Ontario’s expert pandemic advisory group says the province appears to have entered a new wave of infections driven by the BA.5 Omicron subvariant.
Ontario’s expert pandemic advisory group says the province appears to have entered a new wave of infections driven by the BA.5 Omicron subvariant.
Ontario’s scientific advisory board for COVID-19 says wastewater alerts, positive tests and hospitalizations from the virus are increasing and the virus is showing exponential growth in regions across the province.
Dr Fahad Razak, the group’s scientific director, says the highly infectious BA.5 variant also appears to be more resistant to the immune system, meaning people who have recently been infected can catch the virus again soon afterwards.
Evidence so far does not suggest that BA.5 causes more severe disease, but Razak says the sheer number of people infected could still result in many people experiencing severe outcomes and additional strain on the healthcare system.
He says people should take precautions such as masking up in crowded places and gathering outdoors whenever possible.
He also stressed that people should get their third shot if they are eligible.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 6, 2022.
The Canadian Press
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