New COVID-19 outbreaks more than doubled in Ontario long-term care homes in the first week of July, says Public Health Ontario, as the sector sees the impact of a seventh wave of the virus.
The latest weekly report on the virus in Ontario said there were 42 new outbreaks in the sector during the week of July 3-9. That’s a 110 percent increase from the 20 new outbreaks reported the previous week.
Public Health Ontario said there were a total of 97 active outbreaks as of the week of July 3 and the Ministry of Long Term Care said that had risen to 101 households experiencing outbreaks as of Thursday this week.
The ministry said there were 757 active cases among residents and 383 cases among staff.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Long-Term Care said the homes are expected to follow practices that include support for up-to-date vaccinations, timely access to antiviral treatment, screening of visitors and use of personal protective equipment.
“Health and safety measures remain in place to help households when COVID-19 outbreaks occur,” Mark Nesbitt said in an email.
Infection prevention and control audits are completed every week when homes are in outbreak, the statement said, and every two weeks if homes are not in outbreak. Other temporary measures, such as visitor limits, may be introduced during outbreaks.
Nesbitt also pointed out the benefits of vaccination to protect residents. More than 96 percent of eligible long-term care residents had received the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of July 12, Nesbitt said, and more than 80 percent of those eligible had received the fourth dose.
As of the same date, more than 88 percent of eligible staff had received their third dose, according to the release.
Ontario expanded access to the fourth dose to all adults this week, and Nesbitt said households are encouraged to “share information” about the expansion with staff caregivers and family members.
The latest long-term care statistics come as the province weathers a wave of summer infections fueled by the BA.5 Omicron subvariant.
Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s medical director of health, said Wednesday that the wave could peak in the next two weeks, though trends are difficult to predict because the province has limited access to baseline PCR tests.
This week’s COVID-19 Public Health Update said outbreaks in high-risk settings are up 87 percent overall since the last report. Increases were reported in all congregate living settings except correctional facilities.
In addition to the 42 new nursing home outbreaks, 39 nursing home outbreaks were reported during the July 3-9 period and 28 hospital outbreaks. Shelters reported 10 new outbreaks and group homes saw 25.
While case rates are rising in most age groups, Public Health Ontario said the 80 and older cohort had the largest increase in case rates during the week of July 3, at 37 percent. hundred. The case rate for that age group was “three to 13 times that of other age groups,” according to the report.
In a two-week period ending July 9, 44 people aged 80 and over died from COVID-19, Public Health Ontario said. The province has reported 65 COVID-19 deaths in total during that period.
Long-term care homes have been hit especially hard by COVID-19 outbreaks, though vaccines have blunted the deadly impact of the virus since residents began receiving vaccinations in late 2020.
Dr. Samir Sinha, director of geriatrics at Sinai Health in Toronto, said the long-term care population remains vulnerable to COVID-19 and worries the risks to them have been “lost out of sight, out of mind.” at this stage of the pandemic
While there was a big push to vaccinate long-term care residents with the initial shots, Sinha said some are now falling behind on the shots, or may have waning immunity to the virus after receiving the fourth shot at late last year or early this year. The province also removed rules that required home visitors to be vaccinated.
Sinha said there should be a continued push by the government to ensure residents are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations so that they are protected when waves of the virus hit the province.
“As we relax these restrictions, we have to remember that the vulnerability of these residents hasn’t really decreased, and my only concern now is that we’re starting to normalize this problem and that we’re going to continually see waves of passing infection,” he said.
“This will translate into thousands of additional deaths that were really unnecessary, given that we actually have the tools to really protect people and support them.”
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on July 15, 2022.