Province, VIDO encourage booster doses as COVID-19 is once again on the rise
University of Saskatchewan researchers say the viral load of COVID-19 in Saskatoon’s wastewater has shown a week-over-week increase the past month, potentially meaning cases of the virus are on the rise.
“As you see the wastewater levels go up that means, it may not be one-to-one correlation, but that means there is more infections coming up,” said director of business development for VIDO Paul Hodson.
“There's more spread, and as we know, from any infectious disease that transmits through aerosols or through the air, that population density or close contact or dense crowds will will increase the rate of transmission.”
Throughout the pandemic, cases have dropped in the summer months and increased when the weather gets colder and people spend more time indoors, and we should expect that trend to continue in 2022.
“In Australia, for example, coming out of their winter season in the southern hemisphere,” said chief medial health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab.
“With no public health measures, they've seen all the respiratory viruses come back, so influenza, other coughs and colds, COVID.”
Hodgson and Shahab say vaccination remains the most effective way to limit severe infection from the virus.
“I think in Saskatchewan right now about 82 per cent of the eligible population are vaccinated with two doses,” said Hodgson.
“We know that the primary purpose of the vaccine was not necessarily to stop infection but stop hospitalization, which we see the outcome of that now. Definitely the hospitals are less inundated with patients.”
Amanda Slogotski and Clarissa Thomas both went to receive their second booster dose at the walk-in clinic at Merlis Belsher Place on Wednesday, one of the six walk-in clinics in Saskatoon.
“I haven't tested positive for COVID yet and I've always gotten my boosters right when they're available. So trying to hold that luck I guess, and I'm going to Chicago in a month And it seems like a smart idea,” said Thomas.
“I just want to get my immunity up before the school season starts and I know there's more COVID going around lately, so just want to make sure I'm protected,” said Slogotski.
Shahab says fewer than 50 per cent of people in the province have received their first booster dose. He is encouraging those who haven’t to get it as soon as possible.
For those considering a second dose, Shahab says it can likely wait until the fall when bivalent vaccines are expected to be available.
“Some of the companies like Pfizer-BioNTech are actually making bivalent vaccines where they have two antigens,” said Hodgson.
“One from the ancestral strain and one for some of the new variants, in an effort to make them more effective."
Hodgson says new COVID-19 vaccine rollouts will likely occur in the future.
“The general murmurings around through the physicians, public health and scientists is that the vaccine doesn't seem to cause sterilizing immunity,” he said.
“We're not eliminating the viral infection from the vaccines we've had, we're eliminating the hospitalizations. So by that nature, and the continued variants of concern that keep rolling out, I would suggest that's probably what we're looking at.”
Thomas says she’s prepared to receive those vaccinations.
“We've collectively kind of come to the realization that we've got to live with [COVID-19], and getting a booster is important,” she said.
“Making sure your kids are vaccinated is important when they go back to school."
“I just want to make sure that I'm doing everything that I can to stay safe for my kids,” said Slogotski.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.