Friday, February 25, 2022

Caution with Covid Precaution Relaxation

Nova Scotia has announced it will lift all COVID-19 restrictions on March 21. In an interview on CBC Information Morning, Dr. Lisa Barrett, an infectious disease specialist and a member of Nova Scotia's expert vaccine panel, urges caution because  'This virus is still changing far more quickly than most virologists and immunologists expected'


There's uncertainty around how quickly this virus is going to [rise again] and how well having no public health measures will protect our most vulnerable. And because we don't know those things, it's very different than where we are with a virus that's been with us for many years, like influenza. It does seem a bit challenging to take away basic and non-harmful, non-invasive precautions altogether at this high point of uncertainty where we have had some success and that includes masking, testing and, of course, social distancing.1


Dr. Barrett commented that we have a responsibility to help protect the most vulnerable in our community. We all share air.  She hopes Nova Scotians, for the next few months while we're figuring this out, can take that approach. In a recent tweet

 

, she identified her concern about the high uncertainty about the impact of removing all public health measures (especially without real support for sick pay) on absenteeism, population wellness, and chronic illness beyond ‘just’ hospitalization and death. Statements like ‘we must learn to live with this’; ‘we cannot live in fear’; ‘we must move forward’; ‘people are done with the pandemic’ are not a rationale for viral pandemic response, according to another tweet from Dr. Barrett.

Evidence not "tag lines"


 

They are really just taglines. 

Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an Antibiotic Doc, tweets that we shouldn’t learn to live with the virus. We should strategize how to live, adjust how to live, invest, and shore up to protect people so they can live.


Continue a Covid strategy
 

Lisa Barrett has concerns about removing altogether basic things like masking. We need to do standard testing and standard surveillance. Many expert groups are considering enhanced surveillance and quite a bit of testing. If we get to another wave and high hospitalizations we will have missed the boat somewhat.


Evidence to monitor

 

We have easy ways of going forward that keep not just our vulnerable, but other people in our population, safe while we get through the next three to six months. It makes great sense to understand more about what the virus is going to do.

 

References

 

1(2022, February 25). As Nova Scotia prepares to drop COVID-19 restrictions, Dr. Lisa .... Retrieved February 25, 2022, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/lisa-barrett-covid-restrictions-removed-interview-1.6364471

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