COVID-19: Vaccination, Ongoing Protocols Will Prevent Spread, Expert Says – Kingston | The Canadian News

A recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington (KFL & A) region is prompting healthcare professionals to reiterate the importance of safety protocols.

This includes masking and maintaining small social circles along with full vaccination against the COVID-19 virus.

“We have done very well here in southeastern Ontario, particularly at KFL & A, during waves one, two and three,” said Dr. Gerald Evans. “As a result of that and these very high vaccination rates, I think there is a widely held opinion that maybe we are on the hump of COVID.”

Dr. Evans is the President of the Infectious Diseases Division at Queen’s University and KHSC. He says that even though we have high immunization rates in the region, the increase in the case count can be attributed in part to people feeling more comfortable and becoming less strict with security measures.

According to Evans, for every 10 people added to your social circle, there is an approximately 25 percent increase in the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

“If we weren’t so vaccinated at KFL & A, the number of cases that we would see would be substantially higher than what we are seeing right now,” he says.

While Evans says there is no question that vaccination is the number one strategy to combat COVID-19, cases will continue to occur within the vaccinated population.

“Now that most people are vaccinated, yes, there are going to be cases in vaccinated people,” Evans said. “What we do know about the majority of vaccinated people is that it is very rare for them to have a severe course.”

The burden of cases in Ontario continues to be in unvaccinated people.

“The risk of contracting COVID if you are not vaccinated compared to a vaccinated person is very high,” Evans said. “It is around seven to eight times higher.”

About 22 percent of Ontarians are not yet vaccinated, but about half of those people are already eligible.

“Everybody has to keep doing all the good things that we were doing before the vaccine came along,” he said. “And if you are not vaccinated, get vaccinated. Absolutely, it’s going to help our local community a lot. “

Evans says that one-third of unvaccinated Ontarians are children in the five to 11-year-old age group, who are not yet eligible.

That group is expected to help boost the numbers, but Ontario will still have a substantial number of unvaccinated people.

“The holidays are about six weeks away and we have to do everything we can now to reduce those numbers,” Evans said.

“Keep the numbers low, so we can have a safe and enjoyable holiday season with our friends and family during that time period where last year, we were very, very, severely hampered because vaccines had just become available.”

Dr. Evans says that 90 to 95 percent of Ontarians should get vaccinated to see significant effects, including the possibility of herd immunity.