Fifty people in Lambton have now died from COVID-19

Lambton’s medical officer of health says residents of a Sarnia retirement home where 20 people are now COVID-19 positive were vaccinated.

Rosewood Retirement Village now has 18 residents and two staff members listed as COVID-19 positive according to Tuesdays statistics from Lambton Public Health. Dr. Sudit Ranade says so far, the seniors have mild symptoms. And he sees this outbreak as a chance to learn more about how the virus, and the vaccines meant to fight it, work.

“We’re watching it as a real world example of what happens with COVID in a vaccinated population,” the medical officer of health tells The Independent.

“Many, or most, or all of those people have had their second doses in terms of resident, so they’ve been considered fully immunized. Also, the timing is a little bit tight. We typically say …you get the full protection two weeks after your second dose and they weren’t quite there.”

Ranade says many of the studies show the COVID-19 vaccines stop people from getting the virus or reduce the severity of the disease, which is important in an elderly population.

“They’re two different stories between a home that has a big outbreak and people get hospitalized and die, and a home that has a big outbreak and everyone seems like they have a cold and then it’s over,” says Ranade.

“We’re seeing the one where people have symptoms, but they’re milder symptoms…we’re not at the place where we can say that they’re recovering faster, but we can say that the symptoms are milder, and we’re watching to see what happens to this; does it spread much?”

The outbreak at the retirement home is one of five in long term care. There are 28 people in all listed as COVID-19 positive.

Statistics released this morning show there are four school outbreaks among the 22 schools who are dealing with COVID-19. There are 52 people who have tested positive for the virus in Lambton schools.

There are also 17 people who are COVID-19 positive in four workplace outbreaks.

There were 18 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Lambton today – the county has been registering double digit increases for more than two weeks, with the exception of one day. And the number of cases which are of a variant of concern has now reached 99.

And another person in their 80s who had been in hospital, has passed away bringing the death toll in Lambton to 50 from COVID-19. Ranade says it is concerning.

“We know that younger people are are getting more severe disease with these variants… that is a very concerning picture. When that happens is always alarming. It’s a late indicator of what’s been going on in the community because the disease spreads around for a bit before it reaches someone who would have severe consequences.

“It also just means that there is disease circulating and that we have to still be mindful of people who are vulnerable.”

In all, 187 people are ill right now, down 10 from Monday. Another 30 people are also listed as recovered.

Across the province today, the province is reporting another 2,336 COVID-19 infections and 14 deaths.