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Vaccinations providing protection against more serious complications

January 27, 2022   ·   0 Comments

If you have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, you aren’t fully protected against contracting the virus; however, you are less likely to have a severe reaction.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is reporting an increase in the number of COVID cases in the Region as the Omicron variant of the virus continues to spread.

“Infections are happening in those who are fully vaccinated including admissions to hospital in some cases, but you’re much less likely as an individual to be hospitalized, end up in the intensive care unit, or pass away, if you’ve been fully immunized compared to if you are not,” said SMDHU Medical Officer of Health Dr. Charles Gardner, during a January 19 press conference. “It still provides that protection against severe disease.”

Unvaccinated persons are 11 times more likely to be hospitalized, 19 times more likely to be in ICU, and seven times more likely to die.

“We’ve had more cases in the month of January than we had in any other month in the past,” Dr. Gardner reported. “So far in January we’ve had 7,002 confirmed cases compared to December’s count at 6,536 cases.”

Of those cases, 14 per cent were unvaccinated, 83 per cent were fully vaccinated, and four per cent were partially vaccinated.

Of those cases, 97 per cent have come back with the marker for Omicron, meaning this variant of the virus has taken over almost all the transmission happening across the region. That is the same rate that is happening across the province.

There have been 29,255 confirmed cases in the region over the course of the pandemic – up 2573, since January 12.

There were 30 people in hospital with the virus with five in ICU.

Dr. Gardner said he supports children returning to school, adding, “It is very important that everybody participate in the protection of that environment, with the multiple layers of protection that we always call for.”

The high rate of infection is still placing a lot of pressure on hospitals and health care centres.

“We’re still seeing the health care system very heavily impacted by this wave. There is still some increase in hospitalization and ICU admissions across the province. The hospitals are reporting they are very challenged with absences associated with transmission or being with contacts with cases.”

By Brian Lockhart
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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