True number of Ontario COVID cases likely much higher than what’s being reported, experts say

"Public health units are losing the ability to test everyone who has symptoms that are consistent with Omicron."

TORONTO — Ontario reported an all-time high 5,790 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, a number experts warned shows an incomplete picture of the virus’s presence in the province.

The record diagnoses smashed past the previous high of 4,812 set on April 16, but a member of the province’s science table said the overtaxed testing system means the Omicron-driven fifth wave of the pandemic is likely even larger than it seems.

“Public health units are losing the ability to test everyone who has symptoms that are consistent with Omicron, and so these official numbers are probably far under what the true rate of COVID-19 is in the community,” said Dr. Fahad Razak, who is also an internist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

“In all likelihood, you’d have to multiply these numbers at least three or four times to get a sense of what’s actually happening.”

He said even in the best of times, testing was likely only picking up about half of all the province’s cases.

The overwhelming number of cases makes it more important than ever that Ontarians are careful about their contacts, he said.

“You have to assume that anyone you encounter has Omicron,” Razak said.

“It’s really about trying to protect ourselves as much as possible during the surge, and protecting the health-care system. That’s the most important goal.”