SIMCOE MUSKOKA – As autumn brings cooler days and changing leaves, it also marks the start of respiratory illness season. With an expected rise in cases of common colds, COVID-19, seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other respiratory infections in our communities, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) recommends taking precautions to protect yourself and others throughout the fall and winter.

Young children, the elderly and those with medical conditions are at increased risk of serious illness from these respiratory viruses. You can protect yourself and family members by taking simple, proven and effective steps to reduce the risk of becoming ill and to protect those closest to us. These steps include:

• Staying home when you are sick with any symptoms of respiratory illness and keeping children home from school or child care if they are ill.
• Avoid non-essential visits to friends and family in vulnerable settings like hospitals, long-term care or retirement homes if you are sick
• Getting vaccinated for influenza, COVID-19 and RSV (if eligible) as soon as it is available to you.
• Washing your hands often and regularly cleaning then disinfecting high-touch surfaces.
• Covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
• Consider wearing a tight-fitting, medical mask in indoor public settings, especially if you are at higher risk of severe infection.
• If sick, wear a mask in all public settings until 10 days after your symptoms started (masks are not recommended for children younger than 2 years old).

Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines will be available to those who are at higher risk of severe infection in the coming weeks, with the vaccines becoming available to everyone starting Oct. 28. These two vaccines are available free of charge from participating local pharmacies and some health care providers.

The RSV vaccine is available through the province’s Older Adult High-Risk RSV Vaccine Program for people aged 60 years of age and older, and meet one of the following descriptors: They are a resident in long-term care homes (LTCH), Elder Care Lodge, or retirement home.

To keep the public informed about local respiratory virus activity, the health unit has launched the Weekly Respiratory Virus Update — an interactive dashboard updated weekly. Starting from Sept. 1, 2024, the dashboard provides a summary of the most recent week’s influenza, COVID-19, and RSV activity, offering an overview of circulating respiratory viruses in Simcoe Muskoka and, when available, in Ontario.

For more information, visit smdhu.org or contact Health Connection at 705-721-7520 or 1-877-721-7520, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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