Canucks and COVID: Omicron Virus Variant Surveillance Vital for NHL, Says Disease Center Doc

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Dr. Brian Conway did not change channels after the Vancouver Canucks’ first period on Tuesday in which the hosts seemed slow and stationary, in short, in a world of pain at Rogers Arena, behind the Columbus Blue Jackets 3- 0.

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The president and medical director of the Vancouver Center for Infectious Diseases, who is also a Canucks season ticket underwriter, stood his ground due to what has witnessed a notable change since the club cleaned up its hockey operations department.

Conway’s patience was rewarded by the Canucks rallying for a 4-3 victory that took their winning streak to five games. It was the first regulation victory at home since a three-goal hole since February 13, 1996, when Russ Courtnall had the game winner to cap a comeback from a 4-1 deficit in the second period to claim a 5 decision. -4. on the Winnipeg Jets.

Conway hopes his patience to help navigate COVID-19 and the aggressive variant of Omicron that runs rampant in the National Hockey League (contributed to 17 more confirmed but not serious cases with the Calgary Flames on Wednesday to increase the franchise count to 27) will pay off. for professional players and the general public.

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Despite double shots and non-mandatory booster shots, the National Hockey League is on a slippery slope of how it adjusts protocols and schedules to deal with outbreaks. Last season, in an unvaccinated environment, the wearing of masks and limited community exposures, whether at home or on the road, was mandatory to minimize the spread of the virus. Now they will be improved protocols until January 7.

“It’s what we can do now,” Conway said. “There are four things that drive outbreaks: Omicron which is more transmissible, the travel it involves, off-ice activities and testing.”

Testing and timing of results are primary concerns. Tests need to be done every day and results need to be returned much faster.

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Had a different outcome mechanism been implemented Tuesday, Canucks defender Tucker Poolman would not have logged 5:37 of ice time before being removed from the game due to a positive test. He put his teammates at risk with interactions on the ice, the bench and in the room. Poolman joined teammates Luke Schenn, Juho Lammikko and Brad Hunt as positive cases.

“If they didn’t have (Poolman’s) test results available, they should have delayed the start of the game,” Conway emphasized.

Other professional leagues use the Lucira PCR test in which results are received in minutes, rather than hours. Conway confirmed that those results take just 30 minutes.

In Liverpool, the Premier League football team does a daily quick test of players when they arrive. They get tested, expect quick results, and then they can enter training camp. On Tuesday, the club had no negative tests.

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“Clearly we have to do testing on a daily basis and it has to be done across the league and use the best test that you have access to that will generate results to keep the league open,” Conway said. “We need to understand how the outbreaks are circulating and interrupt them.

“If someone were to suggest boosters for the entire NHL, they are not mandatory in the general population in terms of vaccine passports. There is not enough information to suggest that pushing people earlier would benefit you. I would hate to be reactionary and invent science right then.

“If Omicron reduces the effectiveness of the vaccine by 30 percent, then it may mean that one in three people with dual vaccines is susceptible to infection. If I was on load (NHL) it would be a daily test, get the best available test, and a test that will produce a (fast) result that day.

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“The symptoms of Omicron will be similar to a mild infection of the other variants. It will be a fever, aches and a cough, and you will just feel very bad. It’s not just a sore throat and runny nose, it’s likely still the common cold.

“My feeling is that before the holidays, we will announce an acceleration of the deployment of boosters in areas where we are seeing a lot of cases.”

Much of the COVID-19 angst surrounds provincial indoor gathering limitations, while Rogers Arena is home to crowds of more than 18,000 people. And despite the proof of vaccination mandates and reminders for clients to don masks, unless they consume food or drink, many refuse to follow the directives.

“I’m worried,” Conway said. “I go out of my way to politely tell the people sitting next to me that when they finish their drink, they should put on a mask. I always wear a mask and a lot of people do. There is adherence to the vaccine passport and it is a larger space with good ventilation, that is helping us.

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“The problem with making rules too strict for people is that they get discouraged and try to avoid them. I’d rather have rules that have a high probability of being followed by most people, than be overly cautious. It’s a bit of balance.

“The leadership of Dr. (Bonnie) Henry (Provincial Health Officer) has a little tweak and they don’t want to overreact. He emphasized that we must get vaccinated and follow the rules.

“She will not cancel Christmas. She trusts us. “

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