The COVID-19 pandemic

[jeffster]

Current 7-day Covid-19 cases per 100k

• Chatham-Kent Public Health 84.7
• Lambton Public Health 63.4
• Eastern Ontario Health Unit 59.4
• Windsor-Essex County Health Unit 56.0
• Southwestern Public Health 40.7
• Niagara Region Public Health 37.5
• Huron Perth Public Health 35.8
• Timiskaming Health Unit 33.7
• City of Hamilton Public Health Services 31.7
• Middlesex-London Health Unit 30.5

• Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services 24.5

• Grey Bruce Health Unit 15.3
• Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit 12.3
• Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit 11.0
• Hastings Prince Edward Public Health 10.1
• Algoma Public Health 6.1
• Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health 5.6
• Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit 4.2
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit 2.8
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit 0.7
• Porcupine Health Unit 0.0

• TOTAL ONTARIO 26.0

[tomh009]

THURSDAY 2021-10-07

Waterloo Region reported 21 new cases for today (14.7% of the active cases) and none fewer for yesterday for 26; 134 new cases for the week (+7 from yesterday and -6 from last week), averaging 12.5% of active cases. 138 active cases, -15 in the last seven days.

Seven-day vaccination average is at 894 doses/day (previous week was 1,402). 77.18% of total regional population vaccinated (+0.44% from 7 days ago), 73.06% fully vaccinated (+0.82% from 7 days ago).

Ontario reported 587 new cases today with a seven-day average of 565 (-9), compared to 606 a week ago. 586 recoveries and six (new) deaths translated to a decrease of four active cases and a new total of 4,575. -372 active cases and 39 deaths for the week. 37,057 tests with a positivity rate of 1.58%. The positivity rate is averaging 1.81% for the past seven days, compared to 1.96% for the preceding seven.

125 people in the ICU, -7 from yesterday and -26 over the past week.

Seven-day vaccination average is at 27,741 doses/day (previous week was 37,175). 76.83% of total provincial population vaccinated (+0.47% from 7 days ago), 72.45% fully vaccinated (+0.85% from 7 days ago).

Cases/100K by regional health unit:

• 20 cases in Lambton: 15.3 per 100K
  
• 13 cases in Chatham-Kent: 12.3 per 100K
  
• 24 cases in Eastern Ontario: 11.8 per 100K
  
• 11 cases in Huron Perth: 11.2 per 100K
  
• 42 cases in Windsor-Essex: 10.8 per 100K
  
• 14 cases in Brant: 10.3 per 100K
  
• 29 cases in Niagara: 6.5 per 100K
  
• 10 cases in Southwestern Ontario: 5.0 per 100K
  
• 19 cases in Middlesex-London: 4.7 per 100K
  
• 28 cases in Durham: 4.3 per 100K
  
• 22 cases in Simcoe-Muskoka: 4.1 per 100K
  
• 119 cases in Toronto: 4.1 per 100K
  
• 45 cases in York: 4.1 per 100K
  
• 55 cases in Peel: 4.0 per 100K
  
• 23 cases in Hamilton: 4.0 per 100K
  
• 6 cases in Grey Bruce: 3.7 per 100K
  
• 22 cases in Waterloo: 3.6 per 100K (based on provincial reporting)
  
• 32 cases in Ottawa: 3.2 per 100K
  
• 5 cases in Leeds, Grenville & Lanark: 2.9 per 100K
  
• 10 cases in Sudbury: 2.6 per 100K
  
• 14 cases in Halton: 2.6 per 100K
  
• 4 cases in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 1.5 per 100K
  
• 1 cases in Northwestern: 1.1 per 100K
  

[tomh009]

FRIDAY 2021-10-08

Waterloo Region reported 22 new cases for today (16.1% of the active cases) and one more for yesterday for 22; 135 new cases for the week (+1 from yesterday and -6 from last week), averaging 13.0% of active cases. 143 active cases, -9 in the last seven days.

Seven-day vaccination average is at 894 doses/day (previous week was 1,308). 77.20% of total regional population vaccinated (+0.39% from 7 days ago), 73.24% fully vaccinated (+0.90% from 7 days ago) and 0.91% boosted.

Ontario reported 573 new cases today with a seven-day average of 551 (-9), compared to 597 a week ago. 621 recoveries and 10 (new) deaths translated to a decrease of 58 active cases and a new total of 4,517. -452 active cases and 41 deaths for the week. 37,118 tests with a positivity rate of 1.54%. The positivity rate is averaging 1.77% for the past seven days, compared to 1.94% for the preceding seven.

