Windsor Regional Hospital officials confirm COVID’s sixth wave is upon us

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Windsor Regional Hospital officials said Thursday the rising rate of Covid-19 BA2 virus being detected in the area’s wastewater confirms Essex County is at the beginning of the pandemic’s sixth wave.

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Hospital CEO David Musyj said the hospital had 41 patients in the hospital with COVID-19 with three-quarters of those individuals there strictly because of the virus and not for some other reason.

“It’s consistent with us entering every other previous wave,” Musyj said.

“A week or two from now we expect to see rising COVID numbers presenting at the hospital. Wastewater has been a good indicator of what we can expect to see happen.

“It’s tracking in the wrong direction.”

Musyj estimated the peak for the sixth wave is likely two or three weeks away in the community and further two weeks beyond that for hospitals.

He added with the relaxing of the various mandates by the province, an increase in cases was expected. The hope is that the high rate of vaccinations will lessen the sixth wave’s impact on the health-care system.

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“There had been talk of come April 27 the health-care system would lift mask mandates in hospitals,” said Musyj, who added local hospital officials shared acting medical officer of health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai’s concerns about restoring mask mandates.

“We have no plans to change what we have in place. We have a vulnerable population in a high-risk setting. We need every piece of protection to protect that population.”

The looming crest of a sixth wave also threatens to play havoc with plans to try and reduce wait lists for surgeries.

Chief nursing executive Nursing Karen Riddell said early spring is typically a high-demand time for hospital beds. Currently there’s no flexibility in the system locally.

“When we look at our capacity, we’re currently full,” said Riddell, who is also vice-president of critical care and cardiology.

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“We’ve added 50 additional beds and they’re full. We’re minus-five, meaning we have more patients waiting for beds than we have beds for.

“If COVID ramps up, we may have to lower the number of surgeries.”

Chief of Staff Dr. Wassim Saad said he said expects those who do need admission will be more likely to require a general hospital bed than an ICU bed. I have admitted his fears of him concerning the relaxation of COVID mandates have become reality.

“If you ask any health-care professional, we were all leary of the abrupt lifting of mandates and opening fairly quickly,” Saad said. “Most of us would agree it was too fast.”

Saad added he recommends that people continue to wear masks in public if they’re vulnerable, gathering in large groups, in places with poor ventilation and to be cognizant of the makeup of the groups in which they are mingling.

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He added everyone is still navigating to try and find the balance between protecting health-care resources from being overwhelmed and opening the economy.

“My message is each individual needs to do a risk assessment of what’s best for them, their household and who you’re interacting with,” Saad said.

“If you elderly, have comorbidities you shouldn’t be going out without wearing a mask.

“If it’s a high-risk situation, you shouldn’t be unprotected. The virus will find its way to the vulnerable.

“It’s too risky with the rate of infections we’re seeing in the community.”

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