of viral particles is considered Low because it is below the range and regarded as low in Prince Albert.
This week’s viral RNA load indicates that the SARS-CoV-2 infections in Prince Albert are reducing.
Whole genome sequencing confirmed the presence of BQ.1, BQ.1.1, BQ.1.1.4, BQ.1.18, XBB.1.5, BA.5.2.1 and BE.1.1 in earlier samples; which have S:Y144del, S:R346T, S:K444T, S:N460K mutations associated with immune escape. In addition, the sequences of the most recently collected sample relative to the previously collected samples indicate the level of presence of BA.2 and BA.5 in Prince Albert’s wastewater to be 94 per cent and 78 per cent stable respectively.
All data has been shared with Saskatchewan health authorities.
USask and Global Water Futures researchers are using wastewater-based epidemiology to monitor for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19) in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and North Battleford wastewater, providing early warning of infection outbreaks. This work is being done in partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Public Health Agency of Canada, City of Saskatoon, City of Prince Albert and City of North Battleford.
This variant tracking data should be seen merely as an indicator of trends which need to be verified using sequencing technology through the Public Health Agency of Canada. Because individuals are at varying stages of infection when shedding the virus, the variant levels detected in sewage are not necessarily directly comparable to the proportion of variant cases found in individual swab samples confirmed through provincial genetic sequencing efforts.
editorial@paherald.sk.ca
Health
Just when we were starting to see COVID and RSV rates drop this spring, another type of virus contributed to a spike in respiratory infections
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- Human metapneumovirus spiked this spring as cases of COVID and RSV fell.
- According to the CDC, 19.6% of antigen tests and nearly 11% of PCR tests for HMPV, were positive in the US in early March.
- Symptoms of HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath.
Cases of another type of respiratory virus have spiked this spring, just as COVID-19 and RSV rates were finally falling in the US.
According to the CDC, 19.6% of antigen tests and nearly 11% of PCR tests for human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, were positive in the US in early March.
The nearly 11% of positive PCR cases is up 36% since before the COVID-19 pandemic when PCR tests for HMPV were coming back with a rate of 7% positivity, according to the CDC.
In contrast, COVID-19 cases were down nearly 30% at the beginning of March, according to the World Health Organization, and the number of people being hospitalized for RSV was down to 1.2 people per 100,000 in March from 4.5 people per 100,000 in January, according to the CDC.
Symptoms of HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath, according to the CDC. The symptoms could progress into bronchitis, pneumonia, or other similar viruses that cause upper and lower respiratory infections.
The CDC said some might be sicker for longer than others, and the duration of the virus depends on the severity, but for the most part, is similar in length to other respiratory infections caused by viruses.
The virus is spread by coughs and sneezes, close personal contact, and touching surfaces infected with the virus, then touching the mouth, nose, or eyes.
According to CNN, there’s no vaccine for HMPV, nor is there an antiviral drug to treat it.
Health
Just when we were starting to see COVID and RSV rates drop this spring, another type of virus contributed to a spike in respiratory infections
|
|
- Human metapneumovirus spiked this spring as cases of COVID and RSV fell.
- According to the CDC, 19.6% of antigen tests and nearly 11% of PCR tests for HMPV, were positive in the US in early March.
- Symptoms of HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath.
Cases of another type of respiratory virus have spiked this spring, just as COVID-19 and RSV rates were finally falling in the US.
According to the CDC, 19.6% of antigen tests and nearly 11% of PCR tests for human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, were positive in the US in early March.
The nearly 11% of positive PCR cases is up 36% since before the COVID-19 pandemic when PCR tests for HMPV were coming back with a rate of 7% positivity, according to the CDC.
In contrast, COVID-19 cases were down nearly 30% at the beginning of March, according to the World Health Organization, and the number of people being hospitalized for RSV was down to 1.2 people per 100,000 in March from 4.5 people per 100,000 in January, according to the CDC.
Symptoms of HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath, according to the CDC. The symptoms could progress into bronchitis, pneumonia, or other similar viruses that cause upper and lower respiratory infections.
The CDC said some might be sicker for longer than others, and the duration of the virus depends on the severity, but for the most part, is similar in length to other respiratory infections caused by viruses.
The virus is spread by coughs and sneezes, close personal contact, and touching surfaces infected with the virus, then touching the mouth, nose, or eyes.
According to CNN, there’s no vaccine for HMPV, nor is there an antiviral drug to treat it.
Read the original article on Insider
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