The Omicron variant does not spare CHSLDs and retirement homes in Quebec where COVID-19 strikes again with more than 4,000 active cases and more than 80 recent deaths.
“It was inevitable that these places are very conducive to the transmission of the virus and this new variant, which is extremely contagious, especially when we see that the virus is spreading everywhere in the population”, explains the virologist and professor at Department of Biological Sciences at UQAM, Benoît Barbeau.
As of Thursday, private seniors’ residences (RPA) in the province had 265 new cases. Residential and long-term care centers (CHSLDs) had 324, according to the latest data published by the Ministry of Health. We deplored 61 deaths in CHSLDs and 19 in private residences.
Red zone
In addition, the number of establishments that pass into the red zone, therefore having more than a quarter of residents infected with COVID-19, climbs to 25 for CHSLDs and 27 for RPAs, we note.
There are also 219 CHSLDs and 334 RPAs that have one or more residents affected by the coronavirus.
For Mr. Barbeau, three factors can explain that the number of cases increases considerably in these living environments: the fact that the effects of the booster dose received by the elderly begin to wear off, the protection of the vaccine which is not not as optimal as for a young adult, as well as a more vaccine resistant variant.
He also believes that, even if CHSLDs and RPAs have priority access to screening tests, it is possible that the number of cases in these establishments is underestimated.
The infectious disease specialist and microbiologist at the McGill University Health Center Donald Vinh agrees.
“It is sure that it is undervalued, as we have seen for the population. In addition, unfortunately, the data is not in real time and the virus has time to spread before we react, ”he laments.
Not proactive enough
According to the Dr Vinh, the government should have gone about it earlier to protect the elderly, as soon as the number of cases in the younger population began to rise rapidly.
“We know that people in CHSLDs are frail seniors who need a lot of care. These people have been at risk from the start for the severe form of the disease, ”he recalls.
Losing more and more employees in the health network every day, it is also the care given to residents that is taking a hit, argues a former beneficiary attendant.
“In some places, the baths are no longer given because of the lack of employees, because it is first of all essential to hydrate and nourish them. Some residents are also bedridden for several hours or even [plusieurs] days, because the staff does not have time to lift them, ”deplores Jean Bottari.