Three days before Christmas, the holiday gatherings are getting ready, but worries about this period are growing.
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“We have no data to show that we are in a situation that will be catastrophic with a new variant,” explains Dr. Luc Boileau, national director of public health. “We can afford to experience a holiday season that has returned to normal.”
However, Dr Boileau explains that it is preferable to stay at home and avoid contact with family during the festivities if symptoms appear in anyone.
“We know that despite this there will be contact and closeness,” says Dr. Boileau. “Can we get a ride after Christmas or after New Year’s.”
- Listen to the interview with Dr. Luc Boileau on the Philippe-Vincent Foisy show broadcast live every day via QUB radio :
- “Put a concierge at the entrance”
Dr. Luc Boileau explains that it is best for sick people to stay at home and avoid attending family gatherings.
- “No purel when entering, but let’s avoid kissing”
The expert suggests that it is better to avoid physical and emotional manifestations upon guests’ arrival in order to prevent contagion.
- Test yourself before you move
Dr Boileau advises that it is not necessary to test yourself before going to a family reunion, but that the practice can be useful to be sure that you are not an asymptomatic carrier of COVID-19.
According to the information provided by Dr. Boileau, the respiratory syncytial virus is decreasing, the contagion of the influenza virus is still high, but it is the COVID-19 that still worries the expert.
“We are left with variants that are almost as contagious as measles,” he says. “We have all the signs that it continues to increase in the community and in terms of hospitalizations.”
More than 2,000 patients are currently hospitalized for treatment for any virus.
“In emergencies, we’re not in a situation where we have a big comfort zone,” she explains. “You need to make sure your immunizations are up to date, especially if you’ve never had COVID.”
Dr Boileau advises that it is not necessary to test yourself before going to a family reunion, but that the practice can be useful to be sure that you are not an asymptomatic carrier of COVID-19.
“The idea is to be vigilant,” explains Dr. Boileau. “If there are some who have symptoms, we don’t want to run the risk of them infecting everyone.”
