'COVID is making a comeback' in Quebec, says MUHC specialist

Many people have been able to enjoy the summer, while pushing away thoughts of the pandemic. This fall however, there's been a rise in cases of COVID 19 in Quebec and there's new information about how the virus behaves now and should be managed.

Many people have been able to enjoy the summer, while pushing away thoughts of the pandemic. This fall, however, there's been a rise in cases of COVID-19 in Quebec and there's new information about how the virus behaves now and should be managed.

Mutsumi Takahashi interviewed Dr. Donald Vin, an infectious diseases specialist at the MUHC, about the COVID-19 landscape now and what to expect in the coming months.

This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.

Q - What is the situation right now with COVID-19 in Quebec and in Montreal?

A - Well, the situation in Montreal, and indeed, across the province and in fact, across the country, it's not very encouraging. In Quebec, in the first week of September alone, there were 127,000 confirmed cases of COVID. And during that time, there were also about 560,000 people who self-reported viral respiratory symptoms, but who didn't get tested.

Overall, the INSPQ estimates between 18 to 29,000 new cases daily. And keep in mind that these numbers are just an underestimate of what's actually going on. And they're also a few weeks old. But all this tells us that there's a significant increase now over what was happening in August. And over the same time, there's also been a doubling in the number of hospitalizations directly caused by COVID to now about 300 beds. So COVID is making a comeback.

Q - But how sick are people getting? Is there concern they will fill the hospitals again, because you're giving us all these numbers, but most of us would think that this is not happening.