COVID activity increasing, other respiratory viruses and influenza stable in latest OPH update

Recent developments:

• There's a high level of respiratory illness in Ottawa.
• Flu and RSV levels are very high and risingin the city's wastewater.
• COVID-19 trends arerising and Ottawa Public Health is urging residents to getvaccinated in time for the holidays.

The latest guidance

Ottawa Public Health (OPH)'s weekly snapshotsays the overall level of respiratory illness in the city remains high.

OPHsays wastewater levels of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)are very high and increasing since last week. Wastewater levels of COVID-19 are also increasing, and OPH says they are considered high.

Across all indicators,influenza and other respiratory virusactivity is stable compared to last week, whileCOVID-19 activityhas increased.

OPH says now is the time to getvaccinated against flu and COVID-19.

Local officialssay the health-care system, particularly for children, is underpressure.The flu season is worse and started earlier than normal, plus there are thecontinued challenges ofCOVIDandRSV.

Along with the above advice, wearing masks indoorsand keeping hands and surfaces cleanare also recommendedto help keep people safe, especially more vulnerable people including children.

Quebec's public health director said lastweekpeople with babies should think about whether large holiday gatherings are worth the risk.

Wastewater

Data from the research teamsays the weekly average level of coronavirus in Ottawa's wastewater, as of Dec. 13, has been rising since the last week of Novemberback to roughlywhere it was in early November.

OPH considers this to be a moderate measure, but cautions people that it's rising. The flu and RSV levels in wastewater are very high and rising.

Wastewater researchers say they have a better test for the BQ Omicron subvariantand they're finding more of itas the total signal rises.

Hospitals

OPH's count of active, local COVID-19 hospital patients rises to 25, according to Friday's update, with one patientin intensive care.

The health unit says the number of COVID hospital admissions is moderate.

There is another count that includesotherpatients, such as peopleadmitted for other reasons who then test positive for COVID, those admitted for lingering COVIDcomplications, and thosetransferred from other health units.

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

Testing strategieschangedunderthe Omicron variant, meaning manyCOVID-19 casesaren't reflected incounts. Public health officials now only trackand reportoutbreaksin health-care settings.

Ottawa's COVID test positivity rate is up slightly to about 13per cent after a steady decline.OPHconsiders itmoderate.

There are 28active COVID outbreaks in Ottawa.

The health unit also reports eightflu outbreaks, while the number of "other" respiratory illnessoutbreaks nearly allin child-care settings are at23. Twoof these other outbreaks in schools have more than 100 cases, which is down from three aweek ago.

OPH reported 165more COVID cases over threedays and the deaths of twopeoplewith COVID.In all, 980Ottawa residents who had COVID have died since the start of the pandemic, including370of them this year.

Vaccines

As of the most recent weekly update, 93per cent of Ottawa residents aged five and up had at least one COVIDvaccine dose,90 per cent had at least two and 62 per cent at least three.

Thirty-four per cent of Ottawans aged 12 and older had at least four doses.

About 9,181residents younger than five have had a first dose, which isabout 20per cent of Ottawa's population of that age group. About 4,190, or nine per cent, have had two.

Across the region

Spread

Coronavirus wastewater trends are low and stableinKingstonand stable in Cornwall. Data from other areas is out of date or unavailable.

The average COVID-19 test positivity in Renfrew Countyis at 7.3per cent. In the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU), it remains around 12 per cent.

In his weekly video update, the EOHU's Dr. Paul Roumeliotissaid its COVID levels are low tomoderateand stable.

"It really is a result of people getting their boosters up to date," he said. "Still almost 50 per cent of the population has not received the third dose yet, so that to me is important that you go and get your third booster."

WATCH | The medical officer of health's Wednesday update:

Hospitalizations and deaths

The number of people going to emergency rooms with respiratory illness is higher than normal across eastern Ontario, according to one provincial tool. Locally, the trend is only risingin Renfrew County.

Eastern Ontario communities outsideOttawa reportabout 40COVID hospitalizations, with sevenof these patients in intensive care.

That regional countdoesn'tincludeHastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health,which has a different counting method. Its counthas recentlybeenlow and stable.

Western Quebec's health authority,CISSSO,reported 104COVID-19hospitalizations. Noneof the patients are in intensive care. Itreported its 366th COVID death in its weekly update.

The EOHUreported two more COVID deaths, for 142this year and 276overall.

This is by far the deadliest year for reported COVID-19 deaths in the wider Ottawa-Gatineau region, with nearly half ofits more than 2,000 reported COVID deaths coming in 2022.

Vaccines

Across eastern Ontario, between 81 and92 per cent of residents age five and up have received at least two COVID-19 vaccine doses, and between 53 and65 per cent of those residentshave hadat leastthree.

The wider region has passed a combined 6.1 million COVID vaccine doses given out.