The number of hospitalizations has risen again in some regions of Canada. On April 7, more than 5,000 Canadians were hospitalized because of COVID-19, a 25% increase since mid-March. At the height of the latest wave, more than 10,000 Canadians were hospitalized.

The death toll is also starting to rise. By the end of March, the daily average was 30 deaths; on April 3, it was more than 40 deaths a day.

Since 1^eh December 2021, 8,536 Canadians died from COVID-19. In comparison, approximately 3,500 Canadians die from the flu each year.

In Quebec, according to the latest CIRANO estimates (New window), between 23,500 and 43,500 Quebecers are infected each day, an increase of approximately 30% compared to the previous week. Nearly 6% of Quebecers (over 500,000) were isolated due to an infection from March 30 to April 4.

This week, the number of hospitalized in Quebec exceeded 1,600, an increase of 40% over the past 14 days. Quebec’s acting director of public health, Luc Boileau, said the number of hospitals should not exceed the maximum reached during the wave in January (3,351 hospitals).

On the other hand, we see that in the United Kingdom, which has experienced a significant increase in cases, hospitals have exceeded the maximum reached in the last wave. Hospitals are also on the rise in France, Belgium and Italy.

In Ontario, the scientific director of the committee of experts advising the Ford government on the pandemic indicated on Wednesday that Ontario is currently experiencing between 100,000 and 120,000 new infections per day. This estimate is based on wastewater analyzes.

The amount of virus in the sewage is actually at the same level as the last wave, and the curve continues to rise.

There is little concern right now because of the curve [est] higher than expectedtold the CBC (New window) Earl Brown, a virology expert and professor at the University of Ottawa.

The number of hospitalizations in this province is also increasing. More than 1,100 Ontarians were hospitalized, up 40 percent from last week. Hospitals are at the same level as at the beginning of January, before the rapid rise of hospitals.

British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Manitoba are seeing a slight increase in hospitals.

In Ontario, the positivity rate is 18%; in Quebec, it passes around 17%; in Canada, it is approximately 19%.

Loss of smell and taste does not appear to be a common symptom of Omicron. However, the XE variant-a combination of BA.1 and BA.1 sub-variants of Omicron-seems to cause this symptom. It should be noted that only a few cases of this variant were identified in Canada on April 7th.

Are your symptoms caused by the flu? It is possible, but unlikely. Flu rates remain low for this time of year, according to EpiFlu’s reportPublic Health Agency of CanadaPHAC (New window). In fact, according to the Agency, none there is no evidence of influenza circulation in the community throughout the 2021-2022 season.

The positivity rate in Canada for flu tests is exceptionally low, or 0.13%, compared with more than 20% in the years before the pandemic. This flu season (which began on August 29, 2021) saw only 551 reported flu detections, compared to more than 38,000 at this point in the past six flu seasons before the pandemic.

From August 29, 2021 to March 12, 2022, less than five influenza -related hospitals were reported by participating provinces and territories.

It should also be noted that if you get sick of COVID-19 in the last waves, you may be reinfected. It is still difficult to say what is the reinfection rate in the BA.2 subvariant.

Still contagious after five days

Although some provinces have reduced isolation times to five days, it should be noted that an infected person can be infected for up to 10 days. Moreover, a study from the United Kingdom (New window) it is estimated that 31% of people will still be infected after five days, 16% after seven days. It was only on the tenth day that it dropped below 5%.

This is why a person who comes out of isolation after five days should continue to wear a mask.

Tests: rub the inside of the cheek and throat

Even if your symptoms are mild, doctors recommend getting tested. First, confirming your infection allows you to warn the people you talk to that they have been exposed to the virus.

In addition, by having a positive diagnosis, those at risk can have access to antiviral treatment, which should be taken quickly after the onset of symptoms. Finally, it may be necessary to have a positive test later if you will develop long-term symptoms of COVID-19.

Some have noticed that rapid antigenic tests (home self -tests) seem to detect Omicron infections later. In this new wave, some people test positive four to five days after their symptoms begin.

Note that it is not because the test takes longer to determine the presence of the virus that it is not effective. Instead, the viral load took longer to peak (thus delayed detection) in the case of Omicron.

And just because you’re negative doesn’t mean you don’t have COVID, experts say. Once you have cold symptoms, that’s a sign that you may have it.told the CBC (New window) Dr. Kashif Pirzada, an emergency physician in Toronto. The rapid test, even if it's negative, don't think of it as gospel, especially right now.

This is why it is recommended that if you have access to multiple tests, you test yourself every 24 hours while you have symptoms. Otherwise, we can test ourselves every two to three days to irritate the trials.

The governments of Ontario and Nova Scotia also suggest people take a sample by rubbing a swab down their throat and inside the cheeks before doing so into their nostrils. The Quebec Government also announced this recommendation on Friday.

According to analysis from Nova Scotia (New window) made in January 2022, the efficiency of rapid tests increases from 65% to 89% when a sample is taken from the throat and nose.

Wearing a mask and vaccination, is still the best weapon

The best way to prevent COVID-19 is to continue to wear a mask and get vaccinated. Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Theresa Tam, also reiterated this week that any relaxation in health measures would lead to a resurgence in COVID-19 cases. Dr. encourages. It is right for people to continue to wear masks and get three doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

In Canada, only Quebec, Prince Edward Island and Nunavut require wearing a mask in public places. In the United States, very few places need it.

On the other hand, worldwide, this measure is still mandatory. This is particularly the case in Italy, Portugal, Finland, Norway, Spain, Greece, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Turkey, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, India and Indonesia.

Other countries, such as Germany, Poland, France, Belgium, Hungary and Brazil, still enforce the wearing of masks in health establishments and on public transport.

People who are fully vaccinated and those who receive an additional dose are better protected against the serious consequences of an infection. More than 70% of Canadians hospitalized and dying due to COVID-19 since mid-December 2020 have not been vaccinated or partially vaccinated.

Compared to people who received two doses, cases who were not vaccinated were 4 times more likely to be hospitalized and 5 times more likely to die. Compared to people who had the booster dose, those who were not vaccinated were 9 times more likely to be hospitalized and 16 times more likely to die.

According to data published this week by the Ontario Science Table, vaccinated people who received at least two doses were 75.6% less likely to end up in hospital and 84.9% more likely to end up in intensive care, compared to those who not vaccinated.

In Canada (New window)less than 50% of the population received three doses of the vaccine.