Canada must prepare for the worst in the event of a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the fall, the Public Health Agency has warned. According to projections released by the agency on Friday, “a peak in the fall will be the worst possible scenario” in which “the health system could not, at times, meet the needs for services”.
“If a possible autumn peak materializes, the health system could be overwhelmed,” warned the chief administrator of the Public Health Agency, Dr Theresa Tam, believing that in such a case the mortality should then increase a lot.
While assuring that you are “much better prepared than we were before,” Dr Tam says that “we have to prepare for the worst-case scenario. The new coronavirus could mutate, for example ”.
Yet, at the height of the pandemic, hospitals did not run out of rooms and ventilators, as the pace of the supply of necessary materials, such as tests and personal protective equipment, was accelerated.
Referring to the flu season during which hospitalizations are increasing, the health authorities believe that this season could be less severe because of the procedures imposed to slow the spread of Covid-19 and which “can also reduce the impact of respiratory viruses” .
Canada is expected to reach 127,740 infections as of 23 August including 9,155 deaths, according to the agency’s short-term forecasts. To date, the North American country has recorded 121,234 cases, and 9,015 deaths on Friday.
