Dr. Theresa Tam on preparing for the next battle against COVID-19 and future epidemics

Canada’s director of public health says COVID-19 is still circulating at a “relatively high level” and other influenza strains may emerge in the new year.

At the same time, governments must invest in preparing for and preventing future epidemics, Dr. Theresa Tam He says.

In a year-end interview with The Canadian Press, Tam urged Canadians to “stay vigilant” and said what happens next with COVID-19 and the flu depends largely on people taking holiday precautions, including keeping up with vaccinations, using face coverings indoors in crowded conditions or when seeing vulnerable family members and staying home when not feeling well.

“I always say, you know, we own the situation,” he said. “We can make the decision and influence the trajectory of the pandemic curve… We know what we can do to reduce our risks, particularly when hospitals are under such pressure.”

Tam He said it’s also important to remember that the antiviral drug Paxlovid is available to people who get sick to lower the risk of severe illness and hospitalization.

“I would advise people, especially (those) at high risk, to think ahead,” he said.

“Plan ahead with your healthcare professionals, know where you can access Paxlovid, and know how you can get your rapid test or get tested if you get sick. That will ensure that you can access the drug as quickly as possible.”

The virus that causes COVID-19 continues to evolve, Tam he said, and he’s looking at a spike in COVID-19 cases over the Australian summer right now to try to predict what he might do in this hemisphere. It’s too early to say whether more booster shots might be needed, she said, but Canadian health experts will “regroup in the new year” with other experts internationally to provide further guidance.

“The overall good news is that even when cases are rising, ICU admissions and deaths are relatively low, so we need to keep track of this, because right now our overall goal is to reduce severe outcomes,” said.

As for the flu, the H3N2 strain that has sent many children and the elderly to the hospital “shot up very quickly and early” and is likely to decline rapidly, Tam said.

But she is watching to see if the other strain of influenza A, H1N1, emerges, as well as influenza B, which could appear later in the flu season and “affect children in particular.”

As we manage these diseases, Tam He said that we need to improve our preparation for more epidemics to come.

“(The COVID-19 pandemic) is one of the most teachable moments, I think, in our collective lives,” he said.

While Canada and other countries may have been good at “scaling up” the crisis, it is clear that “prevention and preparedness” needs more attention.

“There’s a lot more investment when … the house is on fire and putting out the fire than there is in building the fire stations and preparing and rehearsing ahead of time, even for a rare event.” Tam said.

Factors such as climate change, which affects the way animals and humans interact, can lead to increased disease transmission and epidemics “may not be that rare,” he said.

“We have to be prepared”, Tam said. “I’m not just talking about Canada, (I’m talking) globally.”

That preparation includes a global approach to health and “improved data and surveillance systems to monitor viruses and other harm that could affect human and animal health and the environment.

“And that gives you an earlier signal, perhaps, to reduce and mitigate viruses or other pathogens that can affect humans.”

Another element of future disease prevention is paying more attention to the “hidden pandemic” of antimicrobial resistance, Tam said.

The World Health Organization has identified antimicrobial resistance, which occurs when bacteria and viruses no longer respond to antibiotic and antiviral drugs, as a major threat to human health.

“If the antibiotics don’t work, we’re in a situation a bit like (we were) the beginning of this pandemic, where we don’t have effective countermeasures,” Tam said.

These kinds of threats were hard to explain to decision makers before COVID-19 hit, he said.

Public health has been “undervalued and I think underinvested” Tam said.

But now that governments have gotten involved in the pandemic response, “they understand a little bit more about what public health does and the importance of public health.”

A large part of the role of public health, Tam he said, is to “highlight health inequities” among vulnerable populations.

COVID-19 has shown that, in addition to older people and people with underlying health conditions, people struggling with poverty, the homeless, racialized groups, indigenous peoples, and people suffering from addictions are seen.” severely affected” during crises, he said. .

“Thinking about preparedness in a different way to reduce health inequities will put us in a better place for the next pandemic.” Tam said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 22, 2022

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Canadian Press health coverage is supported through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.