Maan Al Hamidi

Canadian-Syrian journalist. He holds an MA in Journalism and works in Toronto. 

The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus is so contagious that it is likely to infect the majority of people in Canada. But that virality is also one of the reasons why this strain could lead to the last wave of Canadian governments enforcing public health measures by shutting down businesses and schools. 

Coupled with the rate of many Canadians receiving COVID-19 vaccines, this highly infectious variant could contribute to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic because many of those who are contracting the virus are developing a natural immunity.

“A significant percentage of the population will be naturally immune, vaccination immune, or both,” said Dr. Hassan Masri, who works in the Durham region east of Toronto, treating COVID-19 patients.

In the future, the increasing speed of vaccine development will also assist in reducing the spread of any COVID-19 variants that could emerge after Omicron. 

“I suspect that going forward we will have an appropriate vaccine prepared for each specific variant of the year quite quickly,” Masri said.

“Certainly, we’re going to have COVID in many years to come. But I do think that the pandemic as we know it is actually in its final stages.”

Paxlovid, the first at-home oral treatment for COVID-19, was authorized by Health Canada on Monday. Masri believes that the efficacy and availability of this medication, which can help to treat the disease and prevent severe illness, will also greatly assist in ending the pandemic.

Combined with the increasing vaccination and natural immunity rates, Masri believes that these new pills, as well as other developing treatments, give hope that the worst damage of the pandemic is finally coming to an end.

“I suspect that within a year from today we will go from a pandemic to an endemic”, he said. “This is still going to be a problem, but not on such a large scale. There is likely to be an endemic for many, many years to come. But I do think that there is light at the end of this tunnel, and I think that we will reach that light very shortly.”

The Omicron variant has put more pressure on the Canadian health care system than previous strains, pushing both federal and provincial governments to reenact pandemic restrictions that many believed they would never see again. 

Hospitals in Ontario and Quebec are overwhelmed with large numbers of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units as well as staff shortages due to many doctors, nurses and other hospital employees having to stay home because they are sick.

How is Omicron different from other COVID-19 versions?

Although generally working at a hospital in Saskatchewan, Dr. Hassan Masri was sent to Ontario in order to assist overwhelmed staff at Ajax and Oshawa hospitals.

Masri noted that up to 80 percent of the patients in Ontario intensive care units are being treated for COVID-19.

“It’s absolutely unheard of in the ICU world to have one medical condition accounting for 79 or 80 percent of the patients,” he said.

Masri noted that this is likely because the Omicron variant is more than 10 times more contagious than the Delta variant that dominated during the previous two COVID-19 waves.

This new virus can survive for longer periods in the air outside the human body, which allows it to spread from one person to another even if they are more than two meters apart.

“This virus is more resilient and stronger,” he said. “In recent history, there hasn’t been a disease that’s been able to spread the way Omicron is spreading.”

Masri said that while the Omicron variant is mild compared to the Delta variant, it is more severe than the flu. Due to its high infection rate, this will likely mean that many people will end up hospitalized after contracting the virus.

“Most governments initially came out with a message that this is a mild form of COVID without actually explaining what that means,” he said. “That is why we have such a big problem in our hospitals.”

Masri believes that public messaging should have been clearer and more comprehensive, specifically noting that Omicron is usually relatively mild only for those who are fully vaccinated.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, spoke to the House of Commons health committee on Tuesday. She said that there is no evidence that Omicron is contagious for less time than previous COVID-19 variants, and that it can be infectious for up to 10 days.

Although the Public Health Agency of Canada still recommends people sick with COVID-19 to isolate for 10 days, several provinces including Ontario and Quebec have reduced this period for fully vaccinated people to five days.

How is Omicron impacting hospitals?

In addition to the unvaccinated, Masri has seen that Omicron is sending those who got their two vaccine shots a long time ago to hospitals. He believes that this can be remedied by double-vaccinated people receiving a third booster shot.

In addition, many members of hospital staff are themselves contracting Omicron. Because those who test positive must isolate themselves, this has caused significant staff shortages.

“We are getting an increased number of patients in the hospital,” Masri said, “but at the same time, we’re getting really hit really hard with a shortage of staffing because this virus is spreading really fast and people are falling sick.”

“There are many floors in the hospital where you’re supposed to have around one nurse for every four patients or five patients. Instead, they are only able to have one nurse for every 10 patients.”

Ontario has been reporting a new pandemic record for COVID-19 hospital admissions every day since last week. On Thursday, the province reported a record 4,183 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, including 580 patients in intensive care units.

Reopening Plans

The Ontario government announced yesterday that it will allow indoor dining and gyms to reopen and will increase gathering limits on Jan. 31 as part of a three-step plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions in the province. Indoor dining, gyms, retailers, shopping malls, and cinemas can reopen at 50 per cent capacity. 

On Tuesday, British Columbia extended their restrictions on businesses and limits on event sizes until February 16. While restaurants there are allowed to operate, the province has limited gatherings to 10 people and reduced the capacity for event venues to 50 percent.