C/O Georgia Kirkos
McMaster experts share insights about the updated guidelines and their effects on the spread of Omicron
After relatively steady COVID-19 case counts throughout the fall, the highly contagious Omicron variant was identified in Ontario at the end of November. Since then, case counts have skyrocketed, surpassing 10,000 cases for the first time on Dec. 25.
In response to the increase in COVID-19 cases, the Ontario government has updated public health guidelines, putting in place more restrictions for Ontario residents. This includes stricter gathering limits, closure of events and businesses, shortened quarantine times for individuals tested positive and limits on who can access a PCR test.
The gathering limits in Ontario have been reduced to five people indoors or ten people outdoors. Weddings, funerals and religious services, when held indoors, are limited to 50 per cent capacity of the spaces they are held in. When held outdoors, they must allow for full social distancing between all attendees. Further, businesses and employers must ensure that their employees are working remotely, assuming that this is feasible.
In terms of business closures, indoor dining, theatres, gyms and other similar spaces are required to close completely. Other spaces such as retail settings and public libraries can remain open at 50 per cent capacity.
Zain Chagla, Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University, emphasized the importance of these closures for Ontario. According to Chagla, the highly contagious Omicron variant will likely infect a large portion of the population, regardless of public health measures; however, the public health guidelines should slow the spread of Omicron to prevent placing a strain on the healthcare system.
“The hope is [that] public health measures might delay or slow down some of that spread, so [that the Omicron variant spreads] over two to three months, as compared to one month, where hospitals [could] easily become overwhelmed,” said Chagla.
“The hope is [that] public health measures might delay or slow down some of that spread, so [that the Omicron variant spreads] over two to three months, as compared to one month, where hospitals [could] easily become overwhelmed.”
Zain Chagla, Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University
Chagla also noted that slowing the spread of Omicron should ensure that essential services still have enough people to operate them in the meantime.
“People, even if they are mild with COVID, still need to isolate and that has downstream impacts on the ability to staff hospitals, police, fire stations, grocery stores, etc. Again, spreading that out a little bit would at least allow some of those essential industries and essential care services to stay open,” explained Chagla.
In addition to stricter COVID-19 related restrictions, Ontario has also made changes to their rules surrounding testing and isolation.
Publicly funded PCR tests, previously available to anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, are now only accessible to symptomatic individuals deemed high-risk by the province. As well, most people who test positive for COVID-19 using a rapid antigen test will no longer be expected to confirm their test result with a PCR test; instead, the province has instructed those people to assume that they have COVID-19 and to isolate for the recommended period.
The recommended isolation period, which was previously ten days since the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, has been shortened to five days since the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, for vaccinated individuals and children under twelve. Ontario was not the only province to implement this change; British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have announced shorter isolation periods as well.
Chief Medical Officers and Health Ministers of various provinces have given a range of reasons for the shortened isolation time, such as a far lower risk of transmission after five days, greater incentive to self-test when the quarantine time is shorter and prevention of unmanageable disruptions to the workforce.
In terms of what the changing restrictions will mean for students at McMaster, Chagla pointed out that McMaster’s decision to delay the full return to campus to Feb. 7 will allow students extra time to obtain their third vaccine doses.
“I really want to reassure people, especially young individuals attending Mac, that [if] you get your booster [and] get your two doses, yes, there's a good shot that you would still get COVID in the next few months, but the outcomes are going to be really, really benign,” said Chagla.
According to Lori Burrows, Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster, obtaining a booster shot is one of the most effective ways to combat the Omicron wave.
According to Lori Burrows, Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster, obtaining a booster shot is one of the most effective ways to combat the Omicron wave.
Burrows emphasized the importance of being careful in the meantime because, while Omicron is generally less severe for vaccinated individuals, it is still dangerous.
