The number of positive tests for respiratory viruses, including flu and COVID-19, has exploded since mid-November on the North Shore. The public health department is concerned about the consequences of emergencies and is monitoring outbreaks in some settings where there are vulnerable people.
In a press conference this Friday morning, Dr Richard Fachehoun reiterated his prevention recommendations, repeated so often during the pandemic. “Update your vaccinations, wear a mask in public places… Help us avoid more hospitalizations!”
No parties with symptoms
Only one in two residents of Côte-Nord has received a vaccine in the past five months, worries the director of public health of CISSS Côte-Nord. Holiday parties and gatherings are legitimate after the two-year pandemic, agrees Dr. Richard Fachehoun. But people who have symptoms of circulating viruses shouldn’t go.
The risk of hospitalization in children under 2 is great in the current context, warns the specialist doctor. Professional Services Director Jean-François Labelle took the opportunity to paint a portrait of emergencies and hospitalizations. Several beds are occupied by people awaiting transfer to other resources such as a CHSLD, 27 patients are in this situation at the Center hospitalier régional de Sept-Îles.
Overflow in emergencies
“All of this creates a high degree of difficulty in managing shelters and isolation zones,” explains Dr. Labelle. The growth of respiratory viruses is also causing an overflow in the emergency room of the CISSS Côte-Nord, admits the director responsible for the medical teams of the region.
The occupancy rate regularly exceeds 200% in the emergency rooms of Baie-Comeau and Sept-Îles since mid-November. Public Health urges North Shore residents to call 811 before reporting to an emergency.
“Pharmacists can also provide good advice. We’re lucky on the North Shore, they’ve handled the shortages of Tylenol and Advil well. They have maintained an inventory, thanks to a rationing of the bottles available for young children,” says Dr Jean-François Labelle.
