RSV appears to be slowing in Ontario, health minister says
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, appears to be slowing in Ontario, the province's health minister said Friday, although she warned that influenza was expected to ramp up.
A combination of RSV, the flu and COVID-19 have been putting immense strain on pediatric hospitals across Ontario, with many having to cancel surgeries to accommodate the influx of patients.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones said that while RSV seems to be somewhat easing, the province is still heading into influenza season.
"We are seeing that the RSV seems to be slowing," she said during an appearance in Ottawa.
"Of course we are heading into influenza season ... I would encourage people to, if they have not got their flu shot for themselves or their children, have those conversations and and get that done."
Jones also urged residents to ensure they get the COVID-19 booster shots they are eligible for.
The province has been working with hospitals to ensure there is enough pediatric ICU capacity, Jones said.
Data last week indicated that at several points, Ontario had more children in the ICU than the system was built to handle.
Jones said different hospitals are experiencing capacity pressures at different times, with hospitals in the Hamilton and London area currently under strain.
"It very much changes," she said. "We initially saw the SickKids Hospital in Toronto experience it, CHEO last week was very, very challenged. We're now seeing that move more into the Hamilton, London area."
Jones said the province was also preparing for similar challenges in northern communities.
Pediatric hospitals across the province have said they've been well beyond capacity recently as children flood emergency rooms and intensive care units with the flu and RSV.
Earlier this week, the province asked thousands of family health-care workers to work evenings and weekends to help ease the burden on children's hospitals.
Ontario Health, the agency that oversees the province's health-care system, also recently directed the province's general hospitals to accept children 14 and older who need critical care. It further directed them to accept children who no longer need to be in the ICU, but aren't well enough yet to go home.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore has said he doesn't expect respiratory season to peak until early to mid-December.
Canada's chief public health officer has said that nationally, RSV activity seems to have levelled off but rates of the common childhood illness are still expected to remain elevated for weeks to come.
Jones' appearance in Ottawa on Friday came on the last day of hearings at the public inquiry into the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act.
Both she and Ontario Premier Doug Ford had been summoned to testify at the inquiry but went to court to fight the order, citing parliamentary privilege. A court ruled in their favour earlier this month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 25, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.