COVID-19 hitting N.L. harder than many people think, according to researcher

Summer maybe not quite over but cold and flu season is kicking into high gear early and COVID-19 is still in the picture, a leading Canadian researcher says.

Prof. Tara Moriarity, PhD, an infectious diseases researcher at the University of Toronto, said one in every 37 Canadians have COVID-19 right now, and infections are climbing.

"There are about 1.1 million infections a week," Moriarty told CBCRadio's St. John's Morning Show.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, she says one in 63 people are infected with COVID-19.

This number is low compared to the rest of the country, but Moriarty said early September is usually accompanied by a dip in infections.

"There are about 8,000 infections a week," she said. "People should be aware that even if things are improving right now, they can still go back up again."

KP variantsare the most common strain of COVID-19 impacting Canadians this season.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, Newfoundland and Labrador's chief medical officer of health, says the virus is considered like other respiratory ailments, including influenza, and she is encouraging people to get vaccinated.

"COVID is just like any other respiratory disease at this point. We're recommending that people stay home while they're feeling really unwell," Fitzgerald said.

Moriarty said vaccinations that will help fight the latest variant of COVID-19 will come to Canada in mid-October.

As pandemic lockdowns move further into the past, Moriarty said health departments are underreporting COVID-19, despite the impact of the virus.

To combat the virus, she wants to see mask mandates remain in hospitals, and for governments to launch an active information campaign to remind people of the risks of COVID-19.

"We're really not detecting a lot of the infections, including the serious infections, and in most provinces there's really limited testing in hospitals now as well," Moriarty said.

"COVID-19 unfortunately has not gone away."

Download ourfree CBC News appto sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador.Click here to visit our landing page.