Ontario’s top doctor says he may recommend more stringent masking measures in the next couple of weeks as flu season takes hold.
Flu season is ramping up and according to some local health professionals, we might be in for a rough season ahead.
“We are going to see a number of respiratory illnesses circulating caused by different pathogens,” said Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington medical officer of health Dr. Piotr Oglaza.
One of those pathogens is influenza, a virus that has taken the past couple of years “off” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, experts warn it might be coming back in a big way.
“That lack of influenza over the last few years because people have been taking all kinds of precautions to avoid COVID has been very effective to prevent influenza, that leaves influenza a big door to sort of jump in its activity early on,” said Dr. Gerald Evans, an infectious diseases expert with Kingston Health Sciences Centre and Queen’s University.
Ontario’s chief medical officer, Dr. Kieran Moore, addressed those concerns this week, suggesting he may recommend re-implementing measures, like mandatory masking, within the next couple of weeks.
“Is it too little, is it too late? It’s hard to really say. Too late has probably been a little bit of a theme of the pandemic, I think, when it comes to bringing it different measures,” said Evans.
Despite a rise in respiratory illnesses, Oglaza says there is cause for optimism.
“Two of these significant viruses that are in circulation right now, COVID-19 and Influenza, they both have available vaccines,” said Oglaza.
Evans agrees that people need to take precautions.
“Should you be overly worried? No! Should you be laissez-faire about it? Absolutely not, you need to be sort of thoughtful in thinking about what it means to not just yourself but others around you,” he said.
Both doctors also stressed the importance of staying home if you have flu-like symptoms.
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