Strained Kingston hospital asks sick people to skip holiday gatherings

With a surge of patients with respiratory illnesses being cared for in its hallways, the Kingston Health Sciences Centre is reminding people to stay home if they're feeling sick to cut back the spread even if it means missing that holiday party.

"Encourage people you may invite to a gathering that you're organizing that, if they're sick, they really shouldn't come," advised Dr. Gerald Evans, the Kingston, Ont., centre's medical director of infection, prevention and control.

"You can always get an opportunity, perhaps later in the holiday season, to meet up with them."

Evans said the hospital is currently seeing a high number of patients with respiratory illnesses. He said flu cases arerising, children are coming withrespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and olderpatients are showing upwithCOVID-19.

The hospital said it's treating between 15 and 20 COVID-19 in-patients each day, with some in the intensive care unit.

"We're very similar to other hospitals in the province. We're overcapacity," said Evans.

The hospital had more than 580 in-patientsone day last week, a near record, with staff trying to compensate by opening "non-traditional spaces."

"Ifyou use the vernacular that's out there, it's hallwaymedicine," Evans said.

Meanwhile,the hospital's emergency department is also facing high numbers of patients, meaninglonger wait times for those with less urgent needs.

'It's not rocket science': Queen's prof

According to Dr. Dick Zoutman,an infectious disease specialist and a professor at Queen's University,the data shows a "huge amount of COVID" in Kingston and beyond, eclipsing other viruses.

The Kingston area's health unit says it's been at a high respiratory risk for all but one week of the last three months.

"It's not rocket science to prevent a lot of this," Zoutman saidTuesday. "One, if you haven't had your COVID shot, the new booster, get it. If you haven't had your flu shot, get that."

Among the health unit's advice for preventing these respiratory illnesses is wearing a mask in public, covering coughs and sneezes, keeping hands and surfaces clean and try to have good ventilation.

Staying home when sick means "until your symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours (or 48 hours if you have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea) you do not have a fever and you have not developed any new symptoms," it says.

WATCH | The calls for vaccination in Ottawa:

Ottawa's medical officer of health urges older adults to get updated COVID-19, flu vaccines

10 months ago

Duration 0:56

Amid high levels of respiratory viruses across the city, Ottawas Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches said it would help if more people, especially older adults, got their updated vaccines.

The Ottawa Hospital says it's also experiencing high patient volumes.

A spokesperson said they're seeing increasingtransmission ofCOVID-19 and other illnesses, with around100 COVID-19 patients currently admitted.

The QueenswayCarletonHospital says it's busy and is expecting a greater surge later this month.

Zoutman said the name of the game should be thoughtfulness as the flu and Christmas seasons collide.

"We really have to be very cautious also of visiting relatives who are potentially at high risk," he said.