Windsor-Essex hospitals always book fewer elective surgeries at this time of year, but instead of ramping back up in January, they will continue to put them on hold.
Windsor Regional Hospital and Erie Shores Healthcare are preparing for an inevitable crush of COVID-19 cases involving the Omicron variant. At Windsor Regional, that has meant opening a dedicated COVID-19 unit just over a week ago, which will remain active so long as the Omicron variant burns through the region.
Wednesday marked the first anniversary since the first vaccine was administered in the region. While Chief of Medical Staff Doctor Wassim Saad noted we are in a better position to fight the pandemic, there are serious signs of strain across the healthcare system.
"Human health resources was an issue. Infrastructure at our hospital was an issue. Infection prevention and control with respect to ventilation systems and HVAC systems became an issue. Isolation and private rooms became an issue," listed Saad. "There's going to be a lot of questions, coming out of this pandemic, how do we make this better."
Acting Medical Officer of Health Doctor Shanker Nesathurai added public health units are feeling the strain as well.
"I think it's apparent that there has been an under-investment for a long period of time," he said.
Head of the Essex County Medical Society, Doctor Vikesh Maraj, maintains the best way to protect the healthcare system is to get the booster shot, the first one you are offered. However, he and Saad said some refused it because it's not the same regiment as their previous two doses.
Those 30 and up will receive a Moderna shot, even if their first two doses were the Pfizer vaccine.
"Some have cancelled their appointments. Luckily, there's a lot of demand, and those spots are being filled up very quickly. We are asking people not to cancel their appointments," said Saad. "It's critical that they get boosted regardless of what the booster is. It is safe and very effective."
Meanwhile, time is of the essence.
"Because of how quickly Omicron is spreading, for them to wait for the vaccine of their choice -- is ill-advised," Saad warned. "It's going to be way too late because Omicron will have swept through the area."
Family physicians have administered up to 35,000 doses in their offices, balancing that with the regular work of addressing their patients' needs. These doctors have volunteered their time working in COVID-19 assessment centres and hospitals. Maraj said for some, it's meant there just aren't enough hours in the day to do everything, and patients will take the brunt.
"The demand for physician services is unprecedented. What we find, as physicians, is we are often simultaneously dealing with acute, sub-acute, and chronic medical issues in one visit," he explained. "As you can imagine, the length of a typical consult is significantly longer than it's been historically. that translates into longer wait times for physicians, so patients are waiting for longer periods to get appointments."
So far, 86,518 people in Windsor-Essex have received a booster shot.
On Wednesday, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit reported 84 new cases of the virus and three more deaths.
The latest fatalities are three men in their 50s, 60s, and 70s.
Of the new cases, 15 people caught COVID-19 in the community, 15 from close contact, two are travel-related, and two more from outbreaks. Another 50 are under investigation.
There are 540 active cases, and 27 people are in the hospital receiving treatment for the virus.
Thirty-eight outbreaks are reported across the region, including 18 in workplaces, four in the community, two at long-term care or retirement homes, and 18 schools.
