As the sub-variants of COVID-19 spread like wildfire, Le Devoir consulted three experts to get their recommendations on the actions the state and citizens could take to limit the magnitude of this seventh blur.
University of Montreal public health professor Lara Gautier reiterated from the outset that mask-wearing should be “enforced” during festivals, including outside and on public transport. She also insists that “the surgical mask really isn’t enough” to protect against the highly contagious Omicron subvariants. “You should definitely wear N95,” she says.
For his part, national director of public health Luc Boileau indicated on Thursday that he “encourages people to wear the mask” on public transport, “particularly people who are more susceptible” to the severe form of COVID-19.
As for the first booster dose of vaccine against the virus, “we don’t have exceptional coverage in the province,” stresses microbiologist and infectiologist Caroline Quach-Thanh. She therefore calls on the “most vulnerable” to receive this extra protection, which is also accessible to all, she recalls. Elderly people or those with “a less effective immune system” can also get a prescription for the drug Paxlovid from their pharmacist, even if they’re vaccinated against COVID-19, Dr. Luc Boileau says Quebec has the “most efficient system in the world” for access to this drug.
Even if you don’t have symptoms after five days, your risk of infecting other people remains very high for 10 days, Boileau said. For this reason, people are advised to self-isolate at home for the first five days after symptoms appear. Infected people can resume essential activities after the first five days by wearing a mask, but they should not go to restaurants or attend festivals or other crowded events, the national director of public health reminded. “The most important thing is that if you think you may have been potentially exposed, do not go to other people on purpose. We limit our excursions in the following days and pay particular attention to protecting vulnerable people,” summarizes Caroline Quach-Thanh.
People who have contact with people at risk can also use rapid tests to make sure that they are not infected, even if they do not show any symptoms of COVID-19. “You can be contagious before you have symptoms,” says Normand Mousseau, a physics professor at the University of Montreal. In these special cases, the rapid tests could “work” for people whose family members or friends belong to a risk category, he emphasizes in the interview.