COVID-19 4th wave expected in Nunavik
Infectious disease expert says region may see higher cases due to the spread of new variants in the south
Globally reported COVID-19 cases have increased nearly three per cent over the past two weeks, according to the World Health Organization. (Image by PIR04D from Pixabay)
People in Nunavik should expect a fourth wave of COVID-19 in the coming weeks, says the clinical lead in infectious disease for Nunavik’s Department of Public Health.
Dr. Yassen Tcholakov says the spread of new variants in southern Canada is contributing to a rise of cases there.
This includes the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, which the World Health Organization is monitoring.
“We’re just trying to prepare the population for what we’re seeing elsewhere in the province and elsewhere in the world,” Tcholakov said.
In Nunavik, there are 37 active cases reported in the region of about 12,000 people, as of July 7.
Tcholakov said virus mutations, plus times of the year when people spend more time indoors, drive the spread of COVID-19.
“There’ll be times where there’ll be less COVID, there’ll be times where there’ll be more COVID,” he said.
“COVID constantly changes a bit and some of the new strains may be more infectious.”
Tcholakov said it’s important to note the infections caused by the new Omicron subvariants do not seem to be as severe as those seen during previous waves involving other variants.
The best way for Nunavimmiut to protect themselves from COVID-19 continues to be through vaccination, he said.
While mandatory masking and testing requirements are no longer in place, Tcholakov encouraged people to “adjust and reduce their personal level of risk.”
Globally, reported cases have increased nearly three per cent over the past two weeks, according to the World Health Organization.
There’s vulnerability also from the many meetings that have taken place, and there’s ICC conference next week, bring people from the northern regions into kuujjuaq. It’s not understood, how in the midst of having gone through some much inconvenience with restrictions, and illness of Covid, that meetings are still on the list of things to gather for. There’s not much people have learnt well from the past two years. Just look at travel, out of the country, flocks and flocks, backlogged and jamming up all functions of airports, Covid still a threat, and it’s go go to sunny places, European travel is desperate to the travellers of Canada. People are hard headed. At least stop the unnecessary gatherings.
Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC), will have people from all over the planet meeting in Kuujjuaq on July 18/22. There will be at least 5 good days on exchange between international folks within smaller spaces then say, a city. There’s only two hotels, one restaurant, with a few smaller outlets with small space to eat. The meeting place could also be a hot spot for spreading any virus. There’s be hugs, hand shakes, I won’t mention intimate encounters. It’s a Covid, monkey pox concern for small town.
Nunavik is being reported to be entering a fourth wave of Covid -19, while the Quebec province as a whole and Canada as a whole is entering the seventh. Did we miss three waves in Nunavik or did I must something or misunderstanding.
Yep , i thought for sure , we were on 6 or 7th wave. i guess , time to climb back on the paranoid train.
Yay, 2 more years!
More covid holiday for some
It’s like all other aspects of how a group of those living on the edge of societies at the mercy of everyone else to stay living , yet causing all the problems for the general population. These people are not even aware that they’re being discussed, because they are not even aware that they cause problems in the first place. It’s not like we’re having comments here to hopefully enlighten this group of people, they don’t even have a means to read, no access to computer, or any news, other than what’s spoken of in a beat up old car, or on a walk to the coop for beer. Take a good look around the bigger community, and see what I’m talking about. The off spring of these unenlightened, intoxicating, sexual active people are the ones stealing ATVs and breaking into houses. They are abused and hungry , neglected, ready to grow up to carry the cycle over and over. That’s the battle we have with Covid, because Covid lives best among that group. It wouldn’t be concerning if that edge living group keep to themselves, but they are so dependent on everyone else that they would die if they didn’t get from others what they want. It’s like elders cheques are threatened too, to be spent by that group. That’s what we have as a sore and a threat to our health.
Kuujjuaq is currently challenged with a new wave of vandalism that could be linked to Covid or not. This new wave, is not really new , but it’s causing more than its share chit chat on the local media outlets of Facebook, and fm radio. Kids in 12 to 16 year old, and even some adults in their 20s are being noted as going around all hours of the night stealing. 4 wheelers, even cars and trucks are reported stolen by the group. People are asking for help from police, municipality, and urged to start a neighborhood watch. All this is not a surprise to have such behaviour in kuujjuaq. The amount of alcohol abuse is rampant for many years. The result of continuing a neglect towards children, from drunken parents can only result in such behaviour. What’s more concerning is what’s the worse case of behaviour that can come out of this. This situation at this time needs intervention, if not from within, then from outside of the community. It’s time , authorities get real about this and do something, even if they need the government to seriously get involved with more resources.
Good advice – do not believe all that you read. Moreso in this time when the status quo, those who decide for the rest of us, what is right and wrong, what is newsworthy, are rightly being challenged in their hold on authority. War, disease, famine will not affect them in and with their protected status.