As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its third year and Canadian provinces lift their main preventive measures, many experts are expressing a certain caution.
They also remind us of the need to adapt quickly because of the unpredictability of COVID-19.
The current wave seems to be receding, the data as the number of hospitalizations indicate. However, virologist Jason Kindrachuk urges caution: the COVID-19 crisis will not be resolved as long as the virus continues to exist on a global scale.
“The history of COVID-19 has taught us that we must prepare for the arrival of a new variant. Let’s try to recognize that we have been in this situation before, launches the assistant professor of the University of Manitoba. Nobody wants to take one step forward only to take another five or ten steps back because of what might hit us. »
Provinces have begun lifting restrictions over the past month. For example, the obligation to present one’s vaccination passport, in force since 1er September in Quebec, was abandoned on Saturday. The reception capacity in all public places in Quebec has been increased to 100%. There is no capacity limit per table in restaurants, bars, taverns and casinos.
Some provinces have even discarded the requirement to wear a face covering in certain public places.
The arrival of the pandemic in March 2020 transformed the lives of many people around the world. Telecommuting and physical distancing have become rules over the waves. The official toll is severe: nearly 40,000 deaths across Canada, but some experts believe that the real number is probably higher.
Quebec reported 14,154 deaths as of Friday.
Some progress
Since the start of the pandemic, scientific progress has enabled the implementation of several vaccines and treatments in order to limit the burden falling on the shoulders of the health networks.
A new variant could derail this progress, but experts believe it will take big mutations to bring us back to the time of the toughest restrictions.
Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist from the University of Ottawa, marvels at the effectiveness of vaccines against the most severe aspects of the coronavirus, despite its transformations.
“The virus no longer has us at its mercy, he judges. We have the instruments to live a normal life. It is about spending our money well and having the political will to use these instruments. »
Mr. Deonandan does not play the ostrich. He believes that new variants will emerge, particularly where vaccination is lagging behind.
“Will these new variants create problems? We do not know it. But we have the vaccine platforms to find new formulas very, very quickly. »
The Dr Zain Chagla, an infectious disease expert from McMaster University, says the rapid spread of Delta and Omicron variants demonstrates how difficult it can be to adapt, even though science has moved at an “incredibly high” rate.
He adds that new vaccines are emerging. Laboratories are trying to create a universal vaccine that could protect the population against the current strain and all the variants that will follow.
“The next generation of COVID vaccine could be very different in a year or two. It could be complementary to current vaccines and would help us prevent infection and provide us with stability against variants,” argues Dr.r Chagla.
learning to live
In recent weeks, the message of political and public health leaders has changed in the country: they have gone from the importance of containing the virus to that of learning to live with it.
This change caused controversy. Some believe it was political pressure — not science — that prompted authorities to back down from the restrictive measures.
Experts recognize that many Canadians want to return to normal life, but they stress that COVID-19 would not disappear even if it became endemic.
Mr. Deonandan recalls that endemic diseases like mumps and chickenpox continue to spread slowly. And vulnerable people remain at risk.
“In an ideal scenario, coexistence with COVID would be to go through small episodes of endemicity that will not threaten society, the health system or a majority of the population”, he wishes. According to him, COVID will always remain a danger for a large segment of the population, such as the elderly and the immunocompromised.
Mr. Kindrachuk argues that we must ensure that the most vulnerable will not be abandoned when preventive measures are abandoned. Governments will need to be able to react quickly and put them back in place if necessary.
“Learning to live with the virus means knowing more about the virus. It also means putting in place the necessary recommendations and protocols based on what we are going to learn. We have not yet reached the point where the virus is endemic. »