As hospitals across the country deal with an influx of children with respiratory illnesses, the province’s top doctor is urging everyone to mask up.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kieran Moore says Ontario and the rest of the western hemisphere are dealing with a viral triple threat of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19.
Moore says a collective effort is needed not just in public settings, but at social gatherings as well.
“A mask in a mall will help diminish the community spread of these viruses, but we need us to mask around those most vulnerable in social settings, which mandates haven’t worked for in the past,” Dr. Moore says. “Family gatherings, family social situations, we have to mask to protect those that are the youngest among us.”
He says RSV and the flu, in particular, are hitting children under the age of four particularly hard, and what may be a mild cold for an adult can be very serious for young children.
“It’s not just masking, it’s the layers of protection,” Moore explains. “If you have any symptoms of infection you should mask around those that are most vulnerable, you should be screening on a daily basis, good hand hygiene is going to be exceptionally important with RSV and influenza. It’s a call to vaccinate against influenza and COVID as there’s no vaccine against RSV. We need to protect our health care system and we need to protect each other.”
Dr. Moore says masking in schools to prevent spread between siblings would help, but mandates in schools are governed by local medical officers and school boards.
Both the St Clair Catholic and Lambton Kent District School Board reiterated they take direction and advice from local medical officers in Chatham-Kent and Lambton County but would not comment on the potential for reinstating mask mandates.
“Masks are available in schools for staff and students who choose to wear them,” an emailed statement from the LKDSB reads. “Masks are welcome but not required for students on school board property or on student transportation unless directed by the daily COVID-19 School Screening assessment tool or provincial or federal guidelines. Students and staff are encouraged to wash their hands regularly, practice proper respiratory etiquette. Hand sanitizer and soap at sinks continue to be available throughout the school.”