Stayner doctor ‘reassured’ by recent ICU numbers

Barrie -

Wastewater data collected in parts of the province show that COVID-19 case numbers are increasing.

Dr. Sohail Gandhi, the former president of the Ontario Medical Association, says the data suggests that there are over 30,000 cases per day and that Ontario has entered the sixth wave of the pandemic.

“I really need to emphasize that while that is true, what’s also true is that the number of people in ICU is still holding steady with between 160 to 170 every day. It has not gone up drastically,” said Dr. Gandhi.

He noted that the intensive care unit numbers are reassuring even as hospitalizations increase.

As the number of cases appears to be surging in the province, and with COVID-19 mandates now gone, Dr. Gandhi encourages segments of the population to continue wearing a mask.

“I certainly recommend people who are health care workers like myself; people who are immunocompromised in any way they have a chronic disease —diabetes, COPD, anthemia, any one of those diseases,” said Dr. Gandhi.

Recently, numbers have shown that about ten per cent of the long-term care homes are under an active outbreak.

Dr. Gandhi, who also serves as a medical director for a central Ontario long-term care home, says he sees mild cases amongst the residents.

“I’m actually seeing some harm from the restrictions that public health is forcing on long-term care homes because people who are in long-term care homes suffer from loneliness,” said Dr. Gandhi.

“They are not getting that sick because many of them have four doses of the vaccine,” he added.

As for the new COVID-19 anti-viral drug Paxlovid, Dr. Gandhi says it’s difficult to get and requires an extensive process. He suggests that because supplies are limited, people who have significant immunocompromised diseases should be the ones to be first in line.