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Public Health Sudbury & Districts this week reminded people of the precautions to take amid reports of an increase in respiratory and intestinal illnesses.
As of Jan. 7, more than a dozen outbreaks had been reported at long-term care centers in the Greater Sudbury area. According to the Public Health Agency (New Window), 48 people were hospitalized for treatment of a respiratory illness (COVID-19, influenza or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)) in the last week of 2023.
In the same week, public health recorded 73 new cases of COVID-19 and 20 cases of influenza, meaning the level of activity is considered high, according to Aafza Rajabali, health promoter for Public Health Sudbury and the counties. We also saw flu outbreaks [influenza]and these numbers will be available in next week’s table, she continues.
COVID-19 has not gone away, explains Ms. Rajabali. We are in the winter season and we know that more viruses circulate during this season. Spending a lot of time indoors creates an ideal environment for viruses to spread, be it COVID-19, the flu or other respiratory viruses, she says.
Prevention measures and vaccination
All data from Public Health Sudbury & Districts indicates a high or very high rate of disease in the population, and prevention guidance is generally the same as we have seen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It seems like I’m rambling a bit, but these preventive measures are very important, explains Ms. Rajabali, adding that the effectiveness of these measures is scientifically proven.
It recommends washing your hands regularly for at least 15 seconds, wearing a well-fitting mask in public places, and avoiding visiting high-risk settings (e.g. hospitals, health centers, elderly care facilities) if you experience respiratory symptoms . She also stresses the importance of staying home for 48 hours until symptoms improve and emphasizes the importance of vaccination, not only against COVID-19, but also against flu and RSV.
This feeling is shared by Dr. Valérie Sales, an infectious disease specialist at Markham Hospital, a suburb of Toronto. She encourages everyone to update their vaccinations and check with their doctor if there are other vaccinations they should update, such as whooping cough.
Dr. Sales also emphasizes the importance of testing for COVID-19, as a positive test can provide access to antiviral medications such as Paxlovid, which can reduce the impact and duration of the disease. It is very important that people know that they can get this medication.
According to Dr. Sales, the pandemic was a learning experience. There is still awareness among the general population that respiratory viruses cause more than just a small cold, she says. This can be more dangerous and have serious or fatal consequences. She hopes that the findings of recent years will allow people to protect vulnerable family members, even if they have a simple cold.
Negative tests
While home tests to detect COVID-19 are widely available, this type of testing does not exist for other common illnesses. Hospital testing can be done for other respiratory illnesses, but because treatment for these different illnesses is similar, there is no practical reason to test widely for influenza, adds Ms. Rajabali.
Symptoms of respiratory illness are very common with COVID-19, the flu, or other viruses such as RSV. Regardless of the virus, prevention measures remain the same, according to Ms. Rajabali, and a negative test for COVID-19 does not in itself mean that you do not have a respiratory virus or even that you have contracted COVID-19 again.
Certain symptoms, such as fever, can help identify a virus. However, laboratory tests are generally performed when symptoms are not specific enough for a diagnosis.
The prevalence of respiratory viruses other than COVID-19 that cannot be detected with a home test is a concern for Dr. Sales no particular concern. She cites as an example how quickly new variants of COVID-19 can be identified and reminds us that what is happening in patients admitted to hospital is being intensively monitored.
When healthcare workers and public health officials are concerned about the emergence of a new disease, samples can be quickly analyzed in the laboratory.
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