129 people in the ICU, +4 from yesterday and -12 over the past week.

Seven-day vaccination average is at 27,103 doses/day (previous week was 34,768). 76.87% of total provincial population vaccinated (+0.44% from 7 days ago), 72.58% fully vaccinated (+0.85% from 7 days ago).

Cases/100K by regional health unit:

• 14 cases in Chatham-Kent: 13.2 per 100K
  
• 20 cases in Eastern Ontario: 9.9 per 100K
  
• 35 cases in Windsor-Essex: 9.0 per 100K
  
• 31 cases in Middlesex-London: 7.7 per 100K
  
• 15 cases in Southwestern Ontario: 7.5 per 100K
  
• 29 cases in Niagara: 6.5 per 100K
  
• 8 cases in Lambton: 6.1 per 100K
  
• 80 cases in Peel: 5.8 per 100K
  
• 15 cases in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 5.5 per 100K
  
• 28 cases in Waterloo: 4.5 per 100K (based on provincial reporting)
  
• 4 cases in Huron Perth: 4.1 per 100K
  
• 21 cases in Simcoe-Muskoka: 3.9 per 100K
  
• 15 cases in Sudbury: 3.9 per 100K
  
• 41 cases in York: 3.7 per 100K
  
• 104 cases in Toronto: 3.5 per 100K
  
• 19 cases in Halton: 3.5 per 100K
  
• 34 cases in Ottawa: 3.4 per 100K
  
• 20 cases in Durham: 3.1 per 100K
  
• 15 cases in Hamilton: 2.6 per 100K
  
• 3 cases in Grey Bruce: 1.9 per 100K
  
• 2 cases in Leeds, Grenville & Lanark: 1.2 per 100K
  
• 1 cases in Northwestern: 1.1 per 100K
  
• 2 cases in Kingston Frontenac: 1.0 per 100K
  

[jeffster]

Current 7-day Covid-19 cases per 100k

• Chatham-Kent Public Health 80.9
• Lambton Public Health 58.8
• Windsor-Essex County Health Unit 58.1
• Eastern Ontario Health Unit 52.2
• Southwestern Public Health 35.5
• Huron Perth Public Health 35.1
• Niagara Region Public Health 34.9
• Timiskaming Health Unit 33.7
• City of Hamilton Public Health Services 32.3
• Middlesex-London Health Unit 30.3

• Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services 20.7

• Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit 13.1
• Hastings Prince Edward Public Health 12.5
• Grey Bruce Health Unit 12.4
• Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit 11.5
• Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health 7.1
• Algoma Public Health 7.0
• Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit 5.8
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit 5.5
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit 0.7
• Porcupine Health Unit 0.0

• TOTAL ONTARIO 25.6

[tomh009]

10-day averages for key regions in Ontario, plus the weekly trend as of 2021-10-09 (posting this every Saturday).

Region	Cases today	per 100K	10-day average	per 100K	Weekly trend
Chatham-Kent	12	11.3	15	13.9	-47%
Eastern Ontario	13	6.4	20	10.0	-61%
Lambton	15	11.5	13	9.6	-2%
Windsor-Essex	41	10.5	36	9.2	+1%
Huron Perth	8	8.2	7	7.4	-8%
Niagara	20	4.5	28	6.3	-39%
Southwestern Ontario	12	6.0	12	6.0	-9%
Middlesex-London	27	6.7	23	5.7	+11%
Hamilton	47	8.1	32	5.5	-27%
Peel	80	5.8	70	5.1	-10%
Ottawa	50	5.0	46	4.6	-36%
Brant	9	6.6	6	4.3	+71%
York	66	5.9	44	3.9	+14%
Durham	17	2.6	24	3.8	-47%
Toronto	123	4.2	109	3.7	+0%
Simcoe-Muskoka	27	5.0	18	3.4	+49%
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph	14	5.1	9	3.3	-9%
Halton	21	3.8	17	3.1	+4%
Waterloo	9	1.5	18	2.9	-1%
Northwestern		.0	2	2.6	-78%
Grey Bruce	3	1.9	3	2.1	+47%
Kingston Frontenac	3	1.5	4	1.9	-99%
Leeds, Grenville & Lanark	4	2.4	3	1.8	-9%
Sudbury	2	.5	6	1.4	+199%
					-11%

[tomh009]

SATURDAY 2021-10-09

Waterloo Region reported 11 new cases for today (7.6% of the active cases) and two more for yesterday for 24; 117 new cases for the week (-18 from yesterday and -23 from last week), averaging 11.4% of active cases. 139 active cases, -37 in the last seven days.

