‘Tis the season for holiday cheer but respiratory illness is also near, and circulating, at this time of year.
As a result, Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) and area health care partners are encouraging residents, should they get sick, to consider treatment options in the community before turning to the hospital’s emergency department for care.
“With mounting seasonal pressures being felt at PRHC, we encourage our community members to assess the urgency of their condition and consider alternative options,” stated PRHC, Peterborough Family Health Team (PFHT), and Peterborough Public Health (PPH), in a joint news release.
“If you have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, they should be contacted first with non-urgent health concerns. Your health care provider may offer same-day appointments. PFHT-affiliated physicians also offer extended-hours clinics to serve patients with non-urgent health concerns.”
More information about the extended-hours clinics is available on the PFHT website at www.peterboroughfht.com/extended-hours-service.
For residents who don’t have a primary care provider, the health care trio points to alternatives, including regular and after-hours services offered by PFHT and other primary care providers, virtual care clinics, PRHC’s pediatric urgent care clinic, walk-in clinics, and Health 811.
More information about these options, along with tips on how to determine what type of care is appropriate, is available on the PRHC website at www.prhc.on.ca.
Meanwhile, PRHC’s emergency department is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for people who need emergency care.
When it comes to influenza and COVID-19, the health care providers remind residents that flu and COVID-19 vaccines are available for anyone over the age of six months old. PRHC itself does not offer these vaccines.
Community members can find more information about locations for COVID-19 and flu vaccines on the Peterborough Public Health website at www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca or connect with their local pharmacy for details.
The health care providers ask residents to check out the health unit’s COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Virus Risk Index “for guidance on staying safe during holiday gatherings.”
Updated every Wednesday, the index consolidates available local data for COVID-19 transmission, influenza, and influenza-like illnesses. As of December 20, the COVID-19 risk factor is considered high while the risk level for other respiratory viruses is ranked as moderate.
Health care providers ask residents to consider borrowing a CO2 monitor from the library to monitor indoor air quality to prevent the spread of respiratory infections.
“This holiday season, please stay home if you are ill to prevent spreading infections to friends and loved ones.”
Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit (HKPRDHU) is also reminding residents in its catchment area “to be vigilant and stay up-to-date with vaccinations.”
The colder months bring increased spread of respiratory illnesses, including influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), HKPRDHU stated in a news release.
“The holiday season is typically when we see higher rates of respiratory illnesses, including influenza, COVID-19, and RSV,” said Dr. Natalie Bocking, HKPRDHU’s CEO and medical officer of health.
“It’s important that we continue to protect one another by using the public health precautions we are all familiar with. In doing so, we are providing our best defence against getting sick, reducing the spread of illness, and we are ensuring that critical health care services are there for those who need them most.”
COVID-19 and flu shots are accessible through participating pharmacies, primary care teams, and HKPRDHU.
The health unit said residents can book appointments by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900 from Monday to Friday (excluding holidays) between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. or they can book appointments online at ontario.ca/book-vaccine.
