COVID-19 now appears to be in a ‘steady state’ in Canada

Is COVID-19 becoming endemic, nearly three years after it first emerged? Canadian health officials offered an update on where things stand.

Despite the persistent presence of the highly contagious Omicron variant in Canada, COVID-19 is not expected to surge in the coming months as hospitalizations and deaths remain stable, federal health officials said.

Speaking at a media conference Tuesday, Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said nearly three years after the virus was declared a global pandemic, the country is at a point when COVID-19 activity has reached a “relatively steady state.”

“While uncertainty remains about the seasonal patterns of COVID-19, the current trends suggest we may not see any major waves in the coming months as we prepare for a potential fall and winter surge,” she said.

She added that intensive care unit admissions and deaths have stabilized and population immunity is at a high and stable level, thanks to a combination of vaccines and previous infections among the population.

However, despite the virus waning in Canada, Tam warned it will still continue to impact our health-care system, especially for older and immune-compromised Canadians.

“As we adjust our collective response and move toward the management of COVID-19 as a regularly occurring disease, planning for the fall must take into account the potential demand of COVID-19 and other repository infections on our health-care system,” Tam added.