(CMR) Canada's third coronavirus wave is reportedly affecting young people more severely than before, with an influx of young people in ICUs.
The surge of COVID-19 infections is believed to have been fueled by new variants, which is affecting much younger adults than hospitals are accustomed to seeing, Business Insider reported.
Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, recently announced a 64% increase in new cases involving coronavirus variants, 90% of which involved the B.1.1.7 variant first found in the United Kingdom in September.
The third wave of coronavirus has mainly struck the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia, prompting all three to implement new restrictions to stop the spread.
Ontario reportedly had an influx of much younger patients in ICUs, with nearly half of the province's COVID-19 ICU patients under the age of 60, Business Insider reported.
Ontario recorded more than 2,900 new COVID-19 cases Monday and more than 3,000 on Sunday, driving the number of active infections above 25,000 for the first time in months.
Adalsteinn Brown, a senior science advisor to the Ontario government, said as the new variants spread, the virus was “killing faster and younger.”
Ontario has since implemented lockdown measures to reduce the surge in infections. The new restrictions will shut down gyms, indoor dining, and personal care services.
Quebec has also implemented a lockdown in three different cities, shutting down schools and non-essential businesses and enacting a stricter curfew. British Columbia has also put a three-week ban on indoor dining, worship services, and indoor fitness activities.
On Saturday evening, the nation surpassed 1 million recorded coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.
Canada has been experiencing slow COVID-19 vaccination. As of April 1, just 1.75% of the population was fully vaccinated, and just 11.86% had received at least one dose.
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