Nearly one Hamilton senior a day died of COVID in May
Five more Hamiltonians died of COVID over a six-day stretch as the pandemic continues to take its toll on seniors.
A lot of people, especially at this point, are not really aware about how deadly Omicron and its subvariants have been," said Dr. Amit Arya, palliative care physician and assistant clinical professor in the department of family medicine at McMaster University.
People are very tired about hearing about COVID-19 and feel that they've done their part and want to move beyond the pandemic. But the sad reality is that COVID-19 is still causing a lot of deaths here in Canada. It's actually the third leading cause of death after only cancer and cardiovascular disease."
The city reported the deaths of the five seniors age 80 and over between May 28 and June 2 to bring Hamilton's pandemic fatalities to 571.
An average 85-year-old has about seven years of life left," said Arya. This is not somebody who is imminently dying and right at the end of life."
In the month of May alone, the city reported 28 seniors age 70 and older died of COVID. Over the course of the pandemic, 85 per cent of Hamilton's pandemic fatalities have been among this age group.
If the victims of this pandemic are primarily among the elderly and senior citizens, then many people were thinking it's no big deal," said Arthur Schafer, founding director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba. I think many people felt that way and still feel that way."
Among a youth-obsessed society, he said, We saw this kind of devaluation of the elderly long before COVID-19."
We seem very neglectful of the elderly," he said. We're a kind of Botox culture. When you can no longer conceal your wrinkles, society devalues you."
Schafer pointed to the strained conditions in long-term care for many years that led to seniors' homes becoming the epicentre of the pandemic.
Long-term care, along with psychiatric care, is really the Cinderella service of our health-care system," he said. Nursing homes were drastically short staffed. Their employees were seriously underpaid. There was a huge turnover - people left as soon as they could - so there was very little continuity of care."
Staff shortages have only grown worse over the pandemic as long-term-care homes continue to be vulnerable to COVID outbreaks. Of Hamilton's six ongoing outbreaks in high-risk settings on Thursday, three were in seniors' homes.
The largest was at St. Peter's Residence at Chedoke on the west Mountain, where 35 have tested positive since May 11 and two have died.
Another large outbreak at Revera Ridgeview Long-Term-Care Home in Stoney Creek was declared over June 1. It began May 6 and involved 77 cases.
Undoubtedly we've seen how long-term care has been at greater risk throughout the pandemic," said Arya. There's still many long-term-care facilities - even now when the weather is warming up and society has opened up - that are still in outbreaks, which means that people are isolated in their rooms and suffering immensely from the impacts of that isolation."
Hamilton's hospitals continue to feel the strain of the pandemic as they cared for 61 COVID patients on Thursday and had 145 staff self isolating. In addition, St. Joseph's Healthcare had an ongoing COVID outbreak at the West Fifth Campus where three patients have tested positive on Harbour North 1 since May 26.
It has contributed to overcrowding, with occupancy at 115 per cent Thursday at Juravinski Hospital and 103 per cent at St. Joseph's. Between 85 per cent to 90 per cent is ideal.
Overall, COVID transmission has been decreasing in Hamilton with daily average cases down to 39 on May 31 from 188 on April 14. Case counts are an underestimate as the general public has no access to PCR testing.
The downward trend means there is no call for a return to lockdowns. Instead Arya favours bringing back mask mandates, vaccine passports, better ventilation and improved information.
We need to centre our policies not around people who are healthy and young," said Arya. We need to listen to older adults to understand what their needs are and how to keep them healthy, well and safe."
He said leaving protections up to individuals leaves seniors and those with chronic health conditions particularly vulnerable.
When we have a virus which obviously spreads from person to person very quickly, it doesn't make sense that we would not do this collectively," he said. I feel masking is the least burdensome, cheapest type of way that we can try to control the transmission and spread of COVID-19 ... Right now, when we still have a virus that is causing a lot of death, that is causing a lot of disability, it would be absolutely very reasonable to continue with some public health measures."
Joanna Frketich is a health reporter at The Spectator. jfrketich@thespec.com