RSV outbreaks in 3 Ottawa long-term care homes
There's another health threat officials are tracking in Ottawa and across the province—RSV outbreaks in long-term care homes.
In Ottawa the Hillel Lodge, Centre d'Accueil Champlain and Peter D. Clark Centre are listed as long-term care homes having outbreaks, according to Ottawa Public Health.
The OPH dashboard also reflects retirement homes, schools and childcare centres dealing with an outbreak classified as "respiratory infection unspecified."
"We are seeing RSV get into long-term care homes and some real concerns about it taking over the home," said Laura Tamblyn Watts, the CEO of CanAge, Canada's national seniors' advocacy organization.
The respiratory virus with symptoms that typically mimic the common cold can cause severe infection in babies, but also seniors and anyone with a weak immune system.
"It is highly contagious and we're seeing in some cases a doubling and tripling in this area now," said Watts. "It's still early days, it's only been for the last couple of weeks, but we are seeing it trend up sharply."
When it comes to COVID-19, Ontario pharmacists will be allowed to prescribe Paxlovid, a medication for those who have a positive COVID-19 test, and are primarily over 60 or immunocompromised. Previously, patients would need a prescription from a doctor to access the drug.
"We know that by using Paxlovid within five days from the onset of symptoms that we can prevent severe symptoms and our ultimate goal is to prevent hospitalizations," said Justin Bates, the CEO of the Canadian Association of Pharmacists.
About 4,000 pharmacies have been dispensing the drug but it's unclear how many will opt-in to have their pharmacists prescribe it.
New data released Thursday reveals hospital wait times hit a new historic high in October. The average time to be admitted was 22.9 hours, up from 21.3 in September. Only 21 per cent of patients were admitted within the provincial standard of eight hours.
Tamblyn Watts says the Ontario government needs to track RSV like it does the number of COVID-19 cases.
"That means families need to look at their local health regions and look online to see if there's an outbreak in the long-term care home of their loved one," said Watts. "Unfortunately, however, it's not always listed as RSV. We're seeing a lot of 'unknown' or 'other' or 'undefined."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.