The transmission of several respiratory viruses is increasing in Quebec, as the numerous gatherings of the holiday season approach. The national director of public health, Luc Boileau, calls on vulnerable Quebecers to be vaccinated and their loved ones to exercise restraint if they experience flu symptoms.
“Winter is going to be active,” says Mr. Boileau in an interview, at a time when data from the National Institute of Public Health shows an increase in the circulation of several respiratory viruses in the province. This is particularly marked for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), but also concerns influenza and, to a lesser extent, COVID-19.
“We are not yet in the peaks of contagion which often mean that we collect a lot of sick people in our hospitals,” specifies Dr. Boileau. “It will come, but it will not be during the holiday season,” he adds.
This summit is rather expected by the end of January, upon the return of this period of celebration marked, each year, by its numerous family gatherings bringing together people of all ages and with very different health conditions.
“The holiday season is conducive to exchanges, but also to mixing with more vulnerable people, older people, adults, babies and young children,” emphasizes Dr. Boileau. This means that we can deal with greater contagion generated during this period. This is why you have to be careful. »
In order to limit the increase in the transmission of these viruses in the coming days, but above all to prevent serious infections which could clog up the emergency rooms of our hospitals, basic precautions are necessary, notes Luc Boileau. He therefore invites the elderly, those vulnerable due to their health conditions, pregnant women and health workers to get vaccinated against the flu or to get their booster dose for COVID-19, if they do not have it. have not already received.
Currently, vaccination rates of people aged 75 and over against the flu and new variants of COVID-19 exceed 50% in Quebec. “It’s a campaign that’s going pretty well,” notes Dr. Boileau. He notes, however, that we “have not yet achieved the desired objectives” in terms of vaccinating workers in the health and social services network against these viruses.
“I must emphasize the fact that we are at the start of the flu season”, so it is still “very relevant” to be vaccinated, he insists. “This is an opportunity not to be missed for those who are at risk. »
Protecting the most vulnerable
People experiencing flu-like symptoms on the planned day of a family gathering should refrain from taking part, insists Dr. Boileau. “And if we get out [d’une infection]we continue to wear a mask as long as we have symptoms and we take care”, in particular by limiting close contact with the elderly and young children.
“The holiday period that we are going to go through will undoubtedly be a period of acceleration of contagion, obviously considering all the receptions that there may be, hence the importance of protecting those who are the most vulnerable” , summarizes Luc Boileau.
What about measles in all this?
At the beginning of last March, the national director of public health was concerned about the prospect of measles cases increasing rapidly in Quebec. Already, the province had become the epicenter of the spread of measles in the country, although it was considered eradicated in Canada since 1998.
Vaccination efforts have since borne fruit, but caution remains necessary, warns Mr. Boileau. “We had a case which broke out in Montreal during an international meeting in November, which gave rise to a secondary case in the Laurentians,” he indicates, while specifying that all the Appropriate measures have been taken to limit the risk of contagion linked to these cases.
“This is not a problem that is growing as we speak, but we remain attentive because there are secondary cases that could appear,” he adds.
