During a media call Thursday, Oglaza explained that the most contagious variant of Omicron BA.2 is now the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Ontario and that the KFL & A region has seen increased hospitalization as a result of increased transmissibility.
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“It is spreading very easily and is starting to affect the number of new hospitalizations in the area. “In the last 14 days, the number of new hospitalizations has increased significantly, however our hospitalization numbers have remained stable as the people who are hospitalized remain for only a few days,” Oglaza explained. Despite the high levels of viral activity in the community, Oglaza recognizes the importance of being with family, but urges people to be careful. “For anyone planning to concentrate with others, I encourage everyone to assess your own risk and the risk of others attending the meeting and making decisions based on that risk assessment,” he explained. The most important measure is to check for symptoms and stay home if you are not well, even if the symptoms are mild. “With Omicron, the types of symptoms people experience may be mild and may not really look like what we used to think of as COVID before. It could be as little as a sore throat or a headache. “These can be common symptoms that someone has, and even if they are mild, I strongly encourage them to stay home,” Oglaza said. For those with symptoms, Oglaza said rapid antigen tests are widely available free of charge throughout the Kingston area, but urges you not to take tests for confirmation. “If you have symptoms, consider getting a quick test,” he said. “But even if this test is negative, in this context, it is still important to stay home and not attend rallies that will help us prevent further spread and really protect those who may be most vulnerable. “If one does not feel well, a negative RAT can be a false sense of reassurance and could be contagious and expose others.”
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For those attending rallies this weekend, using a mask indoors, organizing an outdoor dinner, and opening windows to increase ventilation are all risk reduction strategies. “The safest course of action is for people to wear masks indoors, especially in situations where physical distance can be difficult or impossible. For those at increased risk, consider keeping your concentration low and limiting the number of contacts outside your household. “If the gathering is still going to take place indoors, keeping the windows and screen doors open will increase airflow and also reduce the risk,” Oglaza said. In addition to these protections, Oglaza continues to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 and for those over 60 to book the fourth dose of the vaccine. Vaccine appointments and clinics are available online and by phone through KFL & A Public Health.
title: “Public Health Urges Caution Against Covid 19 Over Weekend " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-07” author: “Darryl Paiz”
During a media call Thursday, Oglaza explained that the most contagious variant of Omicron BA.2 is now the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Ontario and that the KFL & A region has seen increased hospitalization as a result of increased transmissibility.
Content of the article
“It is spreading very easily and is starting to affect the number of new hospitalizations in the area. “In the last 14 days, the number of new hospitalizations has increased significantly, however our hospitalization numbers have remained stable as the people who are hospitalized remain for only a few days,” Oglaza explained. Despite the high levels of viral activity in the community, Oglaza recognizes the importance of being with family, but urges people to be careful. “For anyone planning to concentrate with others, I encourage everyone to assess your own risk and the risk of others attending the meeting and making decisions based on that risk assessment,” he explained. The most important measure is to check for symptoms and stay home if you are not well, even if the symptoms are mild. “With Omicron, the types of symptoms people experience may be mild and may not really look like what we used to think of as COVID before. It could be as little as a sore throat or a headache. “These can be common symptoms that someone has, and even if they are mild, I strongly encourage them to stay home,” Oglaza said. For those with symptoms, Oglaza said rapid antigen tests are widely available free of charge throughout the Kingston area, but urges you not to take tests for confirmation. “If you have symptoms, consider getting a quick test,” he said. “But even if this test is negative, in this context, it is still important to stay home and not attend rallies that will help us prevent further spread and really protect those who may be most vulnerable. “If one does not feel well, a negative RAT can be a false sense of reassurance and could be contagious and expose others.”
Content of the article
For those attending rallies this weekend, using a mask indoors, organizing an outdoor dinner, and opening windows to increase ventilation are all risk reduction strategies. “The safest course of action is for people to wear masks indoors, especially in situations where physical distance can be difficult or impossible. For those at increased risk, consider keeping your concentration low and limiting the number of contacts outside your household. “If the gathering is still going to take place indoors, keeping the windows and screen doors open will increase airflow and also reduce the risk,” Oglaza said. In addition to these protections, Oglaza continues to encourage everyone to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 and for those over 60 to book the fourth dose of the vaccine. Vaccine appointments and clinics are available online and by phone through KFL & A Public Health.