Ontario hospitals begin to brace for fourth wave of COVID-19
As the Brampton Civic Hospital celebrated zero COVID-19 patients in critical care Wednesday, for the first time since the start of the pandemic, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) warned that an impending surge in virus case counts could represent a threat to the province.
“This pandemic is ending but a fourth wave could still inflict a deadly toll on the unvaccinated,” OHA president Anthony Dale said in a statement.
The association called on Ontarians who had not yet received two doses to get fully immunized before an anticipated autumn increase in case counts—in what is now being called the pandemic of the unvaccinated.
“I think it’s going to be primarily be younger unvaccinated children [affected], and of course the adults who have chosen not to get the vaccine,” York Region emergency physician Dr. Steve Flindall said of a fourth wave.
“I’m really hoping the vaccinated individuals in the population will act as a firebreak between transmissions.”
Many experts remain optimistic that Ontario’s health-care systems will not succumb to the same strain as during the third wave of the virus, when non-urgent surgeries had to be postponed and patients were transferred between hospitals to access critical care.
“The risk of being on the brink of collapse of the hospital and health-care system, like we were in April—I don’t think that we should see that, or expect that, in the coming months because of the vaccine rate that we have here in Ontario,” said Dr. Dale Kalina, medical director of infection and control at Joseph Brant Hospital.
Kalina pointed to the recent spikes in COVID-19 cases in the U.K. and the U.S.; in the U.K., where the vaccination rate is comparable to Ontario’s, the increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations was minimal. But in Florida, where only 59 per cent of adults are fully vaccinated, hospitalizations increased Tuesday to a level that surpassed the record set before vaccines were even available.
“We’re running out of materials, our staff is exhausted, we’re really really straining,” Florida infectious disease specialist Dr. Aileen Marty told CTV News Wednesday.
“It’s particularly distressing that so many of our patients are young, otherwise healthy individuals that can’t breathe.”
“Given that thousands of Ontario children under the age of 12 will be returning to indoor in-person learning in just a few weeks, it's vital that all eligible residents receive both shots to keep transmission levels low, protect vulnerable populations and ensure that access to non-COVID related hospital services is not disrupted a further time,” said Dale.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.