COVID-19 is 'here to stay' and won't be wiped out any time soon, experts say
As COVID-19 case counts dwindle, experts warn that COVID-19 will linger even after the majority of adults are fully immunized—but outbreaks could be far less devastating.
"The virus is going to be with us long-term, I think it's here to stay," said Dr. Anna Banerji, infectious disease expert with the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
Experts point to the 1918 influenza pandemic as an example of a virus that, a century later, has not completely vanished.
"Some version of that virus is still hanging around, in different forms, it's mutated in different ways," said Dr. Fahad Razak, internist with St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.
"Given the degree of spread of the current COVID-19 pandemic, I think most people expect that some form of it will hang around perpetually."
Toronto Western Hospital declared a COVID-19 outbreak Monday, in which some of those infected had received two doses of vaccine.
"We're still going to see some disease transmitted through those who've been immunized already, but they're likely to to be asymptomatic, or have very few symptoms," said Dr. Dale Kalina, infectious disease doctor with Joseph Brant Hospital.
"But it is important to recognize that it’s those who have not been vaccinated who are going to bear the brunt of the disease."
Outbreaks causing more significant illness could still occur in groups and communities with low vaccination rates, experts point out.
Children younger than 12 cannot currently be immunized in Canada and will remain at risk at catching the virus, said Dr. Banerji.
"The under-12 population, it’s going to circulate in that population. In general it's going to be mild, mainly runny nose, sore throat or asymptomatic, but occasionally you're going to get a child that gets very sick."
Establishing herd immunity among eligible adults, doctors say, will be key to protecting those who can't be vaccinated—including with potential booster shots down the road.
"Nobody has a crystal ball, but there’s an expectation that we will need boosters," said Dr. Razak. That added layer of protection, he said, could address any mutations in the virus and also combat any waning immunity.
At this point though, experts say a double dose of the existing vaccine is the best weapon against the virus—which will likely not vanish any time soon.
"There will be some semblance of COVID in Canada for years to come," said Dr. Kalina.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.