Two weeks before Christmas and family reunions, there are already lots of sick people. A real cocktail of respiratory viruses is involved: COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), etc.
In public places, people cough at the top of their lungs. It blows your nose. It’s a fever. It doesn’t wear a mask though. Not even in medical clinics. Which, inevitably, spreads these viruses even more and further congests our crowded emergency rooms.
And vaccination? What about wearing a mask when you are sick? And the ventilation? Amnesia is widespread. This is zero lesson in restraint despite a deadly and very recent global pandemic in its acute phase.
The same goes for Public Health and the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS). Faced with the predictable rise in respiratory viruses, it is obvious that we are suffering from Pontius Pilate syndrome.
Last week, under the title Crisis in emergencies: what about prevention, the hell? I was indeed sorry for their deafening silence.
When, I asked, would the MSSS and Public Health finally play their role of information, awareness and communication through well-crafted advertisements – television, radio and social media?
Come out of your torpor
This week, the Dr Luc Boileau, national director of public health, timidly emerged from his torpor. An interview with Duty and another to The Press on respiratory viruses and vaccination, but nothing more. As if it could serve as a generalized information campaign…
Then, on Thursday, in the newspapers, the government published a simple one-page advertisement. Against a surprisingly faded gray background, at the top of the right corner, the main message was reduced to very small letters that were easy to miss: “Vaccination, the best protection”. Yes…
The rest of the ad invited only certain categories of the population to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu. Even striking unions produce ads that are much more impactful than this one.
Worse still, this ad appeared on December 14 when the respiratory virus season was predictable well before. It seems that the health authorities have been sleeping on the gas since the fall.
As our grandmothers used to say, better late than never. The fact remains that their awakening is terribly late.
Result: few Quebecers are vaccinated for the current season. The flu and RSV are already hitting. Emergencies are hit hard. Also by the way, instead of charging $300 per RSV vaccine in pharmacies, could the MSSS make it free?
Not yet said his last word
Some CIUSSS are even delaying vaccinating all ultravulnerable residents living in intermediate resources for the elderly or intellectually disabled.
However, we knew that among the population, here as elsewhere, COVID19 had not yet said its last word. We dream of it, but the reality is not there.
In Quebec, the Pivot information website notes that as of December 12, there were “2,222 people hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19.” In our overcrowded hospitals, this is not a detail.
And the deaths? The average is 71 per week. These are real people. Not a detail either. Hence this humble prediction – and I really hope I’m wrong.
In the fall of 2024, doctors will once again be concerned about the predictable arrival of the respiratory virus season.
Faithful to their post-pandemic denial, health authorities will nevertheless begin by not informing the population in a sustained manner of the need to be vaccinated and to wear a mask if you are sick.
At the last minute, in December, they will suddenly wake up to emergency rooms that are even more overwhelmed than usual. Either too late.
Next year, wouldn’t there be a way to act in the fall? With all respect, Dr Boileau, put that on your calendar immediately.
We are still not asking public health authorities and the MSSS to find the cure for cancer. Just do their job of prevention when it’s time.