“The natural course of evolution for any virus or pathogen is to become less pathogenic over time because if you're a virus, your goal is to infect as many hosts as possible. If you kill your host, that's a bad strategy from an evolutionary standpoint. So, most pathogens become less pathogenic over time, but better at transmitting,” explained Burrows.
Burrows added that, while this seems to be the direction that Omicron is heading in, it isn’t there yet.
“It's still killing people, so we have got to keep that in mind and we still have to be careful,” said Burrows.
“It's still killing people, so we have got to keep that in mind and we still have to be careful.”
Lori Burrows, Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster
Despite this, Burrows emphasized that some level of optimism is important because we have made significant progress in fighting COVID-19 over the last two years. As Burrows explained, we did not have vaccines, medications or any understanding of COVID-19 when the pandemic first began. Now, two years later, we are far better equipped to handle the pandemic.
“We are in a better place than we were two years ago,” said Burrows.
The only thing scarier than Halloween parties is the rising rates of COVID-19 cases
Halloween is right around the corner and in preparation for this spooky holiday, people are trying to find ways to celebrate it amid a pandemic. There has been lots of discussion regarding what Halloween festivities will be safe to do — which makes sense because we have been hearing mixed messages.
We're encouraging residents to stay home and celebrate Halloween in different ways this year. If you are trick-or-treating this year, follow public health measures to stay safe.
Release & tips>>https://t.co/7SfIqaL6nF #HamOnt
— City of Hamilton (@cityofhamilton) October 23, 2020
If you live in York Region, Peel or Ottawa, medical professionals and the Ontario government have strongly recommended avoiding physical trick-or-treating this year. People who live outside of a region with modified Stage 2 restrictions are permitted to go trick-or-treating, as cases in these areas are still considered low. Although Hamilton is still in Stage 3 and is not considered to be a COVID-19 hotspot, it’s still a good idea to put those trick-or-treat bags away and opt for a quarantine-safe activity.
Although Hamilton is still in Stage 3 and is not considered to be a COVID-19 hotspot, it’s still a good idea to put those trick-or-treat bags away and opt for a quarantine-safe activity.
We have been at home since March and I know that it can be hard to be in isolation for that long — even more so if you live alone. You may want to go celebrate Halloween with a couple of your friends or go to a costume party, but doing so will only prolong the time we have to stay in quarantine.
It’s important to note that reports of COVID-19 cases are delayed. The trend of increased COVID-19 cases that Ontario is seeing — we are hitting record numbers that are just short of 1000 — are reported cases.
Since there is a delay between contracting the infection, experiencing symptoms, getting a test and receiving the test results, CBC News states that these numbers indicate the number of new cases from a couple of weeks earlier.
If these reports are from a couple of weeks ago, we should be cautious in saying that these reports reflect the number of COVID-19 infections today. The trend in new infections may be even higher right now.
If these reports are from a couple of weeks ago, we should be cautious in saying that these reports reflect the number of COVID-19 infections today.
Yes, COVID-19 has found to have a low risk of transmission through surfaces such as candy and interaction with different households will likely be short, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Some doctors have said that activities like trick-or-treating are relatively low risk and I believe them. I do. But why partake in a low-risk activity when you can participate in a virtual event that has no risk at all?
In addition, certain initiatives have permitted people to celebrate Halloween at home. An initiative called Pumpkin Prowl has offered to deliver candy to families who live in Hamilton, Waterdown or Stoney Creek. This way, children can remain at home and prevent any risk of transmission.
Students should consider avoiding Halloween gatherings that are outside their household, too. I haven’t heard of any Halloween parties happening, but please stay clear from them if they do occur. If you do choose to have a small gathering of friends, try to stay outside or wear masks if you’re inside to minimize your risk.
If you aren’t physically gathering with your friends, there are still things you can do this Halloween. Consider opting for a COVID-safe activity by checking out our article about how to celebrate Halloween at home.