Next vaccination report on Monday.

Ontario reported 654 new cases today with a seven-day average of 544 (-7), compared to 607 a week ago. 577 recoveries and two (new) deaths translated to an increase of 75 active cases and a new total of 4,592. -429 active cases and 36 deaths for the week. 31,123 tests with a positivity rate of 2.10%. The positivity rate is averaging 1.73% for the past seven days, compared to 2.01% for the preceding seven.

129 people in the ICU, +0 from yesterday and -12 over the past week.

Seven-day vaccination average is at 25,375 doses/day (previous week was 33,263). 77.00% of total provincial population vaccinated (+0.48% from 7 days ago), 72.74% fully vaccinated (+0.84% from 7 days ago).

Cases/100K by regional health unit:

• 15 cases in Lambton: 11.5 per 100K
  
• 12 cases in Chatham-Kent: 11.3 per 100K
  
• 41 cases in Windsor-Essex: 10.5 per 100K
  
• 8 cases in Huron Perth: 8.2 per 100K
  
• 47 cases in Hamilton: 8.1 per 100K
  
• 27 cases in Middlesex-London: 6.7 per 100K
  
• 9 cases in Brant: 6.6 per 100K
  
• 13 cases in Eastern Ontario: 6.4 per 100K
  
• 12 cases in Southwestern Ontario: 6.0 per 100K
  
• 66 cases in York: 5.9 per 100K
  
• 80 cases in Peel: 5.8 per 100K
  
• 14 cases in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 5.1 per 100K
  
• 50 cases in Ottawa: 5.0 per 100K
  
• 27 cases in Simcoe-Muskoka: 5.0 per 100K
  
• 20 cases in Niagara: 4.5 per 100K
  
• 123 cases in Toronto: 4.2 per 100K
  
• 21 cases in Halton: 3.8 per 100K
  
• 17 cases in Durham: 2.6 per 100K
  
• 4 cases in Leeds, Grenville & Lanark: 2.4 per 100K
  
• 3 cases in Grey Bruce: 1.9 per 100K
  
• 3 cases in Kingston Frontenac: 1.5 per 100K
  
• 9 cases in Waterloo: 1.5 per 100K (based on provincial reporting)
  

[tomh009]

SUNDAY 2021-10-10

Waterloo Region reported 14 new cases for today (10.1% of the active cases) and none more for yesterday for 11; 122 new cases for the week (+5 from yesterday and -2 from last week), averaging 12.1% of active cases. 152 active cases, -30 in the last seven days.

Next vaccination report (possibly) on Monday.

Ontario reported 535 new cases today with a seven-day average of 538 (-6), compared to 596 a week ago. 539 recoveries and two (new) deaths translated to a decrease of six active cases and a new total of 4,586. -397 active cases and 36 deaths for the week. 29,755 tests with a positivity rate of 1.80%. The positivity rate is averaging 1.73% for the past seven days, compared to 1.96% for the preceding seven.

127 people in the ICU, -2 from yesterday and -8 over the past week.

Seven-day vaccination average is at 28,686 doses/day (previous week was 31,297). 77.07% of total provincial population vaccinated (+0.50% from 7 days ago), 72.87% fully vaccinated (+0.86% from 7 days ago).

Cases/100K by regional health unit:

• 12 cases in Lambton: 9.2 per 100K
  
• 35 cases in Windsor-Essex: 9.0 per 100K
  
• 17 cases in Eastern Ontario: 8.4 per 100K
  
• 39 cases in Hamilton: 6.7 per 100K
  
• 13 cases in Southwestern Ontario: 6.5 per 100K
  
• 6 cases in Huron Perth: 6.1 per 100K
  
• 58 cases in Ottawa: 5.8 per 100K
  
• 63 cases in York: 5.7 per 100K
  
• 19 cases in Niagara: 4.2 per 100K
  
• 15 cases in Sudbury: 3.9 per 100K
  
• 98 cases in Toronto: 3.3 per 100K
  
• 45 cases in Peel: 3.3 per 100K
  
• 20 cases in Waterloo: 3.2 per 100K (based on provincial reporting)
  
