File photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Adam Donnelly

CORONAVIRUS

Interior Health is “gearing up to be prepared” for a surge in COVID-19 cases later this year

Jul 5, 2022 | 4:31 PM

KAMLOOPS — On Monday (July 4), BC Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province was preparing for a possible third wave of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, which could hit this fall. As a result, Dix said another vaccine booster shot could be made available to all British Columbians before the season changes.

With summertime officially here, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely the farthest thing from the minds of many across BC. Many of the policies and regulations that were in place to protect from spreading the virus have been relaxed, but that doesn’t mean the virus has gone away.

“We’re still seeing a fair amount of COVID-19 activity, so it is very much still with us,” Dr. Carol Fenton, Medical Health Officer with Interior Health explains. “That activity and the markers that we use, particularly hospitalizations and deaths, are stable for now.”

According to the BC COVID-19 Dashboard, there have been nearly 375,000 cases of the virus reported in the province, since the pandemic was declared. Currently, there are 273 people in the hospital, while last week there were 17 deaths reported as a result of COVID-19. That brings the provincial total to 3,747. However, Dr. Fenton says those numbers could be worse, if not for the effectiveness of the province’s vaccination program.

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“What we are seeing is that the vaccine is still working very well to prevent hospitalization and death. Especially if we have that booster dose on board — that’s the first booster.”

According to Interior Health, 56 per cent of eligible adults have received three doses or more of a COVID-19 vaccine, to this point. Dr. Fenton suggests that those who have not had their booster dose should get it as soon as possible.

“It’s especially important to do it sooner rather than later because if we have a different vaccine in the fall, we don’t want to interfere with the immunity from our current vaccine,” Dr. Fenton explains. “It’s best to space them out – that’s why we space out our booster six months — so if you can get your booster now, then you have at least a few months until the fall, that’s the best thing to do.”

While Dr. Fenton was careful with her response, she did confirm health officials and medical professionals are making plans for a possible resurgence of the respiratory infection this fall.

“We are gearing up to be prepared for a worse respiratory season, as we all move indoors again. We will continue to monitor carefully, our partners at the lab will continue to inform us as to what strains are circulating, and hopefully, we will have a new, excellent match vaccine, in the fall as well.”