Seventh wave of COVID-19 hits Sudbury area - The Sudbury Star

‘The issue with this strain is that it can cause what we call reinfection. That means people who had COVID in the past can get infected again’

Specimens to be tested for COVID-19 are seen at a laboratory. Photo by Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press/File

Like much of Ontario, Sudbury is already feeling the effects of new subvariants fuelling a seventh wave of COVID-19, according to Public Health Sudbury and Districts.

“In our catchment area, the COVID cases that are accounted for, half of them are the BA.5 variant,” said Justeen Mansourian, a public health nurse in the organization’s health protection division.

Along with another subvariant dubbed BA.4, BA.5 is a mutation of the Omicron variant that first appeared late last year. Public health officials in Ontario have raised concerns that the new subvariants are beginning to dominate COVID transmission, with BA.5 accounting for 50 per cent of new cases in the province, and BA.4 40 per cent.

According to Mansourian, Public Health has noticed similar trends in the Sudbury-Manitoulin region.

“The issue with this strain is that it can cause what we call reinfection,” she said. “That means people who had COVID in the past can get infected again. It can also cause breakthrough infections. That means infections in people who have been fully vaccinated.”

Accurate reporting on new variant case numbers are difficult to determine, Mansourian said, because streamlined testing has meant infections aren’t being reported like they were before.

“If there are COVID cases in the community, we’re not going to be made aware of all of them,” she said. “If people develop symptoms, most of them are antigen testing and home, and those aren’t always reported to Public Health.”

Instead, Public Health has been evaluating viral load in wastewater, keeping track of hospitalization rates, ICU case numbers, and outbreaks across the city.

While Mansourian said there is concern about the variants’ rapid spread, members of the public are encouraged to continue the same precaution they’ve practised since the pandemic started more than two years ago.

“Although some of the provincial mandates have been lifted, from a public health perspective, we’re still going to encourage people and ask them to mask as much as possible when they’re in a public place, especially if they’re in an indoor public place and if that place is overcrowded,” she said. “(With the new variants) it’s really important to be proactive and take those precautions.”

She also encourages the public to continue maintaining hand hygiene, and the self-screen daily. If you have any symptoms, stay home and get tested, she said. At-home rapid antigen test kits are currently available for free at several supermarkets and pharmacies across the city.

THIS WEEK’S COVID NUMBERS

Public Health reportrf 105 active cases of COVID-19 in the region Monday.

Since Public Health’s last report Friday, there have been 46 new cases reported, while 53 cases have since been resolved.

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, a total of 16,435 cases of the virus have been identified in the Sudbury-Manitoulin region.

No new COVID-related deaths have been reported since Friday, keeping the total number steady at 154 since the pandemic began.

In hospital currently, 20 Sudbury-area patients have confirmed cases of COVID-19, compared to 21 reported Friday. Of those patients, nine were admitted due to the virus, and the remaining 11 were admitted for other reasons.

Currently, there is one person in the ICU with a confirmed case of the virus, who was admitted to intensive care for reasons other than COVID.

The hospital is investigating 14 patients for potential COVID-19 infection, a drop from the 36 under investigation at the end of last week

This week, there are four active outbreaks of the virus in the region.

The outbreaks include Floor 8 North at Health Sciences North, the Sunnyside unit at St. Joseph’s Villa, and two separate outbreaks at Imagine Therapeutic Services Westmount and Val Therese locations, respectively.

Additionally, a previously reported outbreak at Finlandia Village’s Manty Area has been declared over.

Since vaccination efforts began, 82 per cent of the region’s population have received at least two shots or are fully vaccinated. Vaccination efforts continue this week. Clinics include:

Tuesday, July 12

Appointment and walk-in clinics: Freshwater Community Church (old Mindemoya Missionary Church), Mindemoya, Manitoulin Island; Food Basics, 1800 Lasalle Blvd., Greater Sudbury (mobile bus clinic); Southridge Mall, Greater Sudbury.

Wednesday, July 13

Appointment and walk-in clinics: Southridge Mall; M’Chigeeng Community Complex, Manitoulin Island (mobile bus clinic).

Thursday, July 14

Appointment-only clinics: Walden Kinsmen Hall, 15 Kin Street, Lively.

Appointment and walk-in clinics: Coniston Public Library; Sagamok Multi-Educational Centre (mobile bus clinic).

Friday, July 15

Appointment and walk-in clinics: Wanup General Store, Greater Sudbury (mobile bus clinic).

Appointment only clinics: Centennial Community Centre and Arena, Hanmer.

Saturday, July 16

Appointment and walk-in clinics: Dr. Edgar Leclair Community Centre and Arena, Azilda; Sudbury Arena, back parking lot on Brady Street (mobile bus clinic).

The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government.

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