• 5 cases in Grey Bruce: 3.1 per 100K
  
• 16 cases in Durham: 2.5 per 100K
  
• 5 cases in Kingston Frontenac: 2.4 per 100K
  
• 9 cases in Middlesex-London: 2.2 per 100K
  
• 6 cases in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 2.2 per 100K
  
• 12 cases in Halton: 2.2 per 100K
  
• 9 cases in Simcoe-Muskoka: 1.7 per 100K
  
• 1 cases in Northwestern: 1.1 per 100K
  

[jeffster]

Current 7-day Covid-19 cases per 100k

• Lambton Public Health 64.9
• Chatham-Kent Public Health 63.0
• Windsor-Essex County Health Unit 57.4
• Eastern Ontario Health Unit 48.4
• Southwestern Public Health 37.8
• Timiskaming Health Unit 36.7
• City of Hamilton Public Health Services 34.8
• Huron Perth Public Health 34.3
• Niagara Region Public Health 33.0
• Public Health Sudbury & Districts 30.1

• Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services 20.9

• Hastings Prince Edward Public Health 15.4
• Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit 11.4
• Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit 10.6
• Northwestern Health Unit 10.3
• Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit 9.8
• Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health 8.5
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit 5.5
• Algoma Public Health 4.4
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit 0.0
• Porcupine Health Unit 0.0

• TOTAL ONTARIO 25.3

No report tomorrow due to the holiday.

[danbrotherston]

How have people's testing experiences been?

I can say I am thoroughly unimpressed with my experience.

I completely understand that healthcare workers are suffering right now, and I don't fault any individual here.

Obviously, I am a walk in. The walk in experience is firmly second class, you walk in through the lines of cars, up an uncut curb (I don't know what they'd do for a wheelchair user who needed testing), and then you sit in a chair next to the HVAC unit. This is not only an unpleasant place to wait, but also one that is problematic for testing, because I, a person with normal hearing, can barely hear what is being said to me, someone who is hard of hearing would not be able to understand anything.

When you come in, you're led in by a security guard, who gives you a clipboard, and then leaves, with no instructions. I filled it out, and waited about 25 minutes. Eventually I just flagged down one of the people who were going to cars, I wanted to make sure that I was at least actually waiting in line. I asked them, I filled in this clip board, what do I do now? They said, "I dunno"...how is it that they don't know what's going on? That does not give me confidence.

They went to get someone for me, great, that's helpful, that person tells me, oh, well you have to wait till after all the cars. Which, remember, you're in a tent, I have no idea how many cars there are, so I ask, "how long", they don't know, I just have to wait. They asked how long I'd been waiting, and I said (again difficult to hear each other) "about half an hour" they said, no, I couldn't have been waiting that long, they saw someone else a half hour ago and didn't see me then. That person they saw, was presumably the person who walked past me on the way out while I was waiting to be led into the waiting area.

Now, leaving aside whether waiting in a climate controlled car with a radio is the same as waiting on a tiny chair next to an HVAC unit, I need some understanding of time and progress. When you're waiting in a car, you can see where you are in line, and how fast the line is moving. (I do understand that waiting an indefinite period of time in a waiting room is a hallmark of our healthcare system--usually there's a magazine at least).

Eventually the person came back out, and, again I could barely hear them, but it sounded like they said they put me in line even though there were still cars waiting. So I waited, and I waited and I waited some more. Eventually another person arrived. She got handed the same clip board, filled it out, and then handed it to someone. 15 minutes later, they got tested. So I'm pretty ticked off now, so I went and asked the person about that and eventually they came out and I got the test done.

I don't know if they lost my paperwork, or what happened, but it took me over an hour, and I waited till past my testing timeslot.

I don't know what the experience is like when you're in a car, or even what the typical experience for walk in patients is like, but I can honestly say I am thoroughly unimpressed. Does anyone know if my experience is typical, atypical, etc?

As a sidenote, why do they book people for appointments like this, but still have an hour long wait? Isn't the point of booking appointments that people arrive at the right time?

[jeffster]

How have people's testing experiences been?

I can say I am thoroughly unimpressed with my experience.

I completely understand that healthcare workers are suffering right now, and I don't fault any individual here.

