The level of COVID-19 in Eastern Ontario is on the rise. The COVID-19 wastewater viral signal in Ottawa is at record levels. In addition, test per cent positivity across the region is high, according to regional public health units. In recent weeks, the number of COVID-19 positive admissions to CHEO has been approaching the levels seen in January and early February. Three-quarters of all children admitted to CHEO with COVID-19 have come during the Omicron wave. Since the beginning of January one in three of the roughly 4,900 monthly visits to the Emergency Department were for symptoms associated with COVID-19.
The study hypothesized that children would act as “an even greater source of spread within households with the emergence of more infectious variants.” Children also have “considerable potential to spread” in settings such as school and daycare, where they congregate indoors for long periods, especially now when masking is not required in many jurisdictions.
“While we’re lucky hospitals aren’t currently overloaded, emergency departments are and positivity rates are on the rise, even amongst children,” said Dr. Bhatt, pediatric emergency physician and Director of Emergency Medicine Research at CHEO and an Investigator at the CHEO Research Institute.
“We continue to learn more about COVID-19 and its potential long-term health impacts, and we still aren’t clear about how long immunity lasts; these are all things researchers continue to study. As significant COVID-19 transmission continues within households and throughout the community, it’s important to continue doing what you can to keep yourself and those around you safe – mask while indoors, wash your hands, get vaccinated with all the doses you are eligible for, stay home if you’re sick, and limit close contacts.”
The Ottawa families who participated were integral to this study, as well as the Langlois Laboratory at the University of Ottawa, led by Dr. Marc-André Langlois, Executive Director of CoVaar-Net. Funding for this study came from the Ontario COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund, PSI Foundation and Children’s Hospital Academic Medical Organization (CHAMO) Innovation Fund.
Reference: Maala Bhatt MD MSc, Amy C. Plint MD MSc, Ken Tang PhD, Richard Malley MD, Anne Pham Huy MD, Candice McGahern BA, Jennifer Dawson PhD, Martin Pelchat PhD, Lauren Dawson MSc, Terry Varshney MD, Corey Arnold PhD, Yannick Galipeau BSc, Michael Austin MD, Nisha Thampi MD, Fuad Alnaji MD, Marc-André Langlois PhD, Roger L. Zemek MD. Household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from unvaccinated asymptomatic and symptomatic household members with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection: an antibody- surveillance study. CMAJ Open 2022 April 12. DOI:10.9778/cmajo.20220026
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