Ontario health minister insists province was ready for respiratory illness surge as hospitals struggle

Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones repeated Thursday that the government was prepared for a surge in respiratory illnesses in children this fall, as hospitals struggle with unprecedented demand for care made more challenging by continued staffing shortages.

"I want to give the people of Ontario reassurance that if your child is sick in the province of Ontario you are going to get the health care you deserve and you need, in a timely manner," Jones said at a morning news conference in Toronto. 

She added that ahead of the fall respiratory virus season, Ontario Health and hospitals developed capacity plans. She also said that over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of pediatric intensive care beds in the province has risen by nearly 30 per cent.

Jones conceded that some hospitals are "doing business a little different" as they try to deal with an influx of children seeking care, but said she is proud of the "innovation that's happening" and of ongoing co-operation between health networks.

WATCH | SickKids under strain from respiratory illnesses:

Her comments come as a combination of flu, respiratory syncytial virus (more commonly known as RSV) and COVID-19 continue to put tremendous stress on under-staffed hospitals, though there are some early positive signs that the pressure could be easing somewhat. 

As of November 10, the latest day for which data is available, there were 122 pediatric patients requiring intensive care in Ontario — 10 more than there were beds available. Updated figures are expected Thursday afternoon.

The number of infants and children up to four years old going to hospital emergency departments with respiratory complaints remains more than twice the seasonal pre-pandemic average, according to Ontario's Acute Care Enhanced Surveillance (ACES) database.

The database tracks daily visits and admissions for respiratory illnesses, covering every major hospital in the province.

For those aged five to 17, it is nearly three times the seasonal pre-pandemic average.

That said, both figures have shown declines over the last week.

From a peak of 1,134 on Nov. 9, the seven-day average of five to 17 year olds presenting at hospitals with respiratory symptoms dropped to 824 on Nov. 16. The drop for newborns to four year olds has been less pronounced, with the seven-day average is down to 1,110 from a peak of 1,263 on Nov. 11.

Jones said Thursday morning it appears the province is seeing a slowdown in the rate of increase of children seeking hospital care for respiratory symptoms. 

"I am not going to presuppose that that means we are coming to a plateau, but we are seeing a slowing down of the percentage increase," she told reporters, adding that a majority of pediatric patients in ICUs are there due to RSV.