Obviously, I am a walk in. The walk in experience is firmly second class, you walk in through the lines of cars, up an uncut curb (I don't know what they'd do for a wheelchair user who needed testing), and then you sit in a chair next to the HVAC unit. This is not only an unpleasant place to wait, but also one that is problematic for testing, because I, a person with normal hearing, can barely hear what is being said to me, someone who is hard of hearing would not be able to understand anything.

When you come in, you're led in by a security guard, who gives you a clipboard, and then leaves, with no instructions. I filled it out, and waited about 25 minutes. Eventually I just flagged down one of the people who were going to cars, I wanted to make sure that I was at least actually waiting in line. I asked them, I filled in this clip board, what do I do now? They said, "I dunno"...how is it that they don't know what's going on? That does not give me confidence.

They went to get someone for me, great, that's helpful, that person tells me, oh, well you have to wait till after all the cars. Which, remember, you're in a tent, I have no idea how many cars there are, so I ask, "how long", they don't know, I just have to wait. They asked how long I'd been waiting, and I said (again difficult to hear each other) "about half an hour" they said, no, I couldn't have been waiting that long, they saw someone else a half hour ago and didn't see me then. That person they saw, was presumably the person who walked past me on the way out while I was waiting to be led into the waiting area.

Now, leaving aside whether waiting in a climate controlled car with a radio is the same as waiting on a tiny chair next to an HVAC unit, I need some understanding of time and progress. When you're waiting in a car, you can see where you are in line, and how fast the line is moving. (I do understand that waiting an indefinite period of time in a waiting room is a hallmark of our healthcare system--usually there's a magazine at least).

Eventually the person came back out, and, again I could barely hear them, but it sounded like they said they put me in line even though there were still cars waiting.  So I waited, and I waited and I waited some more. Eventually another person arrived. She got handed the same clip board, filled it out, and then handed it to someone. 15 minutes later, they got tested. So I'm pretty ticked off now, so I went and asked the person about that and eventually they came out and I got the test done.

I don't know if they lost my paperwork, or what happened, but it took me over an hour, and I waited till past my testing timeslot.

I don't know what the experience is like when you're in a car, or even what the typical experience for walk in patients is like, but I can honestly say I am thoroughly unimpressed. Does anyone know if my experience is typical, atypical, etc?

As a sidenote, why do they book people for appointments like this, but still have an hour long wait? Isn't the point of booking appointments that people arrive at the right time?

My money is on your paperwork being lost, it happens.

Was there a good reason for you to be tested though? Just wondering.

[danbrotherston]

How have people's testing experiences been?

I can say I am thoroughly unimpressed with my experience.

I completely understand that healthcare workers are suffering right now, and I don't fault any individual here.

Obviously, I am a walk in. The walk in experience is firmly second class, you walk in through the lines of cars, up an uncut curb (I don't know what they'd do for a wheelchair user who needed testing), and then you sit in a chair next to the HVAC unit. This is not only an unpleasant place to wait, but also one that is problematic for testing, because I, a person with normal hearing, can barely hear what is being said to me, someone who is hard of hearing would not be able to understand anything.

When you come in, you're led in by a security guard, who gives you a clipboard, and then leaves, with no instructions. I filled it out, and waited about 25 minutes. Eventually I just flagged down one of the people who were going to cars, I wanted to make sure that I was at least actually waiting in line. I asked them, I filled in this clip board, what do I do now? They said, "I dunno"...how is it that they don't know what's going on? That does not give me confidence.

They went to get someone for me, great, that's helpful, that person tells me, oh, well you have to wait till after all the cars. Which, remember, you're in a tent, I have no idea how many cars there are, so I ask, "how long", they don't know, I just have to wait. They asked how long I'd been waiting, and I said (again difficult to hear each other) "about half an hour" they said, no, I couldn't have been waiting that long, they saw someone else a half hour ago and didn't see me then. That person they saw, was presumably the person who walked past me on the way out while I was waiting to be led into the waiting area.

Now, leaving aside whether waiting in a climate controlled car with a radio is the same as waiting on a tiny chair next to an HVAC unit, I need some understanding of time and progress. When you're waiting in a car, you can see where you are in line, and how fast the line is moving. (I do understand that waiting an indefinite period of time in a waiting room is a hallmark of our healthcare system--usually there's a magazine at least).

