Health officials beef up reinforcements on the anniversary of the first COVID hit in Windsor-Essex

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Local health leaders marked a COVID-19 vaccination year in Windsor-Essex on Wednesday by urging residents to roll up their sleeves for the third time and avoid further strain on the healthcare system.

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Ahead of an anticipated surge in infections driven by the highly communicable Omicron variant, Windsor Regional Hospital Chief of Staff Dr Wassim Saad said healthcare resources are scarce.

“Everyone who works in the hospital and works in health care has been pushed to the limit throughout the year,” said Saad, who joined the virtual morning briefing from the local health unit.

The first COVID-19 vaccine administered exactly one year earlier “ushered in a new way to fight this pandemic and really changed the course of how we handle the pandemic,” he said. Since then, area residents have received more than 725,000 doses, with that number growing by the thousands every day.

While vaccines and public health measures are “excellent,” “the only place I think we’re suffering … is our health care resources,” Saad said.

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In preparation for an increase in Omicron cases, the hospital has reopened a dedicated COVID-19 unit, also called a “hot unit,” for those with confirmed or suspected cases. Saad expects the unit to stay open over the holidays and into January “while we try to weather the worst of this omicron wave.” Elective procedures and surgeries have been “cut back” for the holidays with no plans to reactivate them in January, as the hospital normally would.

Recognizing that some hospital staff are likely to become infected or exposed to COVID in the coming weeks, the hospital has chosen “backups for backups” – people who can replace hospital leaders, medical directors, and others. workers “so that we can be prepared for the worst.”

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A key tactic to prevent COVID hospitalizations is increasing booster vaccine coverage, an effort that the health unit and numerous community partners have focused on for months. Although nearly 80 percent of people five years and older have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, health officials say a third injection is necessary to offer protection against Omicron.

Family physicians continue to participate in the launch of the booster vaccine. Essex County Medical Society President Dr. Vikesh Maraj, who also joined the health unit’s briefing, said the pandemic has sparked unprecedented demand for medical services.

“What we find as physicians is that we are often dealing with acute, subacute and chronic medical problems simultaneously in one visit,” Maraj said. “That’s in addition to addressing the question of vaccinations, and that’s even before doctors get on their agenda to catch up on preventive health care.”

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As a result, patients wait longer for appointments. Compounded by the “opportunity cost” of physicians taking the time to administer COVID-19 vaccines, the problem “translates into increased pain and suffering for patients, late diagnoses, and can often translate on additional visits to the emergency room. “

“It is a very delicate balance that we are trying to strike.”

Despite the challenge for doctors, Maraj urged people who doubt vaccines to speak with their family doctor.

“Your GP is in the best position to provide you with the education you need, especially in the context of your specific health problems, and to try to address any concerns or fears you may have.”

With all adults now eligible for COVID booster shots, new appointments open every day, said health unit executive director Nicole Dupuis. He asked again that residents take advantage of the first appointment available to them. Anyone who receives a vaccination at a pop-up clinic or pharmacy prior to their appointment with the Devonshire Mall Mass Vaccination Center must cancel their reservation “and make sure that place is open for someone else.”

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Due to a limited supply of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, residents age 30 and older receive Moderna for their booster injections, regardless of the brand of vaccine they received for the first and second doses.

“At this point in the pandemic, it is important to take the vaccine that is available and offered,” said Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, Acting Medical Health Officer. “That vaccine will probably give you the best possible benefit right now.”

Some people have canceled their appointments after learning they would get Moderna instead of Pfizer, Saad said. Others have tried to negotiate and argue with the clinic staff about which brand they will receive.

“We ask people not to cancel their appointments,” Saad said. “It’s critical that they get a boost regardless of what the boost is. We know from other vaccination series that it is very safe and very effective. “

The health unit reported 84 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, as well as the COVID-related deaths of three men in their 50s, 60s and 70s.

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