Is Canada Prepared for the Second Wave of Coronavirus?

The coronavirus outbreak caused lockdown in countries all over the world as the number of COVID-19 cases increased and Canada was no behind. Canada was suddenly shut down after a surge in coronavirus cases was seen overnight almost a couple of months back. The number of cases reached more than a thousand in the coming weeks which made it obvious that the effects could have been disastrous if the schools and other business places were not closed.

The situation is however, in control now and it seems that the outbreak has been contained but there is still a possibility that the second wave of coronavirus can take over Canada.

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The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau said that the government is expecting another wave of coronavirus in the country. During his press briefing, he said that the second wave of infection is usually expected in a pandemic. The major issue is how quickly we can act on the situation if there is a second wave of coronavirus while businesses and workplaces have been opened in Canada.

The health experts have also warned that the second wave is evident and it is will happen sometime soon. In March, the lockdown was implemented in the country so that social distancing among the public can be ensured and the number of severe coronavirus cases can be limited so that the load on the health care system is not more than its capacity which could lead the system to collapse.

Since the lockdown has been eased in the country and people are slowly returning to their normal lives, the danger is still there as the medical experts have said that they do not have much information about the safety in lifting all the restrictions or when will the second wave of coronavirus hit Canada.

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President of the Canadian Medical Association, Dr. Sandy Buchman said that we have to go towards serologic testing after doing enough tests in various communities and tracing the contacts of affected individuals.

On Wednesday, Buchman addressed the Senate’s Standing Committee of Social Affairs, Science, and Technology saying that the country is not completely equipped for another outbreak of the virus. He also said the reopening of the country can be risk as we do not have sufficient knowledge about the prevalence of the virus in our communities.

The serologic test is a blood test in which the antibodies are measured in the blood which is present after the infection has been eliminated for the body. This test can detect people who were asymptomatic and recovered from the coronavirus infection. This test will help the authorities to form data of people who have gained significant immunity against the virus.

Dr. David Fisman who is an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto said that the second wave of coronavirus can hit Canada anytime even though people are speculating that it might happen in fall as people will be staying indoors due to the cold weather and the virus can spread more easily.

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The director of the infectious disease training program at McGill University Health Centre, Dr. Matthew Oughton said that to control the second outbreak the authorities need to put people in self-isolation quickly as soon as all the coronavirus cases are identified.

He also said that in a situation of a pandemic, there is no solution to the problem which does not involve any risks.

As the country is progressing toward normalcy, experts are worried that the coronavirus can come back anytime soon and Canada might not be prepared for it.

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