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    • Health-care workers on edge as Omicron spurs sharp increase in cases

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    Health workers across Canada, exhausted from two years of battling a pandemic, are dreading what the next wave of COVID-19 could bring.

    The country is seeing a sharp rise new in infections, a large proportion of which are Omicron cases.

    But COVID-19 hospitalizations remain generally stable 鈥 for now.

    According to Dr. Gerald Evans, we won鈥檛 be able to see the true impact of Omicron 鈥渇or at least two or perhaps three weeks after those cases rise."

    "And we're just getting to that point right now,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 still unfortunately time for us to sort of see that surge of cases, that might be related to Omicron, having to come into hospital for their care, but we haven't seen it to this point.鈥

    Experts point to countries like Spain, where there has been a sharp increase in hospitalizations. But in South Africa, where scientists first identified the Omicron variant, hospitalizations are now dropping quickly.

    Currently, Ontario's positivity rate is 9.7 per cent. It hasn鈥檛 been that high since May 3, when 889 people were in the ICU, and 16 deaths were reported. Right now, there are 164 patients in the ICU, and zero deaths were reported Monday.

    The uncertainty of whether Omicron will spur more hospitalizations is keeping health-care workers on edge.

    Compounding this is the vast majority of Canadian hospitals are already filled with Delta patients, with more still coming in for care.

    There鈥檚 also been an increase in people with other health problems like heart attacks and strokes. 

    And health-care workers themselves are in short supply, burned out and fearful of what could be coming.

    Eram Chhogala, a trauma nurse, told 愛污传媒 that she is dreading this next wave.

    鈥淲hat's going to happen next, is it going to be worse, is it going to be the same, what are we expecting?鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd I think the other thing is, is our backup plan enough for the next surge of the variant?鈥

    At least one Toronto hospital has cancelled non-essential surgery, offering only emergency care 鈥 with more likely to follow.

    Manitoba, where ICUs are already full, is getting half a dozen extra nurses. But there are still some 2,200 vacancies to fill.

    Across Canada, health-care workers are retiring or on stress leave, overwhelmed from two years of the pandemic.

    鈥淲hat scares me the most is that staff will be at a point where those who you need in the ICUs and other areas of the health-care system will not be able to perform their work,鈥 Paul-脡mile Cloutier, President and CEO of HealthCareCAN, told 愛污传媒.

    Whether or not Omicron will bring a huge rise in hospitalizations or not isn鈥檛 fully clear yet. But hospital workers are on the alert anyway.

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