The College of Physicians of Quebec (CMQ) on Sunday recommended wearing a mask in public places in the face of “the worrying rise in cases of respiratory viruses in children and the overflow of pediatric emergencies”.
According to CHU Sainte-Justine pediatrician Caroline Quach-Thanh, pediatric hospitals are “completely overwhelmed”. “All respiratory viruses circulate concomitantly,” she explains, citing in particular COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza.
If these viruses spread every year in Quebec, from the end of November to April, their “circulation is much greater than usual”, she indicates.
“We really expect the start of an epidemic in Canada, and Quebec will not be spared,” says Benoit Barbeau, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Quebec in Montreal and expert in virology. “The elderly may also suffer, especially because of the flu”, whose “viral strain is a little more violent than what we are used to seeing”.
Mr. Barbeau considers that an imposition of the wearing of the mask is for the moment “very unlikely”, but judges that “a recommendation is the least of things. We know that this is an approach that works to limit the transmission of these viruses. »
Young children, who “have encountered almost no virus in the past two years”, now have less developed immunity, says Mme Quach-Thanh.
We really expect the start of an epidemic in Canada, and Quebec will not be spared.
Mr. Barbeau is reassuring: “Not all children will develop serious symptoms”, but he invites parents to “monitor the symptoms” of their toddlers and, “as much as possible, not to send them to school” if they are infected.
“What we want is for there to be as little traffic as possible so that things calm down. We would not like a mishap to occur with the waiting time that we are currently experiencing. So [l’idée], it’s really about trying to limit the damage as much as possible. »
According to Mr. Barbeau, the CMQ’s recommendation “is along the same lines as those made in Ontario”. On Sunday, the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, encouraged the population to wear the mask, without making it compulsory.
Don’t Compromise the Holidays
“The approach of the holiday season should invite us to prudent and responsible behavior […]in order to avoid a wave of cases that would jeopardize the reunion,” the professional order of doctors added on Twitter.
The CMQ also recalled “the importance for everyone of renewing their vaccine protection”.
The DD Quach-Thanh invites people to limit contact and also recommends that individuals “at risk” or in contact with vulnerable people “absolutely get vaccinated” against COVID-19 and the flu.
The infectiologist recalls, however, that no vaccine exists against other respiratory viruses, for which “there is really not much that can be done at the moment”.
“If there is a message to send, it is to tell parents who have just had a newborn to limit visits during the first month, while the little one grows up a little. Then not to receive people who have cold symptoms. »