At this point in the pandemic, we're cycling uphill, Dr. Bonnie Henry says. (Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay)
The pandemic is more like an Iron Man race than a marathon, says Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer.
We got through the swim, barely, this spring. And now we're on the bike ride and there are some big hills and we don't know when it will end, she says. The next leg is not quite in sight. We need to gather our focus and our energy now for the next phase, the run, and then the finish line, she said.
Sounds about right, assuming the vaccines are as effective as early reports suggest and they can be mass-produced and delivered within the next year or so. If not, we may still be in the “swim” part of this Iron Man race.
Speaking of vaccines, I did an informal twitter poll this week, to ask if people plan to take the vaccine right away, wait a while or refuse to take it. An overwhelming majority (68.7%) said they would take it right away.
Meanwhile, B.C. hit several disappointing covid-19 records this week: most deaths in a single day (13 on Nov. 25); most new cases in a single day (835 on Nov. 21); and most people in hospital at any given time due to covid-19 (294 on Nov. 25). We’re now averaging about 750 new cases every day for the past seven days.
Of the 302 deaths reported in B.C.'s last situation report, issued Nov. 20 for the time period up to Nov. 13, 84 per cent were in people older than 70 years old and 205 of the people who died were associated with a care facility outbreak. The incidence rate per 100,000 people is now four times higher than it was when schools went back in September, the report says.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, B.C. is also facing five deaths a day from drug overdoses, due to a toxic drug supply. One hundred and sixty-two people died from illicit drug toxicity deaths in B.C. in October, the coroner reported.
“Challenges during covid-19, such as access to key harm-reduction services and the toxic drug supply, including the extreme concentration of illicit fentanyl, are resulting in continuing significant and tragic loss of life across the province,” said Lisa Lapointe, chief coroner.
So, it’s a tad depressing here as the Americans celebrate their Thanksgiving this week. I suspect most Black Friday shopping will be online.
Still the changes keep on coming. Here’s my list for this week:
- Outdoor Christmas events like the Stanley Park Train and the Van Dusen Gardens light show are on hold until at least Dec. 7, Dr. Henry said.
- Masks are now required to be worn in B.C. by all people older than age 12 in public places including malls, coffee shops, retail stores, airports, restaurants, places of worship, office buildings, fitness centre and post-secondary institutions. People who cannot wear a mask are exempt, but anyone without a mask who refuses to comply may be fined up to $230.
- A portion of the covid tests collected in B.C. are also being tested for influenza, Dr. Henry said. Usually at this time of year there is influenza in B.C.. “We are quite confident that we are looking for it and we are not seeing a lot of influenza circulating right now,” Dr. Henry says. Covid measures and immunization could be why.
- A third vaccine, this one by British company AstraZeneca, is reported to be effective against covid-19.
- As more and more is learned about the covid-19 virus, little tidbits of information come along. This week Dr. Bonnie Henry said that the time people are most contagious – the time immediately before symptoms hit – is also the time when tests don’t work as well.
- The Vancouver Sun’s Vaughn Palmer addresses the question of why B.C. is not using rapid tests in senior’s homes, as suggested by B.C.’s seniors’ advocate. Dr. Henry says the rapid tests are not very reliable, but still, it’s an interesting question.
-Quebec clarified its covid-19 rules about Christmas gatherings, saying people may gather in group of up to 10 people twice during the dates Dec. 24-Dec. 27. People who cannot quarantine, should not gather at all. See more in this Globe and Mail story.
-Alberta students in Grades 7 to 12 will study online only as of Monday and all students will have winter break extended to January 11, the Globe and Mail reported.
- Air Canada is going to start flying to Hawaii from Vancouver in December, after Hawaii announced travellers from Canada would be exempt from the state's quarantine rules, if they have a negative covid test three days before departure, the Vancouver Sun reported.
- Five people have died and 55 people have tested positive for covid-19 in an outbreak at Burnaby Hospital, the CBC reported. The emergency room remains open.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would probably not be first to get vaccines because the countries that make vaccines, like the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany would go first, the Associated Press reported.
-Those of us who are relying on contact tracing, might reconsider after reading this story from the Globe and Mail about a Surrey family whose son had covid-19, but they were never contacted for contact tracing.
Next week, will be in December, with a Christmas like no other soon to come. Love and light will be needed to get through this next few months
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