London's 7th wave of COVID-19 has peaked, but cases likely to spike again this fall, says top doctor

The seventh wave of COVID-19 in London, Ont., has peaked, the region's medical officer of health said Wednesday, noting the area will likely see another uptick in cases when classes return this fall. 

Dr. Alex Summers said the region, like the province as a whole reported a week ago, has seen the rate of new infections crest and begin to retreat. 

"The decline following that peak has not been quick though, it has been, if anything, delayed. It's still kind of plateauing and starting to come down." 

"It's never going to go away. We're going to continue to see these oscillating up and down waves that are going to come throughout the year, likely worse in the winter, but as we stand here right now, the seventh wave in Middlesex-London is plateauing and starting to see some indications of decline." 

As of Monday, there were 627 active reported cases of COVID-19 in the region, with the vast majority reported in the City of London. Countywide, there have been 419 deaths attributed to the virus since the pandemic began. 

Summers said medical authorities are tracking the prevalence of the virus through cases reported from testing from those who are still eligible and through the monitoring wastewater in the region.

He said county health authorities are expecting the rate of new infections to increase when students return to class this fall because there are  no mask mandates in place at the region's post-secondary and public schools. 

"It is likely we will see increased COVID-19 transmission as we see people gather together," he said, noting people should be wearing masks in crowded indoor environments regardless of whether they are required by the government.

He said staying home when you feel ill in any way and making sure you receive all eligible vaccines are also effective ways to minimize risk when it comes to the virus. 

Summers said county health officials will renew calls for seniors to get boosted and wear masks at long-term care and retirement homes in the region.

Small outbreaks have been reported this summer at seniors' facilities throughout the region, however the elderly and infirm people who often live there are no longer in the same level of jeopardy as they were when the pandemic began. 

"Because of the high vaccination coverage among residents and staff at long-term care and retirement homes, the number of deaths that we've seen, given the number of cases we've seen has been relatively low." 

Still, the majority of this year's deaths from the virus have been among the elderly, even as the 161 COVID-19 deaths reported this summer surpassed the 153 deaths reported last year.

Summers said the reason deaths have been higher in 2022 compared to previous years is the nature of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, which while weaker in terms of its symptoms because of widespread vaccination, is far more adept at spreading between its human hosts.