COVID cases slowly rose over the summer, nearly doubling between June and August, and are expected to bump up significantly in the fall.
This can be chalked up to people socializing, travelling and gathering indoors.
RSV, an infection of the lungs and respiratory tract that’s especially dangerous in infants, has remained low throughout the summer. It spiked last winter with over 4,000 confirmed cases in Canada at the start of January.
With kids back at school and more workplaces requiring in-person work, rates of respiratory illnesses are expected to increase.
Influenza or “flu” season also normally starts in November.
“We want to see students and education workers get the same indoor air quality as municipal and provincial government staff,” says Louise Hidinger, a member of Clean Indoor Air Toronto.
The group has been advocating for the City of Toronto’s indoor air quality policy for its office workers to extend to other buildings in Toronto, including Toronto’s public schools. The effort has not yet won policy or infrastructure changes.
Wearing a mask in communal indoor areas like on the TTC or in the supermarket, getting vaccinated and washing hands can all help reduce the chances of an infection.