- On Thursday, Quebec reported 2,326 people in hospital (a decrease of 46 from the previous day), including 85 in intensive care (a decrease of seven from the previous day).
- The province reported 1,768 new cases of COVID-19 and 23 deaths.
- Since the start of the pandemic there have been 1,039,426 confirmed cases, and 14,951 people have died.
- The province also reported 9,377 healthcare workers absent for COVID-related reasons.
- 91% of the province’s eligible population (five years and older) have received a dose of the vaccine; 87 percent have received two doses and 54 percent have received three doses..
*New cases are those reported to the Quebec government only. They are believed to be an underrepresentation of the spread of the virus, given the limited availability of PCR tests and the use of home test kits.
*The Quebec Ministry of Health no longer reports COVID-19 numbers over the weekend.
Quebec’s acting director of public health says he will make his recommendation on the future of indoor mask rules in public spaces early next week.
During a press conference on Thursday, Dr. Luc Boileau said he is “sure” he will ask the province to lift the mask rule, but wants to wait a few more days and get more data on the epidemiological situation of the coronavirus. Province.
Boileau said he thinks the sixth wave in Quebec has peaked. However, he also pointed out that five to 10 percent of recent COVID-19 cases involve people who have been infected a second time in less than three months.
As a result, Boileau said the province would amend its guidelines, urging Quebeckers to get a rapid test if they experience symptoms, even if their most recent infection occurred within the last two months. Previously, the province only asked people to get tested if they had COVID-19 in the last three months.
Moderna’s Vaccine Facility Coming to Montreal
US vaccine maker Moderna is expected to announce today its plan to build its promised Canadian production facility in Montreal.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel and Quebec Premier François Legault will attend a health care announcement Friday morning in the city.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante confirmed the news on Thursday, but Moderna said only that it was still finalizing a deal to build a bio-manufacturing plant in Canada.
Moderna signed an initial agreement with the federal government last August to bring such a factory to Canada, with details on where it will be settled.
The plant is expected to include a research center in addition to the production site, and should produce up to 30 million doses of vaccines per year.
Stomach bug or COVID?
Some doctors reported seeing more COVID-19 patients suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms in recent weeks.
But medical experts say there are some possible explanations, and they’re not necessarily due to the strains of COVID-19 currently circulating in Canada. Diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain have been recognized as common symptoms of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, while nausea, reflux, heartburn, loss of appetite, and weight loss are also recognized as symptoms. potentials.
According to Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious disease specialist in Mississauga, Ontario, it’s not that Omicron is necessarily causing more gastrointestinal problems, but that it’s now easier to detect COVID-19 in patients than it was earlier in the pandemic.
Chakrabarti’s hypothesis is supported by data from the UK-based ZOE COVID Symptom Study app, through which millions of people reported their symptoms during the pandemic.
Dr. Ana Sant’Anna, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Montreal Children’s Hospital, said she recently saw young patients with blood in their stool or vomiting, and some had suffered tears in their gastrointestinal tract as a result of vomiting.
Despite the severity of their symptoms, almost all of the young COVID patients recovered quickly after treatment, he said.
Top COVID-19 Stories
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
- Fever.
- New or worsening cough.
- labored breathing
- Sudden loss of smell without nasal congestion.
- Gastrointestinal problems (such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting).
- Throat pain
- Widespread muscle pain.
- Headache.
- Fatigue.
- loss of appetite
If you think you may have COVID-19, the government asks that you call 1‑877‑644‑4545 to make an appointment at a screening clinic.
To book an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine, you can go to the online portal quebec.ca/covidvaccine. You can also call 1-877-644-4545.
You can find information about COVID-19 in the province here and information on the situation in Montreal here.
Reference-www.cbc.ca