Have symptoms? Stay home, get tested
More infections linked to people ignoring symptoms; not isolating
Niagara’s post-summer COVID-19 case count continues to be stable, but some new infections are the result of people ignoring symptoms of a potential novel coronavirus infection, going to work with those symptoms and not isolating themselves.
Niagara’s acting medical officer of health, Dr. Mustafa Hirji, said the ignoring of symptoms, combined with a lackadaisical attitude toward infection control measures, has become a serious driver of new COVID-19 cases in the community.
“It is certainly an issue we are still seeing,” said Hirji. “What is happening in some cases is that people are just not taking symptoms seriously and they are ignoring them and going out to work or to social interactions.”
He said there also seems to be a general attitude that a person does not need to self-isolate if they have COVID-19 symptoms — which can include headaches, a cough and a fever — until they test positive for the infection.
Hirji said while asymptomatic spread of the novel coronavirus is possible, people who have symptoms are absolutely contagious. Those with symptoms should be isolated, he said, and
anyone who has gone for a COVID-19 test must isolate while waiting for results.
Niagara had seven new cases confirmed Thursday, bringing the region’s historic total to 1,233.
Among the new cases is the second Niagara Regional Police officer to be infected by the virus. The first officer infected was reported over the long weekend. Police said in a news release the second officer was assigned to NRP headquarters in Niagara Falls and that it does not appear to be connected to the first case.
Recently, more Niagarans have recovered from the virus faster than new cases have been confirmed, dropping the number of active cases to 85. That is down from 146 on Oct. 7.
At least 66 Niagara residents with the virus have died, with the most recent pandemic death being confirmed Wednesday.
Niagara Health reported four people are in hospital being treated for COVID-19.
Household transmission continues to be the major source of local COVID-19 cases, rather than in restaurants, gyms and bars as has been seen in Ontario hot spots such as Toronto.
However, Hirji said it is important that Niagara works to bring down the daily infection rate through the use of physical distancing, masks and handwashing, because it will be more difficult to suppress the spread of the virus in the colder winter weather.
He said the virus is far more likely to spread in closed, indoor locations, which is where people will end up during the winter months.
“This is a problem that has concerned many of us for some time now,” said Hirji.
In order to avoid a new round of restrictions on local businesses, Hirji said infection control measures public health experts have been pushing must be followed.
“We should be limiting our social groups and really keeping them small during this period.”
Hirji said if residents do go out they should do so only within their household or very tight social circle.
One of the challenges of this second wave of COVID-19 is the broader degree of virus spread in the community and the number of contacts an infected person has.
During the spring wave, COVID-19 cases were driven by outbreaks in long-term care and retirement homes. While there are some Niagara longterm-care outbreaks — Ina Grafton Gage and Pioneer Elder Care in St. Catharines and Millennium Trail Manor and Meadows of Dorchester in Niagara Falls — most recent cases are outside any medical facility.
As a consequence, the number of people public health contact tracers must reach has greatly expanded. Hirji said the more contacts a person has, the greater risk of virus spread. It also means the health department has had to divert staff from other programs to contact tracing efforts.