It’s August 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic is like a thing of the past. For everyone ? No not all. The 3% of Canadians aged 15 and over with weakened immune systems cannot afford such recklessness. Why ? Because vaccination provides less, if any, protection against the complications of COVID-19 for people with weakened immune systems.
Posted at 1:00 p.m.
This is particularly the case for Sylvie. She suffers from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a blood cancer that has reduced the effectiveness of her immune system, leaving her vulnerable to complications from COVID-19 despite her four doses of the vaccine.
I have been housebound for two and a half years now. If I don’t die from COVID-19, it will probably be from depression.
Sylvie, suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Sylvie is not alone in this situation. While wearing a mask is becoming increasingly rare and social distancing is no longer respected, immunocompromised people must be extra vigilant to protect themselves, in particular by avoiding busy public spaces and limiting contact.
Their loved ones are also affected. Diane, a mother of two who also lives with CLL, says, “We’re all in self-isolation and haven’t contracted COVID-19 yet. My children have just completed their second year of studies in virtual mode. The fact that they haven’t had the chance to play with kids their own age for over two years really saddens me. I feel like they’re missing out on so many things. »
Immunosuppression has several causes. It can be congenital or acquired due to a disease or its treatment.
As the pandemic drags on, the development of drugs to counter COVID-19 is one of the few pieces of good news. Evusheld, a new preventative treatment, provides immune-compromised people with protection similar to that conferred by vaccination on healthy people. Paxlovid and other antiviral treatments prevent the virus from multiplying after infection, thus aiding recovery.
However, access to these treatments is problematic.
Access to preventive treatment is severely limited in several provinces and the procedure for obtaining it is often complicated. Yet this treatment is readily available in many other countries, including France, Israel, and the United States.
Why are provincial health departments so reluctant to provide this protection for immunocompromised people?
Little effort is devoted to educating immunocompromised people about these treatments and the processes to follow to obtain them. Antivirals must be taken within five to seven days of an initial positive test, making the time factor critical. Many patients must fend for themselves to access treatments, insofar as they know they exist.
Although most immunocompromised people are eligible for these treatments, some are not. For example, cancer patients are eligible provided they are on treatment. However, many people with blood cancers, such as CLL, are immunocompromised during the surveillance period preceding treatment, which can extend over several years, as well as during the period of remission after treatment.
Since immunocompromised people are particularly vulnerable to serious complications related to COVID, better access to preventive and antiviral treatments would reduce the pressure on the currently overburdened healthcare system.
At the same time, each of us can help protect immunocompromised people from COVID-19. Think of Diane, who says, “I always wear an N95 mask. When someone coughs or sneezes in public, I quickly back away. When I’m in a line, I’m afraid of catching COVID-19 from people around me. »
If you see someone wearing a mask, it could be an immunocompromised person. You can help by respecting social distancing.
If you show symptoms of COVID-19, respect the 10-day isolation period so as not to spread the disease.
Be sure to take all booster doses of the vaccine for which you are eligible.
For some of us, the pandemic is far from over. The surge in COVID-19 cases among vulnerable people will further strain the health care system and damage the mental health and quality of life of millions of immunocompromised Canadians.
As long as the pandemic is with us, immunocompromised people will continue to protect themselves, but they also need a helping hand from preventive and antiviral treatments as well as from all of us.