I am not an infectious disease specialist and don’t have a medical degree and at the end of the day — you don’t have to listen to me. But this pandemic has been going on for a long time and I don’t know about you, but I’d like it to be over sooner rather than later. If that means skipping out on Halloween parties or get-togethers for one year, then it’s worth it.
By Elisa Do, Staff Writer
For many of us, the last few weeks have certainly been a novel experience. The spread of COVID-19 has caused in-person class cancellations and the disruption of our typical day-to-day lives. As with most universities across the globe, McMaster University has moved courses and examinations online. Although the transition is necessary due to the current circumstances, it is also important that we take a closer look at what this change can mean for students and the impact it can create on our learning.
Online courses require students to have access to the Internet in order to complete coursework. However, not every household can afford internet costs, and not everyone lives in areas with access to the Internet. In 2017, only 37 per cent of rural households in Canada had access to internet speeds considered standard for regular Internet usage and approximately only 24 per cent of households in Indigenous communities had access to standard-speed Internet service.
This can prevent students from frequently participating in their online classes; especially for online tests or examinations that require stable and continuous Internet access. Also, classes may require students to tune in to video conferences or watch lectures online, activities which require high speed Internet.
This is compounded by another change that students are currently facing: students no longer have access to public libraries or study spaces that were once available to them. Even if Internet access is a problem at home, libraries used to provide students with the resources to maintain their studies. Without libraries, finding Internet access can become an even greater challenge. With all this in mind, it would be beneficial for instructors to permit greater flexibility within course structures. Depending on the course itself, making alterations such as options to opt out of final exams or to complete presentations via alternative methods like telephone, could provide the necessary support for students during this time.
Also, without public study areas, not only do students lose out on possible resources such as hard copy books or technology, but they are also unable to study in an environment that is not their home. Many students go to libraries in order to be in an environment that encourages focus and motivation. Speaking from my personal experience, I often find it difficult to focus on work-related tasks in places such as my home, which is designed for comfort and relaxation. I realize that when studying at home, it is natural to feel less motivated as the environment also plays a role in conditioning me to be at ease.
Furthermore, many campus resources are only available in person. For example, peer support resources from McMaster Students Union services such as the Student Health Education Centre, the Women and Gender Equity Network or Maccess can only operate in-person. With these services closed and the volunteers at home, students who may wish to access support no longer have that opportunity.
Aside from peer support, many students also visit the Student Wellness Centre to access counselling services. With the current circumstances, students can no longer access counselling in-person, and group programs within the Student Wellness Centre have also been cancelled. Being away from all the mental health support that had previously been offered on campus can negatively affect how students are dealing with their mental health at home.
That is not to say that folks at McMaster are neglecting support options for students. Many educators are working hard to continue course office hours and the Student Wellness Centre is also providing appointments online and by telephone. However, without in-person communication, there is still a barrier to how accessible these services can be. Through social distancing, individuals are forced to take the initiative to reach out to others via virtual options or online messaging. It means that students can miss out on engaging in social interaction if they do not proactively seek out others. And it can also mean that those who may want mental health support don’t know who or where to turn to with these sudden changes.
Because of how novel this experience is for so many of us, it is crucial that we remember it is okay to feel overwhelmed. There is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, so it is fair that students may also feel uncertain at times. Although I think it is wonderful that many people are encouraging one another to partake in productive activities throughout the day, I think it is also super important that we are reminded to accept that there has been a change. It’s all right for our day-to-day schedules to look different and it is totally fine if everything seems to be going at an unusual pace.
Studying from home poses a variety of barriers and these barriers impact each and every student differently. During these times, it is essential that we are more considerate of how physical distancing can affect our learning. Students should not have to feel guilty about taking time to adjust to these new changes and instructors should also keep in mind that students are most likely in a different headspace as they adjust. As we all work together to continue figuring out how we can make this difficult time a little more easier, let us encourage greater flexibility in students’ learning and do our best to minimize any additional distress being away from campus may cause.
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