Eventually the person came back out, and, again I could barely hear them, but it sounded like they said they put me in line even though there were still cars waiting.  So I waited, and I waited and I waited some more. Eventually another person arrived. She got handed the same clip board, filled it out, and then handed it to someone. 15 minutes later, they got tested. So I'm pretty ticked off now, so I went and asked the person about that and eventually they came out and I got the test done.

I don't know if they lost my paperwork, or what happened, but it took me over an hour, and I waited till past my testing timeslot.

I don't know what the experience is like when you're in a car, or even what the typical experience for walk in patients is like, but I can honestly say I am thoroughly unimpressed. Does anyone know if my experience is typical, atypical, etc?

As a sidenote, why do they book people for appointments like this, but still have an hour long wait? Isn't the point of booking appointments that people arrive at the right time?

My money is on your paperwork being lost, it happens.

Was there a good reason for you to be tested though? Just wondering.

That was also my suspicion. Again, it would never happen to someone in a car, they are in line, not easy to ignore, like someone sitting in a corner is.

And yes, my daughter has a serious cold, and ticks many of the COVID symptom boxes (fever, cough, congestion). So she needs a test for a number of reasons, most frustratingly, to see our doctor. At this point, given the pandemic, having a family doctor with a toddler is basically useless, there is virtually no time when they will see her, unless she has a test, she has a runny nose most of the time. So if she is sick, my choices are emerge or keep her home and hope for the best. A doctors visit will take a minimum of 48 hours (booking a test, test processing, and booking a Dr. appointment) and a serious illness will usually resolve in that time period, or progress enough that we need emerge. And given that my doctor is only available 4 days a week, they basically will not see us for an acute illness. As a new parent, I find this extremely stressful.

FWIW, our doctor will do flu shots, and we plan on going, but I am going to pre-emptively book a COVID test because given how frequently my daughter is sick, I'd like more than a 50/50 chance of actually getting a flu shot.

[ijmorlan]

My money is on your paperwork being lost, it happens.

Was there a good reason for you to be tested though? Just wondering.

That was also my suspicion. Again, it would never happen to someone in a car, they are in line, not easy to ignore, like someone sitting in a corner is.

And yes, my daughter has a serious cold, and ticks many of the COVID symptom boxes (fever, cough, congestion). So she needs a test for a number of reasons, most frustratingly, to see our doctor. At this point, given the pandemic, having a family doctor with a toddler is basically useless, there is virtually no time when they will see her, unless she has a test, she has a runny nose most of the time. So if she is sick, my choices are emerge or keep her home and hope for the best. A doctors visit will take a minimum of 48 hours (booking a test, test processing, and booking a Dr. appointment) and a serious illness will usually resolve in that time period, or progress enough that we need emerge. And given that my doctor is only available 4 days a week, they basically will not see us for an acute illness. As a new parent, I find this extremely stressful.

FWIW, our doctor will do flu shots, and we plan on going, but I am going to pre-emptively book a COVID test because given how frequently my daughter is sick, I'd like more than a 50/50 chance of actually getting a flu shot.

Well, I would say that being abandoned like that is unacceptable. How necessary the specific test in question was is completely irrelevant (to the extent that I think the question should not have been asked). Anybody running an operation where people come in and wait for service is responsible for running it so that it reliably processes everybody. Not necessarily quickly, in the event demand is high, but fairly and without forgetting anybody.

Nobody is likely to die waiting for a Covid test but people dying waiting for ER attention has been in the news so it’s not just about a slight inconvenience.

[jeffster]

My money is on your paperwork being lost, it happens.

Was there a good reason for you to be tested though? Just wondering.

That was also my suspicion. Again, it would never happen to someone in a car, they are in line, not easy to ignore, like someone sitting in a corner is.

And yes, my daughter has a serious cold, and ticks many of the COVID symptom boxes (fever, cough, congestion). So she needs a test for a number of reasons, most frustratingly, to see our doctor. At this point, given the pandemic, having a family doctor with a toddler is basically useless, there is virtually no time when they will see her, unless she has a test, she has a runny nose most of the time. So if she is sick, my choices are emerge or keep her home and hope for the best. A doctors visit will take a minimum of 48 hours (booking a test, test processing, and booking a Dr. appointment) and a serious illness will usually resolve in that time period, or progress enough that we need emerge. And given that my doctor is only available 4 days a week, they basically will not see us for an acute illness. As a new parent, I find this extremely stressful.

FWIW, our doctor will do flu shots, and we plan on going, but I am going to pre-emptively book a COVID test because given how frequently my daughter is sick, I'd like more than a 50/50 chance of actually getting a flu shot.

