COVID-19 cases are starting to rise as students return to school – Kingston | 24CA News
Schools are quiet proper now, however in only a few days they are going to be a busy hive of exercise with returning college students. And that return to high school is anticipated to be one consider COVID-19 instances rising in line with infectious illness skilled Dr. Gerald Evans
“Those are going to result in a lot more gathering together of people which is a little bit more opportunity for the virus to transmit around.”
According to the Limestone District School Board they gained’t be bringing again the heavy-handed precautions however will observe public well being tips which embrace usually cleansing excessive contact surfaces, encouraging frequent handwashing, day by day monitoring for signs, staying dwelling when sick and masking mouths when coughing.
For dad and mom like Ryan McCarthy it’s an analogous philosophy. Public well being measures have gotten a elementary a part of daily life.
“Like this play in the park and we’re going to have our snacks,” McCarthy mentioned. “Yeah, we’ll get our little wipe on the hands and sit down and have our snack, but yeah, looking forward to the school season starting, giving us a little bit of a break.”
Evans says COVID-19 case numbers have began to rise already in late August. He says there are a number of elements enjoying into that, like two new strains known as EG.5 and EG.5.1. Both are offshoots from a brand new department of the COVID-19 household tree known as XBB.
“It seems to be a little bit more transmissible and the other thing is people have reduced their vaccination efforts and boosting, so that’s resulting in some waning immunity which we know happens with coronaviruses,” Evans mentioned.
Evans says vaccines are nonetheless efficient and new ones are anticipated to be obtainable by mid to late September.
“A little bit will depend on some supply and there’s another vaccine called Novavax which is a manufacturer that makes a non MRNA vaccine and they’ve also created an XBB variant vaccine and that’s probably going to be available a little bit later in the fall.”
Evans says EG5 and EG5.1 account for about 50 per cent of the COVID-19 instances in Ontario, however thankfully there is no such thing as a indicator that both causes extra extreme well being results or extra extreme restrictions for college kids as they return to class.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
