A kidney dish with syringes containing the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine sits in a refrigerator ready for use at a vaccination center in Prisdorf, Germany, on February 26, 2022.Georg Wendt/The Associated Press
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The latest news
- Canadian pediatric hospitals are bracing for a surge in respiratory illnesses over the holidays, although they don’t expect their emergency departments and intensive care units to be as overwhelmed as they were last year, when flu and respiratory syncytial virus rebounded (RSV) after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Doctors at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and CHU Sainte-Justine, a pediatric hospital in France, held a joint news conference Wednesday urging parents to keep children who are not seriously ill away from their emergency departments.
- Public health leaders in Ontario are concerned about low uptake of the new COVID-19 vaccines, particularly among the elderly who are most likely to become seriously ill or die from the virus. Kieran Moore, the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, told The Canadian Press this week that only 40 per cent of Ontarians aged 65 and over have had a stroke. “That leaves 60 percent of our over-65s unprotected right now and that has me worried as we head into the holiday season,” said Dr Moore. Vera Etches, Ottawa’s medical officer of health, echoed those concerns in an interview with the Ottawa Citizen.
- Health Canada approved an updated version of Novavax’s COVID-19 shot on Tuesday. Nuvaxovid is a protein subunit vaccine that uses harmless fragments of the virus to prepare the immune system to fight infection. Like the reformulated shots made by Contemporarya and Pfizer-BioNTech, the new Novavax injection targets the XBB.1.5 variant and is expected to hold up well against similar versions of the virus that circulating today.
- A new Statistics Canada study published Friday found that nearly 12 per cent of all Canadian adults report experiencing prolonged COVID — that is, their symptoms persisted for more than three months after a COVID-19 infection with no other explanation about their illness.
- Flu season is officially underway. The number of flu patients in Canadian hospitals is increasing, but the virus is circulating at levels expected for this point in the season, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. The same is true for RSV: Activity levels are increasing, but within a range similar to pre-pandemic seasons. As for COVID-19, spread varies from province to province, with Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island all currently reporting high virus activity, according to PHAC.
With Canada’s cooler weather comes respiratory virus season, when flu, RSV and other viruses circulate alongside the lingering COVID-19 virus. While Canadians have learned a lot about how to protect themselves from illness during the pandemic, new information from healthcare practitioners can help inform decisions, from the availability of flu shots to any changes in COVID-19 protocols.
We will publish an update on the respiratory virus season each week. Looking for more information on the subject you don’t see here? Email [email protected] to see if we can help.
Flu outlook in Canada
Flu season is ramping up. In the week ending December 2, laboratories across the country detected 3,077 cases of influenza, the vast majority of which were caused by influenza A. Although that figure represents only a fraction of the total cases of flu – patients fighting the virus at home ‘have not been tested or counted – it gives an indication of the spread and severity of the flu. The positivity rate for flu tests was 9.9 per cent in the week ending 2 December, up from 7.5 per cent the previous week.
There were 866 flu-related hospitalizations reported to PHAC between late August and Dec. 2, according to Friday’s FluWatch report. That’s a significant jump from the previous week’s report, when PHAC increased hospitalizations by 555 between late August and November 25. Thirty percent of flu patients in hospitals were 65 years of age or older.
Hospitals for COVID-19
Between November 28 and December 5, the total number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals across Canada increased slightly to 4,628 from 4,606. The last time more than 4,600 hospital beds were filled with patients testing positive for COVID-19 was back in January.
The number of patients ill enough to require an intensive care bed last week rose to 164 from 158. The number of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients held steady at 71. Hospital admission rates for COVID-19 remain highest among older people.
There were 117 COVID-19 deaths in Canada during the week of November 19 to 25, the most recent week for which PHAC has data.
Flu shots
Flu vaccination clinics and programs are increasing across the country, with appointments available for anyone six months and older. Find out about clinics and availability for each of the states and territories here:
Newfoundland; Prince Edward Island; Nova Scotia; New Brunswick; Quebec; Ontario; Manitoba; Saskatchewan; Alberta; British Columbia; Yukon; Northwest Territories; Nunavut
COVID-19 boosters
The three authorized vaccines, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, Contemporarya and Novavax, protect against the XBB.1.5 subvariant and should provide good protection against the related EG.5 family. The reformulated mRNA shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Contemporarya are approved for anyone six months of age and older. The Novavax shot is approved for those 12 years of age and older.
COVID-19 vaccine information for the states and territories can be found here:
Newfoundland; Prince Edward Island; Nova Scotia; New Brunswick; Quebec; Ontario; Manitoba; Saskatchewan; Alberta; British Columbia; Yukon; Northwest Territories; Nunavut
Current health guidance for COVID-19
Symptoms of COVID-19 can vary, but generally include a sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, feeling feverish, chills, tired or weak, muscle aches or body, loss of new smell or taste, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. According to Health Canada, you may start experiencing symptoms anywhere from one to 14 days after exposure. Symptoms typically appear between three and seven days after exposure.
Health Canada advises following the testing guidelines provided by your local public health authority if you have symptoms or have been exposed to a person with COVID-19. If you test positive, immediately isolate yourself from others, including those in your household, and follow the advice of your local public health authority on isolation requirements.
How to protect yourself and your loved ones from respiratory viruses
Respiratory viruses are spread from person to person or through contact with contaminated surfaces, so it is important to protect against both types of transmission. Health Canada recommends wearing a medical mask or respirator, washing your hands regularly or using hand sanitizer, covering your coughs and sneezes, and cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces and objects. If you feel unwell, stay home and limit your contact with others.
