Quebec’s Official COVID-19 Case Counts ‘Tip of Iceberg’, Doctor Says

It can be challenging to get appointments for tests, positive responses to rapid antigen tests are nowhere to be found, and many Quebecers have mild or asymptomatic symptoms.

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The number of COVID-19 cases reported in Quebec has decreased slightly, to 7,874 on Sunday, down from 9,206 on Saturday and 10,030 the day before. But while it’s good news, the numbers aren’t necessarily an accurate reflection of how many people have contracted the disease, said Dr. Earl Rubin, director of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Montreal Children’s Hospital.

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Among the reasons for this: The lines for COVID tests are long and it is a challenge to get an appointment, so people postpone the test or, during the holiday period, are not near a test center; positive responses to rapid antigen tests are not recorded anywhere; and many Quebecers have mild or asymptomatic symptoms.

The unprecedented high number of COVID cases in recent weeks, then, “is really just the tip of the iceberg of how many people are actually infected,” Rubin said Sunday.

Although more cases were reported in the previous days, the number of new cases on Sunday remained the fourth highest reported by Quebec since February 2020. The number of hospitalizations due to the virus was 614; of these patients, 109 were in intensive care.

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It could be that the peak of the Omicron variant in Quebec, while it will be high, will be shorter in duration than the Delta variant, which lasted more than four months, Rubin said. In countries where Omicron declared before Canada, “like us, there was a rapid increase, but there was a shorter time before the numbers started to decline.”

In South Africa, where Omicron became apparent the week of November 20, “they’re starting to see a decline, so maybe there’s a reprieve.”

That said, in the wake of the Christmas gatherings, “I suspect the numbers will increase next week,” Rubin said.

The effect of the Omicron variant has meant that “it is difficult to find someone who does not have someone positive in their inner circle. It’s rampant, ”he said.

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And with the “incredibly contagious” nature of the variant, “anxiety increases.”

The Christmas period last year “was not normal, and it seems even less normal this year,” Rubin said.

More than 5,500 health workers are out of work, either due to illness or in quarantine. In the previous 24 hours, 400 Quebec healthcare workers had been diagnosed with COVID-19, Rubin said Sunday.

Amid the surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the arrival of Omicron, the Quebec workplace safety board is expanding the situations in which healthcare workers must wear N95 masks.

A memorandum sent to parents Thursday by Montreal’s public health department said there was a delay in informing some parents of the isolation and screening recommendations for children who may have been exposed to COVID-19.

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Due to errors caused by scheduling issues with automated emails, “certain parents of children who have been in contact with a COVID-19 case may not have received our letters of recommendation in a timely manner,” the update says. . So instead of sending individualized letters, the public health department said it chose to provide general instructions to all parents.

The instructions recommend that parents limit themselves to their family bubble for the entire vacation period and limit any other social contact. If a child or other family member exhibits symptoms, “we strongly recommend that you use a rapid test or get tested at a test center.”

Symptoms consistent with COVID-19 include fever; new or worsening cough; sudden loss of taste or smell; shortness of breath / trouble breathing; throat pain; fatigue; headache; loss of appetite; muscle aches / aches unrelated to physical activity; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

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Reference-montrealgazette.com

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