HEALTH
Risk of COVID reinfection cited after two months
O
by Charlie Smith
ne of the more troubling aspects of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 is its capacity to return again and again. On April 28, Quebec’s acting public health director, Dr. Luc Boileau, said that his office has adjusted its recommendations in this regard. It now deems the risk of reinfection at two months, rather than three months, Boileau said in French, according to an article in Le Devoir. As a result of this conclusion, Quebec residents are encouraged to be screened for COVID-19 if they’re feeling symptoms within two months of a previous infection. In February, Nature reported a surge
Quebec is retaining an indoor mask mandate until May 14.
in COVID-19 reinfections with the rise of the Omicron variant, which can evade antibodies generated by previous COVID-19 infections. The publication cited data from the U.K. Health Security Agency estimating that reinfections accounted for about 10 percent The Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is far more contagious than its predecessors, and it also has a much greater capacity for reinfection. Photo by Juan Ruiz Paramo/Getty.
NEW VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
COMPUTER SAVVY STUDENTS NEEDED TO HELP SENIORS Due to the impact of COVID-19, many more seniors found themselves more alone, isolated and house bound. Jewish Seniors Alliance purchased new tablets to lend to isolated seniors. The goal of lending these tablets is to increase seniors’ connection to others, and access other services through Zoom, email, on-line learning, exercise programs, and other participatory programs. More advanced users are eager to learn about camera apps, spreadsheets, documents, etc. They need to learn safe, secure computing concepts for all of these activities. As a result, we are looking for volunteers who have skill and experience in using computers, who enjoy visiting seniors and have an interest in teaching seniors new computer skills. Jewish Seniors Alliance will provide education about helping seniors and training, and can assist with travel costs by car or transit. Required Skills and Experience: We are looking for students who have skill and experience in using computers, who enjoy visiting seniors and have an interest in teaching seniors new computer skills. Patience and good communication skills are required. Benefits and Recognition: This position will provide experience for students who are planning a career in either computers, teaching, nursing or social work
JEWISH SENIORS ALLIANCE “Seniors Stronger Together”
JSALLIANCE.ORG 6
THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT
For more information, please contact Bob Finkelstein at BOB@CENTERPOINTSYSTEMS.CA or Charles Leibovitch at Jewish Seniors Alliance. CHARLES@JSALLIANCE.ORG / 778-840-4949 MAY 5 – 12 / 2022
of all cases at that time. This compared to just one percent last November. Nature also reported that, according to the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics, “reinfection risk was 16 times higher between mid-December last year and early January this year…than in the 7 months leading up to December when Delta was the dominant variant”. Boileau stated that as the virus has become more contagious, it’s less “aggressive”, with only five percent of those hospitalized ending up in intensive care. That’s down from 40 percent in the early stages of the pandemic. The BA.2 subvariant of Omicron has created a sixth wave of COVID-19. Boileau thinks this wave has “in all probability” passed, though the decrease in infections is occurring at a slower rate of decline than in previous waves. Quebec is retaining an indoor mask mandate until May 14. Meanwhile, British Columbia dropped its provincewide indoor mask mandate on March 10, with school students allowed to go mask-optional after spring break.
Recent wastewater-testing data shows rising concentration of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in four of five Metro Vancouver wastewater plants. This suggests that the number of cases could be on the increase in Metro Vancouver. On April 28, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control reported that 42 more British Columbians died from April 17 to 23 after contracting COVID-19. That was down from 52 deaths in the previous week. This figure includes “COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related deaths occurring within 30 days from a positive lab result”, according to the BCCDC. “Hospitalizations and deaths may be incomplete (i.e. under-estimated) in the most recent weeks owing to the data systems timing and processes,” the BCCDC states. “Numbers provided for previous weeks may differ from week to week as data become more complete and are updated over time.” The official number of B.C. fatalities has exceeded 3,000 since the pandemic began. However, a recent paper published in the Lancet suggested that the actual number could be more than twice as high. g
