The positive rate for the COVID-19 test in Ontario will rise to 13.5% as new details for the 7th wave are revealed.

New details about the severity of the latest COVID-19 wave in Ontario have been revealed, and the state said last week that another 33 people were killed in connection with the virus, increasing hospitalizations and ICU admissions. I am reporting.

The positive rate of the test also rose to 13.5, the highest rate since May, reported Thursday.

According to the state, COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased from 585 as of last week to 712 now. Last Thursday, 95 to 110 patients received intensive care because of the virus.

The new figures indicate that the Ontario Department of Public Health has released the latest weekly epidemiological summary, indicating that the seventh wave of COVID-19 in the state began as early as June 19. Top Ontario doctors just confirmed the latest wave on Wednesday and said the state is now in the third wave Spike Week.

In summary, as of July 5, 25 of 34 Ontario’s public health units have increased case rates for all age groups.

The largest surge was in children aged 0-4 years, with a 40% surge in cases in that group. The case rate remains high at age 20 and older and remains highest at age 80 and older.

Although COVID-19 admissions to hospitals and ICUs are slowly increasing, Health Director Kieran Moore said he expects the ultimate impact on the health system to be milder than in previous waves. I am.

The BA.5 subvariant is highly contagious, but Moore said there is no evidence to suggest that it is more serious than the subvariant responsible for the early waves. According to him, continuous vaccination is expected to prevent most people infected with the variant from being hospitalized.

Ontario under the age of 60 is not yet eligible for a second booster

Ontario lifted the obligations on the remaining masks in early June, and there are no signs that the state will demand them again until autumn, if the burden on the healthcare system becomes severe enough, Moore said. Suggested on Wednesday.

Moore also said an announcement about the expansion of the eligibility of the second booster could be made soon, but details have not been disclosed.

The state is reluctant to start a fourth COVID-19 vaccine for more adults Criticism from some medical professionals..

Boostershot temporarily increases protection against serious illness consequences to about 90%, Moore said, but that protection is declining every month. By 5 months, protection against severe health consequences has dropped to about 70%, the effects of which are even more pronounced in the elderly.

According to a recent report, approximately 7.4 million Ontario citizens have already received one booster, and nearly 90% of those shots were administered at least five months ago. Ontario Public Health Data..

According to Moore, about 5 million people have not yet received their first booster shots, including about 1.6 million people over the age of 50 in Ontario. Meanwhile, about 1.3 million eligible Ontarios (adults over the age of 60) received their second booster shot.

Hospital staff morale plummeted, says ER doctor

Meanwhile, two and a half years after the pandemic, one doctor warned that the Ontario hospital system would have a hard time dealing with the massive influx of COVID-19 patients. Especially the emergency department is under incredible continuous tension..

“I can’t imagine a time when morale was lower than it is now. People have been working in Full Tilt for a long time,” said Dr. Kasif Pilzada, a doctor in the emergency room in Toronto.

Pilzada told CBC Radio Metro morning Many hospital staff are early retired or completely out of the field.

He said the emergency department was pushed to the limit as staff burnout and shortages, and an increasing number of people seeking postponed treatment early in the pandemic. Recently, due to staffing restrictions and the outbreak of COVID-19, Temporary closure of the emergency department at Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital..

The ongoing 7th wave may not be as serious to the hospital, but Pirzada said he was also concerned about the upcoming cold weather when Ontarions would head indoors without forced masking.

“This wave of COVID we are getting now will probably be lighter due to the good weather, but if we still have few staff and the burden of illness is even higher, we can imagine what will happen in the fall and winter. Do you? “