My son ended up in ER a while back. Triage is like “he has covid” without even doing a test. Kid was actually crashing out. Had to ask them to do a covid test, but they kept holding off, for whatever reason. Anyway, he was tested once he was better, and of course, it came back negative. He doesn’t go out enough (he works by himself at night) to even be a risk factor to himself.

Possibly myocarditis from the vaccine, and it was a good thing we got him to the hospital when we did. He was actually close to death, which is scary. If he needs a booster in the future, it won’t be Moderna. But we need further testing and possibly an MRI to figure out the heart damage.

[jeffster]

Current covid-19 cases per 100k

• Chatham-Kent Public Health 63.0
• Lambton Public Health 55.7
• Windsor-Essex County Health Unit 55.3
• Eastern Ontario Health Unit 51.3
• Southwestern Public Health 42.1
• Timiskaming Health Unit 36.7
• City of Hamilton Public Health Services 34.4
• Huron Perth Public Health 32.9
• Public Health Sudbury & Districts 32.7
• Niagara Region Public Health 32.4
• York Region Public Health 29.1

• Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services 20.0

• Peterborough Public Health 15.5
• North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit 15.4
• Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Public Health 12.7
• Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit 12.7
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit 11.0
• Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit 8.7
• Algoma Public Health 3.5
• Northwestern Health Unit 3.4
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit 0.0
• Porcupine Health Unit 0.0

• TOTAL ONTARIO 24.7

Ontario is back in the ‘yellow’ under the old framework.

[jwilliamson]

How have people's testing experiences been?

I can say I am thoroughly unimpressed with my experience.

I completely understand that healthcare workers are suffering right now, and I don't fault any individual here.

Obviously, I am a walk in. The walk in experience is firmly second class, you walk in through the lines of cars, up an uncut curb (I don't know what they'd do for a wheelchair user who needed testing), and then you sit in a chair next to the HVAC unit. This is not only an unpleasant place to wait, but also one that is problematic for testing, because I, a person with normal hearing, can barely hear what is being said to me, someone who is hard of hearing would not be able to understand anything.

When you come in, you're led in by a security guard, who gives you a clipboard, and then leaves, with no instructions. I filled it out, and waited about 25 minutes. Eventually I just flagged down one of the people who were going to cars, I wanted to make sure that I was at least actually waiting in line. I asked them, I filled in this clip board, what do I do now? They said, "I dunno"...how is it that they don't know what's going on? That does not give me confidence.

They went to get someone for me, great, that's helpful, that person tells me, oh, well you have to wait till after all the cars. Which, remember, you're in a tent, I have no idea how many cars there are, so I ask, "how long", they don't know, I just have to wait. They asked how long I'd been waiting, and I said (again difficult to hear each other) "about half an hour" they said, no, I couldn't have been waiting that long, they saw someone else a half hour ago and didn't see me then. That person they saw, was presumably the person who walked past me on the way out while I was waiting to be led into the waiting area.

Now, leaving aside whether waiting in a climate controlled car with a radio is the same as waiting on a tiny chair next to an HVAC unit, I need some understanding of time and progress. When you're waiting in a car, you can see where you are in line, and how fast the line is moving. (I do understand that waiting an indefinite period of time in a waiting room is a hallmark of our healthcare system--usually there's a magazine at least).

Eventually the person came back out, and, again I could barely hear them, but it sounded like they said they put me in line even though there were still cars waiting.  So I waited, and I waited and I waited some more. Eventually another person arrived. She got handed the same clip board, filled it out, and then handed it to someone. 15 minutes later, they got tested. So I'm pretty ticked off now, so I went and asked the person about that and eventually they came out and I got the test done.

I don't know if they lost my paperwork, or what happened, but it took me over an hour, and I waited till past my testing timeslot.

I don't know what the experience is like when you're in a car, or even what the typical experience for walk in patients is like, but I can honestly say I am thoroughly unimpressed. Does anyone know if my experience is typical, atypical, etc?

As a sidenote, why do they book people for appointments like this, but still have an hour long wait? Isn't the point of booking appointments that people arrive at the right time?

That sounds a bit worse than my recent experiences there, but only by a bit. It seems pretty clear that public health is not interested in wide-spread testing, given that we're now 18 months into this pandemic and they still haven't figured out how to run a test site efficiently.